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

Young people’s activity levels

• 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, but this cannot be regarded as a significant change. There has, however, been a significant increase in the proportion that are sedentary (no activity in the past week), from 7.9% in 1997 to 12.8% in 2001.
• Among boys aged 5-17 years, there has been a small decline in the proportion that is active from 74.0% to 70.5%, but this is not statistically significant. However, there has, been a significant increase in the proportion that is sedentary, from 6.1% (1997) to 11.6% (2001).
• A similar situation is reflected among girls, where overall there has been little change, but the proportion that is sedentary has increased significantly from 9.8% in 1997 to 14.1% in 2001.
• Among different age groups of young people, the only significant overall changes are in the 9-12 and 13-15 year old age groups:
  • There are significantly fewer 13-15 year olds that are active in 2001 (62.5%) than in 1997 (74.2%), and in the same age group significantly more have become sedentary over the same period (6.8% in 1997 and 13.4% in 2001).
  • Significantly more 9-12 year olds are sedentary in 2001 (8.2%) than in 1999 (3.9%), and fewer are relatively inactive – are active for less 2.5 hours in the past week – decreasing from 22.1% in 1997 to 13.2% in 2001. Notwithstanding this, 9-12 year olds are the only age group of young people to have shown an increase in the proportion that is active (73.1% to 78.6%), and especially highly active (48.5% to 55.3%) – five or more hours in the past week – since 1997 although these increases cannot be regarded as significant changes.

Adults’ activity levels

• More adults overall are active in 2001 (69.8%) than in 1997 (66.9%). This is due to fewer being relatively inactive since 1997 and, since 1999, more becoming highly active.
• Adult men have not experienced much overall change in the proportions that are active. There have been significant changes, though, in the balance between sedentary and relatively inactive men, with an increase in the proportion that is sedentary from 9.2% in 1997 to 12.1 % in 1999, before declining again to 8.9% in 2001. This is matched by a corresponding change in those that are relatively inactive, dropping from 22.2% in 1997 to 18.0% in 1999 and increasing again to 21% in 2001.
• Changes among adult women have been more substantial, with significantly more being active in 2001 (69.6%) than in 1997 (65.2%). These changes are reflected mainly in a decline in the proportion that is relatively inactive, and an increase in the proportion that is highly active.
• There have been significant increases in the overall level of activity among older adults – 74.9% of 50-64 year olds and 76.5% of those aged 65 years or over are active in 2001 compared with 69.3% and 67.3% respectively in 1997.
• Among 35-49 year olds, the significant increase in activity levels has occurred since 1999 when 63.3% were active, compared with 69.2% in 2001.
• For adults younger than 35 years old, the main changes have been in the balance between relatively inactive and relatively active, with the former increasing and the latter decreasing between 1999 and 2001.
• The only significant overall change in activity levels according to available household income is among those with incomes of $36,001-$60,000, where the proportion that is active has increased from 65.7% in 1997 to 71.8% in 2001.
• However, adults whose available household income is over $60,000 are more highly active in 2001 (57.9%) than in 1997 (53.3%), and fewer are sedentary in 2001 (4.5%) than in 1999 (8.0%).
• Adults with secondary school education have shown the most change in activity levels between 1997 and 2001, with the proportion that is active increasing significantly from 66.8% to 70.1% over this period. This is reflected in a decline in the proportion that is sedentary, and increases in the proportions of relatively active and highly active adults.
• Among those with technical, trade of professional training qualifications there has been a significant increase in the proportion that is active between 1997 and 1999, and in the proportion that is highly active between 1997 and 2001, from 46.5% to 52.9%.