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Thursday 30th June 2011 saw the national launch of the ESRI & Irish Sports Council's Irish Sports Monitor Report. The ISM Report which is the third in a series of reports published since 2007 has been established as an ongoing survey of participation in sport and physical exercise in Ireland. The report is based on telephone interviews with adults conducted by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on behalf of the Irish Sports Council (ISC) detailing the level of the sporting activity undertaken by the Irish adult population in the previous 7 days. The survey is primarily designed to track levels of participation in sport both for the population as a whole and various subpopulations of interest.
Since the first report was produced in 2007, Ireland has undergone major economic changes which have influenced involvement in sports, physical activity and exercise as participants, volunteers and spectators. The ISM reports aim to track these changes and compare and contrast data from previous years which can in turn be used by organisations/agencies such the Local Sports Partnerships and key stakeholders responsible for sports development, provision and policy to address findings from the research.
The Irish Sports Council/ERSI in conjunction with Sports Active Wexford and Wicklow Local Sports Partnership have recently published an analysis of participation in sport and exercise amongst adult over 16 years of age in the Wexford/Wicklow region. The Report entitled 'Sport & Recreational Exercise among Adults (aged 16+) in Wexford and Wicklow 2007-2009' was launched also on Thursday 30th June 2011 at the Ashdown Park Hotel, Gorey, Co. Wexford by Sports Active Wexford and Wicklow Local Sports Partnership.
Some of the findings from the report included:
- Between 2007 and 2009, 31% of adults surveyed in Wexford-Wicklow actively participated in sport or recreational exercise during the previous week
- 56% of adults undertook a recreational walk during the previous week
- The area has low levels of walking and cycling compared to the rest of Ireland
- Almost one quarter (23%) of adults are effectively sedentary
- Soccer (6.5%), golf (6.2%), swimming (6.0%) and personal exercise (5.0%) are the most popular activities
- Relative to the rest of the country, golf is particularly popular in the area, especially among men
- Over two-thirds of all sporting activity (excluding recreational walking) consists of individual sport and recreation activities, as opposed to team games, which are mostly the preserve of young men
- People of high socio-economic status are much more likely to be active participants
- Active participation is significantly and separately related to each of educational attainment, income and occupational status
- Men are more likely to play sport than women, but the gender gap narrows with age
- People living in isolated locations are less likely to play sport than those living in villages and towns
- Sedentarism is higher in Wexford (26%) than Wicklow (19%), primarily because of a very low rate of walking for transport in Wexford
- This inactivity applies right across the age spectrum and suggests that the built environment is not conducive to walking
Sports Active Wexford under it Strategic Plan " Start ,Stay Succeed" have focused on improving the opportunities to access physical activity under its Strategic Goals:
- To increase the levels of participation in Physical Activity and Sport in County Wexford, with 45% of its population being Physically Active by 2020.
- To improve access to existing facilities and resources for Physical Activity and Sport.
- To increase the diversity of Physical Activity opportunities by developing new and existing facilities.
- To increase the number of quality coaches, volunteers and leaders providing Physical Activity opportunities in the community.
- To increase the number of individuals who are enabled to achieve their full potential through Physical Activity and sport
While Wicklow Local Sports Partnership Strategic Plan 2010-2013 'Providing Sporting and Physical Activity Opportunities through Partnership' aims to address the outcomes of the report through:
- Working in partnership with sports in the County to increase participation.
- Delivery of quality training to sports leaders.
- Increase opportunities for everybody to participate in sport and physical activity.
- To increase physical activity participation in the wider community.
To view the Wexford-Wicklow 2007-2009 Report in full please log onto www.wicklowlsp.ie or www.wexford.ie
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