Issues

Adult sporting participation

agendaNi analysis the latest findings from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure with regards to the participation of adults in sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland. 

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) has responsibility for the development of sport and physical recreation in Northern Ireland. DCAL’s strategy for sport is laid out in the document ‘Sport Matters: The Northern Ireland Strategy for Sport and Physical Recreation, 2009-2019.’ Critical to the success of the strategy is the inherent vision of a culture of lifelong enjoyment and success in sport by the people of Northern Ireland. 

The strategy also has a number of high level targets designed to improve levels and frequency of participation in sport and physical recreation across the Northern Ireland population. By 2019, from the 2011 baseline, the strategy hopes to achieve the following:

•   a minimum increase of 3 per cent in adult participation rates in sport and physical recreation;

•   a minimum increase of 6 per cent in the participation rates of women, socio-economically disadvantaged groups, people with a disability and with older people in sport and physical recreation.

Over the last year, the report found that 55 per cent of adults had taken part in at least one sport but noted that a higher proportion of males (63 per cent) than females (47 per cent) participated in sport within the last year. The report also reveals, unsurprisingly, that younger adults are more likely to participate in sport than their older counterparts with 71 per cent of all 25-34 years olds participating in at least one sport, compared to just 23 per cent of those aged 65 and over.

Interestingly, the report found that adults who have dependents are more likely to participate in sport (60 per cent) than those who didn’t (52 per cent) while 62 per cent of adults living in the least deprived areas participated in sport within the last year. That number is a considerable amount more than the 43 per cent of adults living in the most deprived areas who have participated in sports.

Just over 41 per cent of adults had participated in sport within the last four weeks, with males more likely to have participated (50 per cent) than their female counterparts (31 per cent).

 

Types of sport

 

By a long way, the most popular form of physical activity in Northern Ireland is walking for recreation with 50 per cent of the adult population doing it once within the last year. Swimming or diving is the most popular sport with 22 per cent of adults doing this at least once a year. Aerobic exercise including yoga and dance exercise is next on the list with 16 per cent of the population claiming to have participated in this at least once.

Eight of the top ten most frequently cited sports/physical activities participated in within the last year were found in the top ten rankings for both males and females. However, football which was the third most popular sport for males (19 per cent) was ranked 21st among females with just 1 per cent claiming to have taken part in it at least once in the past year. 

Barriers to sport and physical activity

 

Those who had not taken part in sport or physical activity were asked what was preventing them. For 34 per cent of those who had not participated a medical condition or disability was given as the reason preventing participation. However, 23 per cent simply admitted they were not interested in sport or physical activity while the same amount simply claimed to not have the time to participate.

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