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74% of primary and 73% post primary pupils participate in a combination of extra-curricular and extra-school sport or physical activity on at least two days per week. This means sport is very important in terms of helping children and youth reach their physical activity goals. Overall this represents a very high percentage of engagement with sport in both the school and community context. It highlights the contribution of coaches, sports development officers, PE Teachers and volunteers, both in the school and community setting, in ensuring children are given opportunities to be active.
The levels of activity are positive against a worrying international context of decreasing participation in overall physical activity levels.
The research shows that the issues of age and gender remain major determinants of participation in sport. Girls are less likely than boys to meet nationally recommended physical activity guidelines and participation rates fall as children get older. While significant sport is delivered informally in school only 35% of primary pupils and 10% of post primary pupils receive the recommended minutes of Physical Education per week.
Minister Hanafin launched the report at the opening of the All Island Conference which has as its central theme the issue of increasing participation in sport. "This new research shows encouraging results for children's participation in sport. We are seeing the benefit of the work on the ground of development officers with teachers, coaches and volunteers in supporting increased participation in sports such as gaelic games, soccer and rugby. Allied to this Local Sports Partnerships are working with schools through providing programmes such as Buntْs, a resource to support teachers deliver the PE curriculum.
The research also shows there remains a clear challenge to keep young people, especially girls, engaged in active sports through their teens. The key message is to use every opportunity to get and keep children and young people active through a combination of participation in school and extra school activities, through involvement in local clubs and in quality active leisure time with their family and friends."
The health enhancing properties of physical activity are well established. The current research reinforces this strongly. It finds that the more active children are, the healthier they are. Overall 19% of primary and 12% of post primary pupils meet the national physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity, unchanged since 2004. The children who reach or are close to the recommended levels play more sport. Therefore, the more sport children play the more active they are and, consequently, the healthier they are.
It is particularly notable that the rate of Active Travel has increased. The numbers walking to school have increased dramatically and, while the number cycling to school is still low, the reported change on Active Travel is encouraging as it is not subject to the same gender and age influences.
The report makes the sole recommendation to increase participation in physical activity among children. To support that overall goal it sets a series of specific targets under the headings of General Physical Activity, Physical Education, Extra School Sport, Extra-Curricular Sport, Active Travel and Sedentary Behaviour.
The Children in Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study is a unique multi-centre study undertaken by Dublin City University, University of Limerick and University College Cork. It brought together expertise from physical education, sport and coaching studies and physical activity and is the most robust and comprehensive report of its type ever conducted in Ireland. .
Dr Catherine Woods, speaking on behalf of all of the authors said:"We want to thank everyone who participated in the study. It has produced priceless information which will inform future policy and practice that can result in many more young people taking part in health enhancing physical activity. As a first step we will prepare relevant information and materials for every school in Ireland. "
The Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity is designed as a follow-up to the 2005 ESRI "School Children and Sport in Ireland" study. The Irish Sports Council commissioned and published both of these reports as part of its research programme which has a specific emphasis on understanding and evaluating participation in sport in Ireland.
The 6th All Island Sports Conference will take place in Dublin on October 21st and 22nd and is co-hosted by the Irish Sports Council, Sport NI and, this year, Dublin City Council. 250 delegates representing all the major sports bodies will hear from national and international speakers on the theme of participation in sport.
John Treacy, Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council, commented: "The Children in Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study provides a wealth of detail on this hugely important issue. It reinforces many of the key outcomes of the 2004 research and again highlights contribution of sport to the health and wellbeing of our children. The Council will is committed to specific programme responses to the targets set in the research".
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