Based on the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute’s 2022 Physical Activity Monitor Parent Survey (a focus on physical activity and sport participation of children and youth aged 5 to 17 years), 68% of parents of children and youth, aged 5 to 17 years, participated in sport during the previous twelve months. Sport was defined as physical activities that usually involve competition, rules, and developing specific skills.
Equal percentages of younger children (aged 5-to-11 years) and youth (aged 12-to-17 years) participated in sport. Although gender differences appeared overall whereby 71% of boys participated in sport compared to 64% girls, these gender differences did not appear by age group (aged 5 to 11 years and 12 to 17 years). Also, among boys, there were no significant differences between these two age groups, and this is also the case among girls.
Figure 1: Sport participation by gender and age of child
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Among younger children, a greater percentage of those who lived in the highest income households ($100,000 per year or greater) participated in sport compared to those from lower income households. These income-related differences also appeared among youth, aged 12-to-17 years. There were no significant differences in participation for younger children or youth by community size.
Among both younger children and youth, a significantly higher percentage participated in sport if their parents also participated. For example, among younger children, 83% of children participated in sport if their parents also participated in sport compared to 60% of those whose parents did not participate. Similarly, 85% of youth participated in sport if their parents also participated compared to 57% of those whose parents did not participate.
Regularity of participation by age
Parents were also asked about the regularity of their children’s sport participation. According to parents, roughly one-quarter of children and youth participated for less than six months out of the year, one-third participated for six to eleven months out of the year, and 24% participated each month of the year, and 17% were unsure.
A similar percentage of younger children and youth participated in sport during these three time periods: < 6 months, 6-11 months, and 12 months per year. Among younger children or youth, there were no gender-related differences in participation per month. For both younger children and youth, a greater percentage living in the highest income households ($100,000 or higher per year) reported participation every month of year compared to those in the lowest income households. There were no significant age-related differences in frequency of participation by community size.
Among younger children, a slightly greater percentage of those with parents who also participated in sport, participated in every month of the year compared to those whose parents did not participate in sport. This difference was not significant among youth
Figure 2: Regularity of sport participation by age of child and parental sport participation
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Frequency of participation by age
Parents were then asked about the regularity of their child’s participation in sport for the months identified. One in four children and youth (23%) participated four or more times a week, 38% participated two to three times a week, 17% participated once a week, and 5% participated less frequently.
A greater percentage of youth aged 12-to-17 years indicated that they had participated four or more times a week, whereas a greater percentage of younger children participated once a week compared to youth. There were few significant age-related differences in the frequency of participation by household income or community size. There were differences, however, by parental sport participation. Among younger children, those whose parents participated in sport were more likely to have participated four or more times per week.
Figure 3: Frequency of sport participation by age of child and parental sport participation
*Data suppressed due to cell size.
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Degree of structure and competition
The majority (61%) of children and youth participated in sport in primarily a structured environment, while 14% participated in primarily an unstructured environment and 25% participated in both types of environments. Similar percentages of younger children and youth reportedly participated in these types of environments. For both younger children and youth, there were no gender-related differences in the level of structure of their participation.
Among younger children, a greater percentage of those living in the highest income households participated in primarily structured environments, while a lower percentage in this income group reported participation in primarily an unstructured environment. These differences were not significant among youth. Among younger children, a greater percentage whose parents did not participate in sport themselves participated primarily in structured sport, whereas a greater percentage whose parents participated in sport participated in both structured and unstructured activities equally. A similar pattern appears for youth.
In terms of competition, 70% of children and youth participated in sport primarily for recreation, whereas 30% participated for competition. These percentages did not significantly differ by gender but did by age of child. A considerably higher percentage of 12-to-17-year-olds participated in sport primarily for competition, whereas a greater percentage of 5-to-11-year-olds participated primarily for recreation. These age-related differences appeared for both girls and boys.
Figure 4: Competition level by age and gender of child
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Among youth, a greater percentage of those living in the highest income households reported participating in sport primarily for competition whereas those living in the lowest income households were more likely to report participation primarily for recreation. A similar relationship existed for younger children. There were no age-related differences in competition level by community size.
Future intention to participate
Almost six in ten children (58%), aged 5 to 17 years, reported that they were very likely to participate in sport in the subsequent six months, whereas 26% indicate that they were somewhat likely, and 16% were not very likely. Parents of youth were more likely to have reported that they were not very likely to participate in sport in the next six months compared to younger children. Among youth, parents of girls were more likely to have reported that they were not very likely to participate in the next six months than boys. These gender differences did not appear among younger children.
Figure 5: Future participation in sport by age and gender of child
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Among youth, those living in the highest income households were more likely than those living in the lowest income households to be very likely to participate in sport in the subsequent six months, and this relationship was also significant among younger children. Among youth, a considerably higher percentage whose parents also participated in sport indicated that it was very likely that they would participate in sport in the next six months, whereas those who parents did not participate in sport were more likely to say that their children were not very likely to participate in sport. A similar pattern appeared for younger children.
Production of this summary has been made possible through a financial contribution from the Government of Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent their views.
