Participation in sport and active leisure
Definition
The proportion of adults aged 18 years and over and young people aged 5–17 years who were physically active, as measured by the Sport and Physical Activity Surveys of 1997/1998, 1998/1999 and 2000/2001. Being physically active means they took part in at least 2.5 hours of sport and/or leisure-time physical activity in the seven days before being interviewed.
Relevance
Participation in sport and active leisure is a source of enjoyment and entertainment. It can contribute to personal growth and development and is a good way to meet new people. It also has positive benefits for physical fitness and mental wellbeing.
Current level and trends
Seventy percent of adults aged 18 years or over and 66 percent of young people aged 5–17 years were reported to be physically active in 2000/2001.
More adults were physically active in 2000/2001 than in 1997/1998 (67 percent). Over the same period there was no significant change in the proportion of young people who were active. However young people who were sedentary (who had done no activity in the past two weeks) increased from 8 percent to 13 percent.
Table L2.1 Activity level (%) of adults and young people, by sex, 2000/2001
| Activity level |
Young people 5-17 years |
Adults 18 years and over |
| Boys |
Girls |
All |
Men |
Women |
All |
| Sedentary |
11.6 |
14.1 |
12.8 |
8.9 |
9.6 |
9.3 |
| Relatively inactive |
17.9 |
23.4 |
20.7 |
21.0 |
20.7 |
20.9 |
| Inactive |
29.5 |
37.6 |
33.5 |
30.0 |
30.4 |
30.2 |
| Relatively active |
20.9 |
26.1 |
23.5 |
13.3 |
18.3 |
15.9 |
| Highly active |
49.6 |
36.3 |
43.0 |
56.7 |
51.4 |
54.0 |
| Active |
70.5 |
62.4 |
66.5 |
70.0 |
69.5 |
69.5 |
Source: Sport and Recreation New Zealand (2003a)
Sex differences
Men and women were equally likely to be physically active in 2000/2001. This resulted from an increase in the proportion of women who were physically active, from 65 percent in 1997/1998 to 70 percent in 2000/2001. In each of the survey years, men were more likely than women to be highly active (five hours or more in the seven days before the interview).
In 2000/2001, a smaller proportion of girls (62 percent) were physically active than boys (70 percent) and boys were much more likely to be highly active than girls. An increase in the proportion doing no physical activity at all in the past two weeks occurred for boys and girls between 1997/1998 and 2000/2001.
Age differences
Adults aged 65 or over became the most active adult age group in 2000/2001 (76 percent), with the proportion of active adults of this age increasing from 67 percent in 1997/1998. Smaller but significant increases were also apparent for 50–64 year olds and 35–49 year olds.
Comparing across all age groups, 16–17 year olds were the least likely to be active (49 percent in 2000/2001). The proportion of young people aged 13–15 years old that were active fell from 74 percent in 1997/1998 to 62 percent in 2000/2001.
Ethnic differences
European adults were more likely to be physically active than adults of other ethnic groups in 2000/2001. In that year the proportion of Europeans who were physically active reached 72 percent, an increase from 68 percent in 1997/1998.
Young Māori and Pacific peoples were much less likely to be physically active in 2000/2001 than in 1997/1998. The proportion of young Pacific people who were sedentary (did no activity in the two weeks before the interview) rose from 6 percent in 1997/1998 to 33 percent in 2000/2001. The proportion of young Māori who were sedentary rose from 6 percent to 18 percent over this period.
Table L2.2 Activity level (%) of young people aged 5–17 years, by ethnic group, 2000/2001
| Activity level |
European |
Māori |
Pacific |
Other |
| Sedentary |
9.3 |
18.4 |
32.9 |
7.1 |
| Relatively inactive |
21.7 |
15.9 |
19.8 |
24.0 |
| Inactive |
31.0 |
34.3 |
52.7 |
31.1 |
| Relatively active |
23.8 |
18.4 |
21.7 |
38.0 |
| Highly active |
45.2 |
47.3 |
25.6 |
30.9 |
| Active |
69.0 |
65.7 |
47.3 |
68.9 |
Source: Sports and Recreation New Zealand (2003b)
Table L2.3 Activity level (%) of adults aged 18 years and above, by ethnic group, 2000/2001
| Activity level |
European |
Māori |
Pacific |
Other |
| Sedentary |
7.8 |
14.8 |
9.5 |
21.0 |
| Relatively inactive |
19.8 |
20.9 |
28.2 |
30.0 |
| Inactive |
27.6 |
35.7 |
37.7 |
51.1 |
| Relatively active |
16.1 |
13.4 |
14.8 |
19.3 |
| Highly active |
56.4 |
50.9 |
47.5 |
29.6 |
| Active |
72.4 |
64.3 |
62.3 |
48.9 |
Source: Sports and Recreation New Zealand (2003b)
|
