Sports for all

Background: Maintaining physical activity (PA) throughout the lifespan is crucial for overall health. Purpose: This study aimed to identify if organised sports (OS) can mitigate the age-related decline in PA among children and adolescents during five years of follow-up. Methods: The Swiss population-based SOPHYA cohort included participants aged 6-16 years at SOPHYA1 (2014) with complete accelerometer data from baseline and follow-up (SOPHYA2, 2019). Information on sex, age, BMI, and sociodemographic factors were collected by self-report. Participation in OS was calculated by linkage with the Youth and Sports (Y+S) database as the number of days participating in OS during the follow-up period. Participants were categorised as improvers or worseners based on counts per minute (CPM) and minutes in moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA). Participants who maintained or increased their PA in the respective domain were considered improvers. A generalised linear model examined the relationship between OS participation, baseline characteristics, and the probability of becoming a PA improver. Results: The analysis included 432 participants. There was a strong decline in CPM and MVPA from 2014 to 2019. The prevalence of improvers was 22.5% for CPM and 9.5% for MVPA. Participation in OS between 2014 and 2019 was positively associated with CPM and MVPA improvement. For 30 additional days of participation in OS, the log odds of being an improver vs. being a worsener increased by about 3.9% for CPM (p=0.04) and by about 6.1% for MVPA (p=0.03). Conclusions: As organised in the Swiss national Y+S program, OS partially counteracts age-related PA decline from childhood to young adulthood. Practical implications: This finding underscores the relevance of population-level OS promotion with specific attention to girls and children from lower socio-economic backgrounds who are at a higher risk of PA decline. Funding: Swiss Federal Office of Sport, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, Health Promotion Switzerland.

Background: Excessive screen time (ST) is inversely related to mental wellbeing in children and adolescents. At the same time, participating in sporting activities is positive associated with wellbeing. However, it remains unclear whether different types of screen engagement have equivalent associations with wellbeing and what the role of sports participation is in attenuating these associations. Purpose: This study examined longitudinal associations between active and passive screen use, sports participation, and health-related quality of life (QoL) in Australian children and explored the effects of sports participation. Methods: Utilising data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, this study followed children aged 6-7 years in 2010 (n=4,242) to age 14-15 years in 2018 (n=3127). QoL was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, with active and passive ST was assessed through time spent gaming and watching television, respectively. Sports participation was measured using two items assessing frequency of participation in team and individual sports. Results: Multilevel modelling indicated that high active ST (>2-hrs/d), compared to low (<1-hr/d), was inversely associated with QoL across genders, with a greater impact on girls (girls: β -5.19, 95% CI -6.76 to -3.61; boys: β -2.93, -3.93 to -1.93). High passive ST was inversely associated with QoL in girls only (β -1.66, -2.56 to -0.73). Any participation in sport was positively associated with QoL, with team sport participation having a greater impact than individual sport participation. Participating in team sport attenuated the association between active ST and QoL regardless of gender, with mixed evidence for the role of individual sports. Conclusions: Engaging in high active ST might negatively affect children’s QoL, particularly in girls. However, participation in team sports may attenuate these effects. Practical Implications: Encouraging children to limit their ST, especially active ST, and regularly participating in team sports may enhance their wellbeing. Funding: None.

Background: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) experience disparities in physical activity (PA) and fitness due partly to limited access to opportunities. Special Olympics (SO), an international sport organization that serves 3+ million athletes with ID, provides opportunities to develop fitness through programming, education, and advocacy. Understanding health behaviors across athletes competing in varying sports can inform and improve SO fitness programming. Purpose: To examine differences in PA participation and health behaviors among a global sample of athletes with ID across sport types. Methods: A survey was developed to gather self-reported health behaviors from athletes with ID competing at SO World Games in Berlin. Questions on moderate and vigorous PA, walking, strength training, sedentary behavior, sleep, and self-rated health were included. The survey was translated into 7 languages and administered on a tablet. Sports were categorized into four groups: power, mixed, skill, and endurance. Results: 413 athletes competing in 24 sports from 90 countries participated. Only 16.4% of athletes across all sport groups participated in 30+ min/day of PA on 5+ days/week. Overall, 82% of athletes sleep 7+ hours/night and 84% reported their health was good-excellent. About 9% of athletes sit for 8+ hours/day. Some significant differences existed in PA participation across sport groups: 58.7% of athletes in skill sports reported engaging in vigorous PA vs. 91.2% of endurance athletes (χ2 = 17.3, p<.001); 49.0% of athletes in skill sports reported engaging in strength training vs. 80.8% of power athletes (χ2 = 16.9, p<.001). Conclusions: Athletes reported low overall levels of PA with significant differences in vigorous PA and strength training across sport groups. Practical Implications: There is a need for SO to expand fitness programming worldwide, and to lead efforts around increasing access to PA for individuals with ID to address disparities in participation. Funding: US CDC #NU27DD000021; Golisano Foundation.

Background: There are many interesting sports promotion interventions in European countries. Which ones are effective and can serve as good practice examples among children and adolescents? This study has examined sports promotion interventions in seven European countries. Program Delivery: To identify effective sport promotion interventions, we conducted desk research and interviews with country representatives in these selected European countries: Austria, Germany, England, Finland, France, The Netherlands, and Norway. Evaluation: In total, we identified 73 sport-promoting policies, action plans or programmes in the seven countries. As part of the detailed analysis of the most promising interventions, we examined the national strategy “On the move” of Finland. This superordinate intervention stands out for its clear objectives and comprehensive implementation. Additionally, we identified several interventions for which we consider a high added value in terms of sports promotion and a feasible implementation in Switzerland or other countries. These are “The Daily Mile” (15 minutes run or walk every day at school), “Girls Active” from England (enhancing of sport and physical activity in girls in the school setting), “Doorstep Sportclub” from England and “Community Sport Coaches” from the Netherlands (both address in particular children and adolescents with a migration background or low socio-economic status and are offered through the municipality and the associations). Conclusions: This study provides an overview of effective sports promotion interventions for children and adolescents across seven European countries. Practical implications: Interventions that include comprehensive measures such as a national strategy or low-threshold programmes in schools or communities targeting vulnerable groups such as girls, educationally disadvantaged families, children and youth with a migration background or low socio-economic status are particularly interesting from a Swiss perspective and certainly also for other European countries. Funding: This study was commissioned and funded by the Federal Office of Sport, Switzerland.

Background Parents’ physical activity habits have shown to contribute to their offspring’s physical activity. Knowledge on how different physical activity habits transfer from one generation to another is still needed. As the development of lifestyles is a dynamic process starting from an early age, it is essential to pay attention to the intergenerational transmission of physical activity in childhood. Purpose This ongoing, community-based Young Finns Study (YFS) launched in 1980 examined whether parents’ sports club participation at the ages of 9-12 was associated with that of their children at the same ages. Methods Information on participants’ sports club participation was collected from the original study participants (G1) and from their children (G2) at the ages of 9 and 12 (N=146-264) through self-reports. The associations were studied using generalized estimation equations (GEE) controlling for participants’ sex, parents’ educational status and income. Results Parents’ sports club participation at the age of 9 was favorably associated with their children’s sports club participation at the same age (OR=2.63, p=.01) and at the age of 12 (OR=2.52, p<.01). Controlling for participants’ sex, parents’ educational status and income did not modify the associations (p’s.05). Conclusions Children, whose parents participated in sports clubs’ trainings at the age of 9, were more likely to participate in sports clubs at the ages of 9-12 than their counterparts with less active parents. Practical implications Policymakers and health professionals should continue designing material and psychosocial support actions for families in order to encourage their participation to sports club training. More support could also be provided to physical activity professionals for establishing clubs covering variety of sports to attract distinct population segments. Funding Ministry of Education and Culture

Background: Despite growing evidence that sport can reduce rates of offending (YEF, 2021; CSJ, 2023), the youth justice system has been slow to embrace it as a preventative or diversionary measure. The Active Essex Foundation’s Sport and Youth Crime Prevention project is an ambitious three-year initiative bringing together the criminal justice system and community sport organisations to work together to use physical activity to prevent young people from being exploited and becoming involved in crime. Program Delivery: Capacity building: AEF staff provide support, training and resources for community sport organisations. As a result, organisations are better able to support young people through sport and have the tools to evidence the impact of their work. Partnership working: Three part-time support workers have been embedded in the teams of system partners. These roles have built referral pathways, connecting young people involved in the youth justice system to physical activity opportunities in their local area delivered by trusted and well-trained organisations. Evaluation: The project’s evaluation is led by Loughborough University, with support from AEF. Conclusions: Findings from Year 1 (2022-23) suggest that, through the project, AEF has built a strong network of community sport organisations, increased their capacity, and increased partnership working. Physical activity is not yet fully embedded in the youth justice system in Essex, but the project has begun to build the evidence and the relationships required to achieve this. Practical implications: The project provides a model for partnership working in the youth justice sector that could be adopted in other settings and generated evidence that can be used to influence the wider system. Funding: The project is funded by the National Lottery, Essex Local Delivery Pilot and Essex Violence and Vulnerability Unit.

Background In Somalia, girls and women are less active than boys and men. Physical education in schools is not compulsory and girls’ enrolment in school is lower than boys. Sport-based programmes, including football, are used as a platform to promote personal and social development but tend to focus on men. Purpose We explored the individual, contextual, and system-level factors that impact sports participation among girls and women in Hargeisa, Somalia. Methods We conducted a systems-mapping workshop with 27 non-club members (<13 years) and interviewed 15 women’s football club members (13-45 years) and 18 stakeholders (e.g. community faith and lay leaders, parents, women and sports organisations, policy-makers). Interviews were transcribed and translated. Notes were taken at the workshop. Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Results There was low awareness and knowledge of the benefits of playing sports. Investment in women-friendly facilities and the capacity to develop women’s sports was lacking. Women-friendly facilities were perceived as vital as there were limited public spaces for girls and women to meet and socialise, while respecting the religious and cultural norms on modesty. Participants agreed that Islam does not preclude women from playing sports, there were however, different views on which sports were appropriate for women. Conclusions We found that gender norms, culture, religion, and individual factors intersect to influence sports participation among girls and women in Somalia. Addressing barriers to women’s sports participation requires addressing these factors. Practical implications Policymakers should increase investment and capacity to develop women’s sports. They should work with faith and community leaders and civil society to promote women’s sports by appropriately raising the visibility of girls and women playing sports. Physical education in schools should be made compulsory for all to improve physical literacy and promote the benefits of physical activity. Funding: UKRI Public Health Intervention Development Scheme (Ref:MR/W027534/1).