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

Significant changes in activity levels 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

Trends among young people

The activity levels of young people in each of the different Regional Sports Trust (RST) areas have remained relatively constant since 1997. The main exception is the significant decline in the proportion of all young people that are active in the Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne area, although there are also significant declines among boys and girls, and a significant increase among girls, in a small number of RSTs, as the table shows. Other significant changes are highlighted below.

Northland young people

• Between 1997 and 2001, the proportion of girls in Northland who are active declined significantly, from 77% to 53%. This is due to a significant fall in the number who are highly active (from 50% in 1997 to 27% in 2001) and a corresponding significant increase in the number who are relatively inactive (from 19% to 44% over the same period).
• There has also been a significant fall in the proportion of 5-12 year olds who are active, from 82% in 1997 to 64% in 2001.

North Harbour and Waitakere

• The proportion of boys who are active has significantly decreased from 85% to 67% between 1999 and 2001 (it was 78% in 1997).
• In contrast, the proportion of girls who are active increased significantly between 1999 and 2001 from 55% to 77% (it was 60% in 1997), largely due to a significant reduction in the proportion of girls who are relatively inactive from 32% in 1999 to 14% in 2001, as more became relatively of highly active.

Auckland young people

• Overall, there has been little change over the period 1997 to 2001 in the proportion of Auckland young people who are active. However, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of young people who are sedentary, from 9% in 1999 to 20% in 2001, with this being offset by corresponding (but not significant) decreases among those who are relatively inactive, relatively active, and highly active.
• There have also been significant changes when considering boys and girls separately. Between 1997 and 2001, the proportion of boys in this region who are highly active increased from 38% to 58%, and a corresponding decrease in the proportion that is relatively inactive from 30% in 1997 to 13% in 2001.
• In contrast, the proportion of girls who are highly active decreased between from 30% in 1997 and 35% in 1999 to 17% in 2001.

Counties Manukau young people

• Over the period 1997 to 2001, there has been no significant change in the proportion of young people from Counties Manukau who are active, although the proportion of boys has increased from 58% in 1999 to 67% in 2001 (but not a significant change).

Waikato young people

• Generally, Waikato young people’s overall levels of activity show little change in the proportions being active between 1997 and 2001.
• Boys tend to be more active (increasing from 68% to 78%) while girls are less active (decreasing from 80% in 1997 to 63% in 1999 and 72% in 2001), although not significantly so.
• The major change for boys has been a shift from relatively inactive to relatively active – the proportions that are sedentary or highly active have been more constant (although peaking in the latter in 1999 at 54% before declining to 42% again in 2001). Girls, though, are less likely to be sedentary or relatively active now than in 1997, with higher proportions being relatively inactive.
• Among the age groups, Waikato teenagers tends to be less active in 2001 than in 1997 (in particular declining from 54% highly active in 1997 to 41% in 2001), and while the proportions who are sedentary have decreased, the numbers that are relatively inactive have increased substantially from 7% in 1997 to 23% in 2001 (peaking at 29% in 1999).
• This trend is different among younger children under the age of 13 years – more are active now than in 1997, particularly among the highly active, which has increased from 38% (1997) to 48% (2001). Again, these differences are not statistically significant.

Bay of Plenty young people

• Overall, the levels of activity for Bay of Plenty young people have declined (but not significantly so) since 1997, from 68% to 61%.
• However, significantly more are sedentary in 2001 (15%) than they were in 1997 (5%), and there has also been a significant decline in the proportion who are highly active since 1999, from 52% to 34% in 2001.
• These trends have been consistent for both boys and girls in the Bay of Plenty region, and across the age groups – the numbers of sedentary 5-12 year olds have increased from 3% in 1997 to 12%, and for teenagers the increase has been from 7% to 21% in 2001, although small sample sizes mean these differences cannot be confirmed as significant.

Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu young people

• Overall, the activity level of young people living in the region has changed from 68% in 1997 to 63% in 2001, having peaked at 73% in 1999. These changes are not significant, however.
• The proportion of boys living in Taranaki, Wanganui, and Manawatu who are active has fallen significantly between 1997 and 2001, from 84% to 64%. This is largely due to a decrease in highly active boys (from 69% to 43%) and an increase in relatively inactive boys (from 10% to 27%).
• In contrast, girls have increased their levels of activity over this period, from 50% in 1997 to 61% in 2001, which is not significant overall. However, the proportion of girls who are active reached 83% in 1999 and the subsequent fall to 61% in 2001 is significant.

Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne young people

• The proportion of young people in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne who are active has decreased significantly over the period 1997 to 2001. This is true for boys and girls and young people of all ages. Overall, activity levels have fallen from 77% in 1997 to 56% in 2001.
• Activity levels for boys have fallen from 79% to 58% over the same period due to a significant fall in the proportion who are highly active (together with an increase in the proportion who are sedentary); for girls, activity levels have fallen from 74% to 54%, due to a significant increase in the proportion who are sedentary (together with declines in the proportion who are relatively active and highly active).
• The fall in the proportion of young people participating in sport and active leisure can also be seen for 5-12 year olds, 79% of whom were active in 1997 compared with 59% in 2001; and for 13-17 year olds, whose activity levels have fallen from 72% to 50% over this period.

Wellington young people

• The proportion of Wellington young people who are sedentary has increased significantly over time. In 1997 and 1999 7% of young people living in Wellington were sedentary, but by 2001 this figure has risen to 31%. There is a corresponding decrease in the proportion that is relatively inactive, from 24% in 1997 to 7% in 2001. This change is evident for both boys and girls and across age groups.

Tasman young people

• Between 1997 and 2001, the proportion of boys in the Tasman region who are relatively active has decreased significantly from 42% to 22%. There have been corresponding increases over the same period both in the proportion of boys who are relatively inactive (from 4% to 15%) and in the proportion who are highly active (from 46% to 57%).

Canterbury/Westland young people

• Over the period 1997 to 2001, there has been no overall change in the activity levels of young people in Canterbury/ Westland. However, there has been a significant fall in the proportion that are relatively active, together with a corresponding increase in the proportion who are highly active, particularly since 1999.
• In 1997, 28% were relatively active; this increased to 32% in 1999 and since then has fallen significantly to 17% in 2001. Between 1997 and 2001, the proportion of Canterbury/Westland young people who are highly active rose, especially for girls. In 2001, 53% of girls in this region are highly active compared with 27% in 1997.

Otago and Southland young people

• Overall there have been no significant changes in the activity levels of young people living in Otago and Southland over the period 1997 to 2001.
• However, the activity levels of boys in this region declined from 78% to 68% between 1997 and 1999, before rising again to 83% in 2001, and the activity level of girls declined from 76% in 1997 to 61% in 1999, and has since risen to 67%. Neither series of changes are significant, however.
• This pattern is more marked among 13-17 year olds, declining to 48% being active in 1999 from 74% in 1997, and rising to 78% active in 2001. Small sample sizes mean these results are indicative rather than conclusive.

Trends among adults

Among adults in each of the RSTs, there have only been significant changes (increases) in three RST areas – Northland, North Harbour and Waitakere, and Canterbury/Westland. In Tasman also there have been significant changes among men and women, which have largely offset each other. Summarised below are the significant changes for each RST area.

Significant changes in activity levels 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

• In 1997, 70% of adults in the Northland region were active, which decreased to 62% in 1999. However, by 2001 activity levels have increased again to 74%, due largely to a significant rise in the proportion of highly active people (from 50% in 1999 to 65% in 2001) and a significant fall in the proportion of sedentary people (15% in 1999 to 8% in 2001).
• These changes are evident for both men and women, but especially the latter, 65% of whom were active in 1999, rising to 76% in 2001. This includes a significant rise in highly active women from 47% in 1999 to 64% in 2001.
• There have also been changes for some age groups over this period, with 25-34 year olds experiencing a significant increase in the proportion who are relatively inactive (from 9% in 1997 to 25% in 2001) and corresponding decreases in all other levels of activity.
• In contrast, activity levels have increased significantly for those people 50 years and over. In 1999, 52% of this age group were highly active, which has increased to 72% in 2001, and there have been corresponding decreases in sedentary and relatively inactive people in this age group.

North Harbour and Waitakere adults

• The proportion of adults from North Harbour and Waitakere who are active increased significantly between 1997 and 2001, from 65% to 72%.
• This increase is due to a significant rise in activity for women. In 1997, 62% were active, increasing to 68% in 1999 and increasing again to 72% in 2001. The comparative figures for men are 69%, 75% and 73%.
• Adults aged 50 years or over have also shown a significant rise in activity from 1997 to 2001, from 63% to 81%.

Auckland adults

• Overall, there has been little change over the period 1997 to 2001 in the proportion of Auckland adults who are active. However, there have been significant changes when considering different age groups.
• For those aged 35-49 years, there has been a significant increase in the proportion who are relatively inactive from 19% in 1997 to 31% in 2001. There were corresponding decreases in all other categories of activity (sedentary, relatively active and highly active).
• In contrast, adults aged 50 years or over have shown a significant decrease in the proportion who are relatively inactive (29% in 1997 to 16% in 2001) together with a significant increase in the proportion who are relatively active (12% to 25%) over the same period.

Counties Manukau adults

• Between 1997 and 2001 there has been an increase in the proportion of adults from Counties Manukau, both male and female, who are active (from 61% to 68%). This is due to a significant decline in the proportion of relatively inactive people (from 30% to 20%) and a corresponding increase in all other categories of activity – sedentary (although only 12% of people were in this category in 2001), relatively active, and highly active.
• There have also been significant changes in the activity levels of 35-49 year olds. In 1997, 33% of this age group were relatively inactive, but by 2001 this had dropped to 18%. Over the same period, the proportion of highly active adults rose from 42% to 56%.

Waikato adults

• Generally, the overall proportions of Waikato adults who have been active or inactive have remained fairly constant between 1997 and 2001. However, there has been a significant shift in the balance of those who are inactive, with fewer people being relatively inactive (26% in 1997 and 20% in 2001), and a corresponding increase in the proportion that are sedentary.
• Much of this shift is within the 25-34 year old age group, which has shown significant increases in the proportions who are sedentary (9% in 1997 to 24% in 2001), at the expense (mostly) of a decrease in those that relatively inactive (from 34% to 14% in 2001). Within this age group, however, there has also been a small decrease in the number that are inactive, from 43% in 1997 to 25% in 1999 and 38% in 2001. Variations in other age groups have not been as marked.

Bay of Plenty adults

• The overall proportions of Bay of Plenty adults who have been active or inactive have also remained constant between 1997 and 2001, although while not significant, there is a tendency for men to have become more active and women to have become less active over this time.
• There has been a significant change in the proportions of 35-49 year olds being active, with an increase since 1999 from 56% to 74% being active, although the 1999 level of activity had been a drop from 67% in 1997.
• The opposite happened for adults less than 35 years of age, with increases in activity shown for 1999 even though 2001 activity levels are similar to what they were in 1997.

Taranaki, Wanganui and Manawatu adults

• The proportion of women living in Taranaki, Wanganui, and Manawatu who are active has increased significantly over the period 1997 to 2001. In 1997, 66% were active and by 2001 this figure has increased to 77%. This is due to falls in the proportions of women who are sedentary and relatively inactive, and corresponding increases in the proportions that are relatively active and highly active.

Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne adults

• Over the period 1997 to 2001, there has been little overall change in the activity levels of adults living in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne. The most substantial changes in activity levels in this region have been among men, decreasing from 77% in 1997 to 69% in 2001, and 35-49 year olds (77% were active in 1997 compared to 66% in 2001) – these changes cannot be regarded as significant, however.

Wellington adults

• There have been no major changes in men and women’s levels of activity between 1997 and 2001. However, there have been a number of changes according to age.
• The proportion of young adults (18-24 years) who are active has fallen significantly from 68% in 1997 to 45% in 2001.
• Similarly, the proportion of 25-34 year olds who are active has fallen significantly over this period from 67% to 52%, due to an increase in sedentary people (from 6% to 18%) and a decline in relatively active people (from 22% to 9%).
• In contrast, activity levels in older adults have risen significantly over the period 1997 to 2001. The proportion of 35-49 year olds who are active has increased from 58% to 77% (due to an increase in those who are highly active from 39% to 59% and a corresponding decline in relatively inactive people from 31% to 18%).
• Similarly, the proportion of adults aged 50+ years old who are active has fluctuated, from 74% in 1997 to 62% in 1999, before increasing again to 76% in 2001.

Tasman adults

• Between 1997 and 2001, there has been little change overall in the levels of activity of adults living in Tasman. However, there have been changes when men and women are considered separately.
• In 1997, 73% of men were active, but by 2001 this has decreased significantly to 60%.
• In contrast, the proportion of women who are active has significantly increased over this period, from 70% to 80%. This is due largely to an increase in highly active women (from 49% to 64%) and a decline in relatively inactive women (from 21% to 13%).
• Activity levels for adults aged 50 years or over have also changed. In 1997, 72% of adults in this age group were active, rising to 85% in 1999, but dropping again to 71% in 2001.

Canterbury/Westland adults

• The proportion of Canterbury/Westland adults who are active increased significantly over the period 1999 to 2001 from 66% to 75% (even though it had been 71% in 1997).
• The change is largely due to a significant decrease in the proportion who are sedentary (which has dropped from 12% in 1999 to 6% in 2001), and an increase in people who are highly active (from 50% in 1999 to 59% in 2001).
• In addition, there have been substantial (although not significant) changes in the activity levels of adults aged 50 years or over, with the proportion of people this age who are active increasing from 67% in 1997 to 83% in 2001. This comes from a rise in the proportion of people who are highly active (from 54% to 72%) and a corresponding fall in the proportion of relatively inactive people (from 25% to 10%).

Otago and Southland adults

• Overall, there have been no major changes between 1997 and 2001 in the proportions of men and women in Otago and Southland who are active.
• However, there has been a significant fall between 1999 and 2001 in the proportion of women in this region who are sedentary, from 16% in 1999 to 8% in 2001 (although it had been 10% in 1997).
• In addition, there have been changes in the activity levels for some age groups. The proportion of 25-34 year old adults, who are relatively inactive has increased significantly between 1999 and 2001 from 13% to 31% (although it was 31% in 1997). There has been a corresponding decrease in the proportion that is relatively active (from 35% in 1999 to 13% in 2001).
• In contrast, adults aged 50 years or over have become more active: in 1997, 60% were active and by 2001 this number has increased significantly to 75%.