SPARC Trends in Participation in Sport and Active Leisure 1997 - 2001
Key facts at a glance
- SPARC Trends is based on the results of Sport and Recreation New Zealand’s1 (SPARC) 1997/98, 1998/99 and 2000/01 Sport and Physical Activity Surveys, which have interviewed over 12,500 New Zealand adults (people aged 18 and over) and over 4,000 young people (5-17 year-olds), about their participation in physical activity and sport.
- Although the activity levels across all young people have declined by a small amount, from 68.9% being active in 1997 to 66.5% in 2001, there has been a significant increase in the proportion that is sedentary (no activity in the past week), from 7.9% in 1997 to 12.8% in 2001. This is evident for both boys and girls.
- On the other hand, more adults overall are active in 2001 (69.8%) than in 1997 (66.9 %), and particularly women. This is due to fewer being relatively inactive since 1997 and, since 1999, more becoming highly active.
- Overall, more adults are not active for 30 minutes or more on any days of the week in 2001 (19.3%) than in 1997 (16.6%), with most of this change occurring between 1997 and 1999. It is reflected in small decreases in the proportions that are active on 1-4 days and on five or more days a week.
- 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, particularly among girls. For adults, there has been no significant change in the proportions who want to be more active, or about the same amount of time being active, although the proportion wanting to be less active has declined.
- For young people, there has been a significant decline in the level of participation in sport and active leisure overall from 93.0% in 1997 to 88.5% in 2001. This has occurred for both boys and girls across a number of settings including at school, during and outside school hours. Overall participation has also declined among Maori and Pacific young people. In contrast, among adults there has been little change overall in the proportions that have participated in sports and active leisure activities over the previous 12 months, or who have taken part in sporting activities only, since 1997.
- Among young people, sports and active leisure activities that have had the most significant changes in participation in club activities include soccer, in which overall participation has increased significantly by 5.9% of all young people since 1997 to 17.4% in 2001, while boys’ participation in rugby union has declined significantly since 1999, from 18.2% to 11.1%.
- Among adults, the sports and active leisure activities that have had the most substantial changes to participation since 1997 include walking, with participation among all adults increasing by 4.8% between 1997 and 2001, and running/ jogging (increasing 3.3% for all adults).
- There has been an overall decline in the proportions of young people receiving coaching, from 63.4% in 1997 to 58.7% in 2001, and has occurred for both boys and girls.
- There has been little change in club membership among adults overall since 1997, or in their participation in organised competitions, although the participation of men in the latter has declined significantly since 1999, from 36.7% to 32.5% in 2001.
- There have been more significant changes in the proportions of adults receiving coaching, with increases from 22.0% (1997) to 25.1% (1999), and declining to 21.6% in 2001.
- Since 1997, the overall involvement of adults in at least one of the volunteer roles of coach, referee, administrator or parent helper (paid or unpaid) has remained static at 27%.