SPARC Trends in Participation in Sport and Active Leisure 1997 - 2001

Overall trends

Young people’s interest in new sports and activities

• Among young people the level of interest in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has fallen significantly from 63.9% in 1997 to 58.0% in 2001.
• This has been particularly significant among girls, whose level of interest has dropped from 64.2% to 56.1% over this period.
• The level of interest has also fallen for 5-8 year olds, of whom 69.7% were interested in taking up a new sport or active leisure activity in 1997 compared with 61.3% in 2001.

Adults’ interest in being more active over time

• Generally speaking, there has been no significant change in the proportions of all adults who want to be more active, or about the same amount of time being active, over the period from 1997 to 2001.
• There has, however, been a small but significant decline in those who would like to spend less time being active, from 2.7% in 1997 to 1.3% in 2001, with this change being reflected in the higher proportion of adults wanting to spend about the same amount of time being active (40.0% in 1997 compared to 42.6% in 2001).
• Both men and women are less likely to want to spend less time being active in 2001 than in 1997. However, other significant changes have only happened among women, with significantly fewer wanting to spend more time being active (down from 57.0% in 1997 to 53.4% in 2001), and correspondingly more wanting to spend about the same amount of time being active (up from 40.3% in 1997 to 45.4% in 2001).
• The decline in adults wanting to spend less time being active is most evident among 25-49 year olds, which have experienced small but significant declines since 1997 (from 2.1% to 0.9% among 25-34 year olds, and from 3.2% to 1.3% among 35-49 year olds).
• Reductions in those wanting to spend more time being active have mainly occurred amongst those aged 65 years or over, where this proportion has decreased significantly from 35.0% in 1997 to 29.0% in 2001; this group has also had a significant increase over this period in the proportion wanting to spend the same amount of time being active, from 61.4% to 69.0%. Much of this change occurred between 1997 and 1999.
• Adults with either secondary school or tertiary education have both experienced declines in the proportions wanting to be less active than they are currently; it is only among those with secondary education, however, that the proportion wanting to spend the same amount of time has increased significantly, from 43.6% in 1997 to 47.2% in 2001.
• People with an available household income under $18,000 are the only ones to have had a significant decline in the proportion wanting to spend less time being active since 1997, from 3.7% to 2.0% in 2001.
• Within the next income group, however, significantly fewer want to spend more time being active (49.8% in 2001 compared with 58.0% in 1997) and more want to be active for about the same amount of time (49.0% in 2001 compared with 40.0% in 1997).

Ethnic groups

Young people’s interest in new sports and activities

Note: Not all differences shown in the figure are significant, as some sample sizes are relatively small. See text for commentary.

Maori young people

• Since 1997 the level of interest of Maori young people in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has fallen significantly from 71% in 1997 to 53% in 2001, and for both boys and girls – the proportion for Maori boys has fallen from 75% in 1997 to 59% in 2001, and for girls from 67% to 45%.
• This drop has also been significant across all age groups – 71% of Maori aged 5-12 year olds were interested to taking up a new sport or active leisure activity in 1997 compared with 55% in 2001, and 71% of 13-17 year olds were interested compared with 50% in 2001.

European young people

• The level of interest of European young people in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has fallen significantly from 63% in 1997 to 57% in 2001.
• Although the change among boys is not significant (from 63% in 1997 to 58% in 2001), it is for girls (from 63% to 55%).
• The significant drop occurs across all age groups – 70% of European young people aged 5-12 years old were interested in taking up a new sport or active leisure activity in 1997 compared with 62% in 2001, and 57% of 13-17 year olds were interested in 1999 52% compared with 48% in 2001 (despite being 52% in 1997).

Pacific young people

• Pacific young people are significantly more interested in participating in a new sport or active leisure in 2001 than they were in 1997 – 75% of young people are interested in 2001 compared with 56% in 1997.
• Boys’ level of interest significantly increased from 51% in 1997 to 72% in 2001, while for girls it from 62% to 79% over the same period (although this was not significant).
• The level of interest in taking up a new sport or active leisure has increased significantly since 1999 for those aged 5-12 years old – from 60% in 1997 to 84% in 2001. For 13-17 year olds, the level of interest increased from 47% in 1997 to 63% in 1999, and 61% in 2001 (small sample sizes mean these latter results are indicative rather than conclusive).

Other ethnic group young people

• Interest in participating in a new sport or active leisure has fluctuated for young people from other ethnic groups, although there have not been any significant changes.
• Boys’ level of interest has risen from 54% in 1997 to between 61% and 63% (2001 and 1999 respectively), whereas young girls’ level of interest has fallen from 71% in 1997 to around 54% in 1999 and 2001.
• Similar fluctuations occur across all age groups, though overall levels of interest have shown a small drop from 62% in 1997 to 57% in 2001.

Adults’ interest in being more active over time

Note: Not all differences shown in the figure are significant, as some sample sizes are relatively small. See text for commentary.

Maori adults

• There has been a significant increase in the proportion of Maori adults who want to be more active since 1997 – from 52% to 59% in 2001.
• This is especially true for men – in 1997 49% of Maori men wanted to be more active compared with 61% in 2001 – while for younger Maori adults aged 18-24 years interest in being more active increased from 55% in 1997 to 81% in 1999, before dropping back to 68% in 2001.  

European adults

• Between 1997 and 2001, there has been a small but significant fall in the proportion of European adults who want to be more active from 58% to 55%.
• This is due mainly to 57% of European women who wanted to be more active in 1997 and 1999 falling to 52% in 2001. However, the proportion European men wanting to be more active has showed little change since 1997, hovering between 56% and 58%.
• Adults aged 65 years or over showed the biggest percentage fall in the proportion who would like to be more active, from 35% in 1997 to 27% in 2001. It also fell for those aged 25-34 years, from 70% in both 1997 and 1999 to 64% in 2001.

Pacific adults

• There has been little change since 1997 in the proportion of Pacific adults who want to be more active, which has remained around 59%, despite a fall to 51% in 1999.
• This pattern of a decline between 1997 and 1999, and an increase from 1999 to 2001 is the same among both Pacific men and women, although changes are significant – men have shown an increase from 58% in 1997 to 63% in 2001 (in 1999 it dropped to 53%), and for Pacific women there has been a fall from 59% to 56% in 2001 (dropping to 50% in 1999).

Other ethnic group adults

• There has been a significant increase since 1997 in the proportion of adults from Other ethnic groups who want to be more active – from 58% to 68% in 2001.
• This is the case for both men and women without the changes being considered statistically significant: 59% of men wanted to be more active in 1997 compared with 69% in 2001, and 57% of women wanted to be more active in 1997 compared with 67% in 2001.
• This increase is also seen particularly among the younger adults (aged 18-24 years), from 64% in 1997 to 81% in 2001, and those aged 35-49 years, from 56% in 1997 to 66% in 2001. Again, the relatively small sample sizes mean these results are not considered as significant.

Regional Sports Trusts

Significant changes in interest in being more active among Regional Sports Trusts

I Significant increase in RST area overall, since either 1997 or 1999

D Significant decrease in RST area overall, since either 1997 or 1999

– No significant change overall, since either 1997 or 1999

Young people’s interest in new sports/activities

Overall interest in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has significantly declined for young people in a number of RST areas, including North Harbour and Waitakere, Counties Manukau, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne, Canterbury/Westland, and Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu, with these areas also showing significant declines in the level of interest among either boys or girls. In Waikato, an increase and decrease in the interest levels of boys and girls respectively have offset each other. The key changes for each RST area are summarised below.

Northland young people

• Between 1997 and 2001 there has been little change in the level of interest of Northland young people have in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity, with any changes not being significant.
• However, the level of interest among girls has fallen from 70% in 1997 to 51% by 2001.
• Boys’ interest declined from 70% on 1997 to 58% in 1999, before increasing again to 74% by 2001.
• This pattern is similar for 13-17 year olds although the level of interest among this group has not recovered to the same extent– it dropped from 65% in 1997 to 36% in 1999 before rising to 56% by 2001.

North Harbour and Waitakere young people

• Between 1997 and 2001, the level of interest of North Harbour and Waitakere young people for participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has significantly decreased from 73% to 50%.
• The decrease is especially significant for girls, from 77% in 1997 to 38% in 2001, although interest has also fallen for boys over this period, from 70% in 1997 to 60% in 2001.
• This decrease has occurred across all age groups, although only tests as significant for pre-teenagers – 80% of North Harbour and Waitakere young people aged 5-12 years were interested in taking up a new sport or active leisure activity in 1997 compared with 52% in 2001, and 61% of 13-17 year olds were interested in 1997 compared with 46% in 2001.

Auckland young people

• There has been no significant change in the interest of Auckland young people in taking up new sports and active leisure activities over the period 1997 to 2001.

Counties Manukau young people

• Overall, there has been a significant decline in the level of interest of Counties Manukau young people in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity between 1997 and 2001, from 67% to 49%.
• This has been particularly evident among girls (where interest has declined from 68% to 49%) and young people aged 13-17 years (from 70% in 1997 to 42% in 2001).
• Interest has also declined substantially among boys and 5-12 year olds from just under two-thirds in 1997 to around half in 2001 respectively, but this decline did not test as significant.

Waikato young people

• Since 1997 the level of interest of Waikato young people in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has declined from 69% in 1997 to 57% in 2001, although this is not a significant change.
• The proportion for Waikato boys, however, dropped from 69% in 1997 to 51% in 1999, before rising significantly again to 71% in 2001.
• For girls, interest in new sports or activities has declined significantly from 70% in 1997 to 42% in 2001.
• This general decline has occurred across all age groups without being significant – 71% of Waikato aged 5-12 year olds were interested to taking up a new sport or active leisure activity in 1997 compared with 61% in 2001, and 66% of 13-17 year olds were interested compared with 50% in 2001.

Bay of Plenty young people

• Although there have been no significant changes, the overall level of interest of Bay of Plenty young people in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has increased since 1997 from 61% to 70% in 2001.
• Most of the increase is due to the proportion of girls interested in new sports and activities increasing from 57% in 1997 to 76% in 2001, with the level of interest among boys being relatively static.
• Pre-teenage young people (aged 5-12 years old) have contributed more to this higher level of interest (increasing from 64% in 1997 to 75% in 2001) than young people aged 13-17 years (55% in 1997 to 61% in 2001).

Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu young people

• The level of interest among Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu young people for participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has changed since 1997 when 54% were interested, rising to 84% in 1999, but then dropping significantly again to 65% in 2001. This pattern is similar for both boys and girls and across all age groups.

Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne young people

• Since 1997 the level of interest of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne young people in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has decreased significantly from 67% in 1997 to 47% in 2001.
• This decrease is evident for both boys and girls, but especially for boys, 74% of whom were interested taking up new sports and activities in 1997 compared with 44% in 2001.
• The fall in interest is also significant across age groups. Between 1997 and 2001, levels of interest among 5-12 year olds have fallen from 64% to 43% and for 13-17 year olds, it has fallen from 72% to 53% over this period.

Wellington young people

• Between 1997 and 2001, the level of interest in doing new sports has risen from 58% to 65%, although this cannot be regarded as a significant change due to relatively small sample sizes.

Tasman young people

• Between 1997 and 2001 the level of interest of Tasman young people in participating in a new sport or active leisure activity has not changed significantly.

Canterbury/Westland young people

• Since 1997 the interest of young people in taking up new sport and active leisure activities has declined significantly from 68% in 1997 to 54% in 2001.
• The decline in interest is evident for both boys and girls and across age groups, but the fall in girls’ interest has been significant between 1999 and 2001– it was 68% in 1997, rose to 75% in 1999, and since then has fallen to 51% in 2001.

Otago and Southland young people

• Between 1997 and 2001 there has been little change in the overall interest of Otago and Southland young people in taking up new sport and active leisure activities.
• Over this period, the interest level of boys in this region rose initially from 56% to 67% between 1997 and 1999 and has since fallen to 49% in 2001. Among girls it declined between 1997 and 1999 from 62% to 56%, and has since risen to 66% in 2001. None of these changes can be regarded as significant, however.

Adults’ interest in being more active over time

Since 1997, several RSTs have experienced significant changes (either increases or decreases) in the level of interest adults within their areas have in spending more time being active than they do currently, with these mostly being among men. Summarised below are the significant changes for each RST area.

Significant changes in interest in being more active among Regional Sports Trusts

I Significant increase in RST area overall, since either 1997 or 1999

D Significant decrease in RST area overall, since either 1997 or 1999

– No significant change overall, since either 1997 or 1999

Northland adults

• Over the period 1997 to 2001, adults in Northland have shown a significant increase in the level of interest in being more active. In 1997, 45% of people in this region wanted to be more active; in 1999 this figure had risen to 51% and by 2001 it had reached 56%.
• The increase is evident for both men and women and across all age groups, but is significant for men and those aged 25-34 years: men’s interest has increased over this period from 45% to 60%, and it has increased from 52% to 73% for those aged 25-34 years old.

North Harbour and Waitakere adults

• There has been little change in North Harbour and Waitakere adults’ interest in being more active between 1997 and 2001, although interest among 25-34 year olds has declined from 73% in 1997 to 58% in 2001 (not a significant change, however) .

Auckland adults

• Auckland adults’ interest in being more active has increased significantly over time, especially for men.
• Men’s level of interest in 1997 was 59%, and rose significantly to 70% in 2001.
• Women’s interest in being more active also increased over this period, although to a lesser degree (53% to 59%).

Counties Manukau adults

• Counties Manukau adults’ interest in being more active has declined over time. In 1997, 56% wanted to be more active, compared with 58% in 1999 before significantly falling to 49% in 2001.
• This decline is evident for men and women, and most age groups, but is significant particularly for men (60% in 1999 and 49% in 2001) and those 35-49 years of age (60% of people this age wanted to be more active in 1999; the figure is 44% in 2001).

Waikato adults

• Overall, the level of interest in spending more time doing physical activity has remained largely unchanged among adults in the Waikato region, although it is a little lower in 2001 than in 1997, for both men and women.
• Much of this decline is due to a decline in the interest of younger adults aged under 35 years – 81% of 18-24 year olds were interested in being more active in 1997 compared to 70% in 2001; 67% of 25-34 year olds were interested in 1997 compared to 53% in 2001. These changes cannot be regarded as significant, however.

Bay of Plenty adults

• Overall, the level of interest in spending more time doing physical activity has declined significantly among adults in the Bay of Plenty region, from 61% in 1997 to 54% in 2001.
• There has been a slightly greater rate of decline among women (from 61% to 51%) than among men (62% to 56%).
• Much of this decline is accounted for by a significant decline in the interest of adults aged 35-49 years – 73% were interested in spending more time in physical activity in 1997, down to 56% in 2001 (although this age group also experienced a significant increase in the proportion that are active between 1999 and 2001).
• The interest in spending more time being active also peaked for 18-24 year olds in 1999 at 92%, up from 73% in 1997, before dropping to 78% in 2001 (although with a small sample size in 2001, this is indicative rather than conclusive); for 25-34 year olds this pattern is repeated, with interest rising from 67% in 1997 to 81% in 1999, and dropping significantly again to 58% in 2001.

Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu adults

• There has been only a small change in the overall proportion of adults in Taranaki, Wanganui, and Manawatu who are interested in spending more time participating in sport and active leisure. In 1997 and 1999 the level of interest was the same (53%), and by 2001 the overall level of interest has risen to 58% of adults in these regions.
• These changes are more evident among 25-34 year olds and 35-49 year olds, where both age groups have exhibited significant increases in the proportions wanting to spend more time being active between 1997 and 2001 (from 52% to 75% for 25-34 year olds, and from 54% to 71% for 35-49 year olds).
• On the other hand, interest among 18-24 year olds appears to have declined from 75% in 1997 to 46% in 2001, although due to small base sample sizes in 2001, this can only be regarded as indicative.

Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne adults

• Over the period 1997 to 2001, there has been a significant decrease in the proportion of men living in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne who express interest in spending more time participating in sport and active leisure. In 1997, the figure was 56%, which has dropped to 43% in 2001.

Wellington adults

• Wellington adults’ interest in being more active was similar in 1997 and 1999 (59% and 57% respectively), but there has been a significant increase between 1999 and 2001, from 57% to 65%.
• This is due largely to a significant increase in the proportion of men wanting to be more active (from 56% in 1997 to 73% in 2001).

Tasman adults

• There has been little overall change in Tasman people’s interest in becoming more active, although this has changed among adults aged 50 years or over. In 1997, the proportion of adults in this age group who were interested in becoming more active was 40%; this dropped to 29% in 1999, but has since risen significantly again to 43% in 2001.

Canterbury/Westland adults

• Since 1997 the interest in spending more time being active has fallen significantly from 59% to 49% in 2001.
• This is due largely to the significant drop in women’s interest from 61% to 47% over the same period.
• This decline in interest can also be seen among those aged 50 years or over, where there has been a significant drop from 47% to 29%, and among 25-34 year olds, where interest has declined substantially (but not at a significant level) from 77% to 62% over the same period.

Otago and Southland adults

• Over the period 1997 to 2001, there has been little change in the interest of Otago and Southland adults in becoming more active.
• The most substantial changes have been among women, the proportion of whom are interested in being more active has fallen from 56% to 48%; and those aged 50 years or over, whose interest has declined from 46% to 36%. These declines are not significant at this stage, however.

Older adults

• Overall, the proportion of older adults who want to be more active has remained relatively stable over the period 1997-2001 (ranging between 37% and 40%).
• However, the proportion of women aged 55 years or over who want to be more active has declined significantly from 41% in 1997 to 36% in 2001).
• This is matched in the lower proportion of 65-74 year olds who want to spend more time being active in 2001 (31%) than in 1997 (39%).

Volunteers

• Overall, the proportion of volunteers who want to be more active has remained relatively stable over time (ranging between 57% and 60%).
• However, it has fluctuated for some groups, particularly for women where it increased from 57% in 1997 to 63% in 1999, before dropping significantly to 55% in 2001.
• A similar pattern occurred among those aged 18-24 years when in 1997, 59% of this age group wanted to be more active, increasing to 75% in 1999, and falling significantly again to 61% in 2001.
• Among ethnic groups, the most substantial change has been in the proportion of Maori interested being more active, which has tended to increase (from 48% to 58% between 1997 and 2001), although this cannot be regarded as significant.