SPARC Facts 1997-2001

It is recommended that New Zealanders should undertake at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. If possible adding some vigorous activity would provide extra health benefits and fitness. This recommendation is based on scientific evidence about the health benefits of physical activity, particularly to protect against cardiovascular disease, but also many other diseases and conditions.

There is a wide range of social and economic benefits from increasing physical activity6 both for individuals and society as a whole. These are outlined below.

Social benefits

Health

People who are active enjoy a better quality of life, are healthier and live longer⁶. Society also benefits from people being active. Since the publication of the US Surgeon General’s report Physical Activity and Health in 1996 evidence and awareness of the contribution of physical activity to health has increased substantially (USDHHS, 1996). The World Health Organization has identified physical inactivity as one of the biggest contributors to the global burden of disease. The twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes are now affecting both developed and developing countries worldwide. These epidemics are thought to be largely due to the rapid changes in human lifestyles over the last century, including a greater reliance on motor vehicles, labour-saving devices, the development of computers and electronic entertainments and the growth of convenience foods. These changes have in turn led to physical inactivity and unhealthy diets.

The health benefits of regular moderate-intensity physical activity include:

• reduced risk of dying prematurely
• reduced risk of dying from heart disease or stroke
• reduced risk of developing high blood pressure
• reduced risk of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM)
• reduced risk of developing colon and breast cancers
• fewer falls for older people and less injuries when they do
• reduced feelings of anxiety and depression (National Health Committee, 1998).

Education

Physical activity, sport and physical education can improve cognitive and educational performance of students at school as well as aiding physiological, skill and social development.

Social cohesion

Strengthening communities: Physical activity, particularly through sport and physical recreation, provides a key opportunity to aid social cohesion in communities and society in general. Fostering social cohesion and social capital through sport and physical recreation helps strengthen social ties and networks within communities. Membership of community organisations such as sports groups or informal groups can foster co-operation, shared responsibility and social trust.

Developing and socialising individuals: Socialisation through sport and physical recreation can help to reduce crime including youth offending. A recent British study found that sport was moving young people away from crime and helping to fight drug abuse (Sport England, 2002).

Strengthening national pride and national identity: Sport in particular fosters feelings of national pride and strengthens national identity.

Economic benefits

Active lifestyles also contribute to the economy. Studies of the economics of the sport and physical leisure sector from 1996 to 1999 found that:

• In 1999 the real gross output from the sector was $1.973 billion, up 2.5% on 1996, with the largest contributor being sports clothing.
• New Zealanders spend $1 billion per annum on sport and physical leisure activities and services (2.5% of total household spending), an increase of 16.6% on 1996.
• There were an estimated 41,000 jobs in the sector, an increase of 8.1% on 1996.
• More than 500,000 people (19.6% of the adult population) volunteer their time to sports clubs and organisations, which is worth up to $1.9 billion per annum.
• One million tourists (three-quarters of all visitors) take part in one of more sport or physical leisure activities during their stay.
• The direct economic contribution of international tourists who visit New Zealand to take part in sport and physical leisure activities was $120 million in 1999 (BERL, 1998, 2001).

The state of New Zealand’s health

Cardiovascular diseases cause the most deaths and ill health among adult New Zealanders (41% of all deaths in 1997). Obesity and diabetes are increasing in New Zealand: 17% of adults are now obese and a further 35% are overweight (Ministry of Health, 2002). Between 1989 and 1997 adult obesity increased by 55%⁷ and is projected to increase by a further 70% by 2011 (Ministry of Health, 2001). It has also been estimated that by 2011 approximately 29% of the adult population may be obese (Ministry of Health 2002a). Approximately 80,000⁸ New Zealanders are known to have type 2 diabetes and by 2011 this number could increase to 145,000. At least one third of this increase is driven by increasing numbers of overweight and obese people. In 1996 Māori and Pacific people were about three times more likely than Europeans to have type 2 diabetes and the impact is projected to get worse by 2011 (Ministry of Health, 2002a).

As outlined above, physical activity can have a major part to play in reducing the social and economic impact of these major diseases on the New Zealand population. A New Zealand study on the cost-effectiveness of physical activity conservatively estimated that a 5% increase in physical activity could result in savings of $25 million per annum in direct health costs. If all New Zealanders were physically active $160 million per annum would be saved (Bauman, 1997). This study did not include the rising projected impact of the diabetes and obesity epidemics in New Zealand, so the direct health savings are likely to be significantly higher. The direct costs of obesity alone have been estimated to exceed $200 million per year. More than $170 million per year is spent treating diabetes and related conditions (Ministry of Health, 2001).

How does New Zealand compare with other countries?

By international standards New Zealand appears to be a physically active nation. While countries have tended to use different methods to measure physical activity levels (see below), it is possible to gain some general impressions of physical activity levels in similarly developed countries. This section provides some reported physical activity levels in New Zealand, the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Finland.

Results of the World Health Report 2002

The World Health Report 2002 - Preventing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life (WHO, 2002) produced global estimates of physical inactivity. The report estimated physical activity for those aged 15 and over across four geographical domains using a range of direct and indirect data sources and survey instruments. Most data was for leisure-time physical activity, with some occupational activity and indirect data relating to transport and domestic tasks. The global estimate for physical inactivity (equivalent to sedentary behaviour in the New Zealand surveys) among adults is averaged to 17% (ranging from 11% to 24%). Compared with these estimates, New Zealand would appear to have one of the lowest levels of physical inactivity because only 10% of New Zealand adults (aged 18 and over) are sedentary. The global estimate for some, but insufficient, physical activity was 41% (ranging from 31% to 51%). Again New Zealand would appear to be in a better position than most countries with an insufficient activity level of 32%.

It should also be remembered that historically New Zealand has only asked about leisure-time physical activity whereas some other countries, for example the United States, have included all types of physical activity. Therefore, other expressions of physical activity (such as through occupation or for transport) have yet to be factored into New Zealand’s total levels of physical activity.

Issues With Measurement of Physical Activity

Countries have tended to measure different dimensions of physical activity. For example, some surveys ask about different contexts for physical activity, such as by occupation or as a means of transport, while others ask about leisure-time physical activity only (as New Zealand has done in the past). Surveys also include different ways of categorising levels of activity and inactivity (i.e. how much activity is required to be considered active or inactive). Some surveys are conducted by telephone and others by face-to-face interviews.

Steps are being taken to develop international standards of measurement of physical activity, so that in the future it will be possible to make clearer comparisons. In New Zealand, research is currently being undertaken to develop a new sport and physical activity survey that will be comparable to other international surveys (the new survey will ask more questions about the dimensions of physical activity participation: intensity, regularity, duration, type and context). The new survey is likely to be conducted in 2005/06.

New Zealand is also participating in an International Physical Activity Prevalence study that will measure physical activity levels and compare them across 17 countries including Australia, Finland, India, China and Hong Kong. The results will be available in late 2003.

See the Appendix for more information.

6 Whether expressed as sport, physical recreation/active leisure or non-recreational physical activity (such as transport, domestic chores). Both the terms active leisure and physical recreation/physical leisure are used in this section.

7 In 1989 10 percent of men and 13 percent of women were obese, compared with 1997 when 14.7 percent of men and 19.2 percent of women were obese.

8 Research indicates that for every person who is diagnosed with diabetes there is another whose diabetes has not yet been recognised.

9 Physical activity done in the last week or previous week before the interview.