Irish Sports Monitor Report, 2008

18/12/2009

"Irish Sports Monitor, Second Annual Report 2008"

• Active Participation in sport fell to 30.8% in 2008, from 32.9% in 2007
• Evidence strongly suggests that the fall was caused by the recession
• Headline rates of volunteering (7.8%) and club membership (32.4%) held up in 2008
• Attendance at sporting events fell significantly (16.7% to 15%)
• Swimming overtook personal exercise activities as the number one sporting activity

(For further details of findings see end of media release). The second annual Irish Sports Monitor report, for the year 2008, was published by the Irish Sports Council today, December 18. The report, written by the Economic and Social Research institute on behalf of the Council, directly compares adult participation in sport and physical activity with 2007 baseline information, included in the first Monitor report published in February this year.  The 2008 report reveals a significant drop of 2% in active participation in sport among adults, from 32.9% to 30.8%, equivalent to 1 in 16 participants in 2007 no longer participating in 2008. This drop in sports participation was somewhat offset by increases in physical activity associated with walking and cycling for transport. The evidence very strongly suggests that the recession was behind the drop in active participation. The decline was concentrated among lower income households. The sharpest fall also coincided with the steep drop in consumer spending that occurred in early 2008. And the hardest hit activities were individual sports such as golf and exercise activities (e.g. using the gym), which tend to be more expensive. The Monitor picked up a rise in participation among the unemployed and self employed towards the end of 2008. This suggests that these groups used additional free time to play sport. That said, the fall in participation fell disproportionately on young men of lower income with the consequent loss of associated health benefits. As the Monitor project progresses, it is building up a wealth of new data on Irish sport. For example, the Monitor provides a breakdown on participation by geographic region. It is noteworthy that the Midlands region has the lowest level of participation due to low engagement with individual sports and despite high participation in team sports. The results by county are similar to 2007, with adults in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown demonstrating the highest likelihood of participation and those in Westmeath the lowest. John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council: "The Irish Sports Council is building a very significant research resource through the Irish Sports Monitor. We are aware of the very strong link between income and participation. In 2008, that has translated into a fall in the amount of sport played. This is a matter of concern as the drop reduces the social benefits of participation. However, we have the advantage of early knowledge of the impacts of the recession and can begin to address the issues immediately." Dr. Pete Lunn, ESRI economist and report author, said: "I have no doubt that the recession was behind this drop in sporting activity. Sport is very important for overall physical activity, which is linked to better health and the prevention of serious disease. With less resources available, we need to target the most efficient policies to help people to keep active in sport and exercise."

Notes for Editors: The figures are based on an ongoing telephone survey of adults aged 16 and over in Ireland, which records sport and exercise activities undertaken in the 7 days prior to interview. In 2008, the Irish Sports Monitor interviewed over 6,800 adults. The survey is primarily designed to track levels of participation in sport, both for the population as a whole and various sub-populations of interest. "Irish Sports Monitor, Second Annual Report 2008", written by Pete Lunn and Richard Layte (ESRI) for the Irish Sports Council, is published today (18 December 2009) on the ESRI and The Irish Sports Council websites. The embargo is until 00:01 a.m. Friday 18 December 2009. The report is the latest in a series of collaborations between the Council and the ESRI on sport and physical activity. The Monitor contains a wealth of information which will be of great interest to policy makers and everyone involved in the promotion and development of sport in Ireland. The Irish Sports Monitor, along with other joint publications in the series on sport, is available on www.irishsportscouncil.ie and www.esri.ie .

Summary of Findings Activity in 2008

• 32% of the population could be classified "just active" in 2008, with modest falls in the proportion "highly" or "fairly" active and in the proportion classified as "sedentary"
• Active participation in sport fell significantly between 2007 and 2008, from 32.9% to 30.8%
• This fall was somewhat compensated for by more people walking and cycling for transport

Sport in Recession

• The available evidence strongly suggests that the fall in the numbers playing sport was the result of the recession
• The relationship between income and playing sport strengthened, but the effect was compensated for by some people having more free time
• Individual sports, which tend to be more expensive, were the activities most affected

The Impact on social participation

• Headline rates of volunteering (7.8%) and club membership (32.4%) held up in 2008, but attendance at sporting events fell significantly (16.7 to 15.0%)
• Men took on more of the volunteering associated with their children’s sport, with women doing less
• The relationship between club membership and income strengthened – the less well-off become much less likely to be club members than the better off
• Those living in isolated locations had the largest falls in the likelihood of volunteering or attending sporting events

Which sports are being played less?

• Personal exercise activity (gym, exercise classes etc.) declined significantly and is no longer the most common sporting activity, which is once again swimming
• Among men, individual sports and soccer declined significantly, while only rugby increased participation
• Among women, participation in all popular individual sports declined, while participation in all team sports increased

Changing Patterns of Social Participation

• The GAA remains the predominant organisation for volunteering, although volunteering associated with team sports fell marginally in 2008
• At least one in every seven members of a gym (or health/fitness club) in 2007 gave up their membership in 2008
• Lower gym membership and a rise in female GAA members made GAA membership the most common form of club membership again, as it was in 2003
• Combining free and ticketed events across all levels, attendance at sporting fixtures has fallen for team sports, especially Gaelic football

Participation and Unemployment

• There was an increase in participation rates among the unemployed for playing, volunteering and membership, but not for attendance
• This pattern reflects people initially maintaining their sporting habits after leaving employment and perhaps increasing participation with additional free time
• But the marginal fall in attendance suggests that cost may ultimately matter and those unemployed for a longer period will find it hard to maintain participation

Playing by County and Region

• People in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown (in particular), Waterford and Louth are more likely to play sport, while people in Dublin City, Offaly and Westmeath (in particular) are less likely to play
• People in the Midlands region are less likely to play sport, because while the region has the highest proportion playing team sports, it has a far lower proportion playing individual sports

Regional Participation Differences for the Top 10 Sports

• There is very considerable regional variation in the specific sporting activities undertaken
• Personal exercise, golf and Gaelic games display particularly striking patterns of participation across the regions
• Some well-known sporting strongholds can be seen, e.g. Munster rugby

Sport, Health and Disability

• Approximately 15% of adults have a long-term health problem, the majority of whom say it prevents them from taking part in sport
• The effect of such health problems is greater among young adults and the over 65s, but narrows in middle-age
• People with long-term health problems who play sport are more likely to swim or play golf and very unlikely to play team sports
• Social participation is also lower among this group, although the participation gap is much narrower for attendance at events

How Might Policy Respond?

• Considering the directly measureable impact on quality of life implied by the fall in active participation, the wisdom of disproportionate cuts in the sport budget is highly questionable
• The widening socio-economic gap in sport strengthens the case for prioritising expenditure programmes most likely to increase grassroots participation, especially among low income groups
• Cost is a barrier to increased participation and there is therefore a leadership role for policy-makers in promoting affordable sporting opportunities, especially for the newly unemployed

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