In the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute’s 2022 Parent Survey of Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, parents were asked about their perceptions about physical activity and sport opportunities available to their children and youth. Table 1 describes the findings from the survey.
Table 1: Parental perceptions about physical activity and sport opportunities available to children and youth
| Not at all or a little |
Somewhat | Moderate to great extent |
Not during pandemic |
Unsure, not applicable |
|
| Fun | 5% | 18% | 69% | 4% | 3% |
| Fair, respectful, ethical | 4% | 19% | 67% | 3% | 6% |
| Welcoming, inclusive | 6% | 17% | 67% | 4% | 5% |
| Easy | 6% | 23% | 60% | 4% | 6% |
| Safe (e.g., free from crime or
bullying, physically safe) |
7% | 18% | 67% | 4% | 4% |
| Available (e.g., facilities nearby) | 13% | 22% | 56% | 6% | 4% |
| Accessible | 11% | 20% | 47% | 4% | 18% |
| Convenient | 12% | 25% | 54% | 5% | 5% |
| Affordable | 21% | 25% | 46% | 3% | 4% |
Source: 2022 Parent Survey of the Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, CFLRI
A greater percentage of parents of children aged 5 to 11 years reported certain abstract perceptions about physical activity and sport opportunities available to their children compared to parents of youth aged 12 to 17 years.
There were significant differences in some parental perceptions of sport and physical activity opportunities based on the age of the child. A greater percent of parents of children aged 5 to 11 years reported that they find opportunities fun, fair, respectful and ethical, welcoming and inclusive, easy, and safe to a moderate or great extent compared to parents of youth aged 12 to 17 years. Interestingly, however, there were no significant differences by child’s age in parent’s perceptions about the availability, accessibility, convenience, affordability of the physical activity and sport opportunities for children to a moderate or great extent – essentially, more concrete factors.
Figure 1: Perceptions about sport and physical activity
Source: 2022 Parent Survey of the Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, CFLRI
Although overall gender differences did not appear in relation to parents’ perceptions about physical activity and sport opportunities for children, some differences did appear when examining perceptions in association with gender and age of child combined.
There were no significant child gender-related differences in parents’ perceptions of physical activity and sport opportunities for children as safe, fun, fair, respectful, ethical, welcoming and inclusive, easy, available, accessible convenient, or affordable to a moderate extent; this was an important finding to note in the survey.
When examining age and gender of child together, however, parents of girls aged 12 to 17 years were less likely to have reported that physical activity opportunities are easy, fair, respectful and ethical, welcoming and inclusive, or safe to a moderate or great extent compared to girls aged 5 to 11 years, yet there were no significant differences by age for boys. Parents of both boys and girls aged 12 to 17 years were less likely to say that the physical activity and sport opportunities for their children are fun to a moderate or a great extent compared to boys and girls, aged 5 to 11 years, respectively. Of interest, there were no age and gender differences regarding perceptions of opportunities as available, accessible, convenient, or affordable to a moderate or great extent.
Figure 2: Perceptions about sport and physical activity by age and gender of child
Source: 2022 Parent Survey of the Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, CFLRI
The strong positive perceptions about the opportunities for physical activity and sport for children varied by socio-economic status, particularly by measures of household income and parental education level.
There was a considerable increase in the percentage of parents indicating that the physical activity and sport opportunities for their children are fun, fair, respectful, or ethical, welcoming and inclusive, easy, safe, available, accessible, convenient or affordable to a moderate or great extent with increasing household income.
Figure 3: Perceptions about sport and physical activity by household income
Source: 2022 Parent Survey of the Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, CFLRI
Similar to household income, there was an increase in the percentage of parents who reported that physical activity and sport opportunities are safe or welcoming and inclusive to a moderate or great extent by increasing parental education; more specifically, differences existed for these two factors between parents with a secondary education compared to parents with a university education.
Figure 4: Perceptions about sport and physical activity by parent’s education level
Source: 2022 Parent Survey of the Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, CFLRI
Parental immigration was associated with parental perceptions of accessibility of the opportunities for physical activity and sport available to children.
The percentage of parents indicating that physical activity and sport opportunities were accessible to a moderate or great extent was higher among parents who have immigrated to the country as opposed to those who were born in the country, with the one exception; parents who have immigrated for more than fifteen years are not significantly different than those who were born in Canada
Figure 5: Perceptions about sport and physical activity by parent’s immigration status
Source: 2022 Parent Survey of the Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, CFLRI
There were only a few geographical differences in perceptions about physical activity or sport opportunities for children.
The percentage of parents indicating that physical activity and sport opportunities are available, accessible or convenient to a moderate or great extent was higher among those living in larger community sizes (≥10,000 residents) compared to those living in smaller communities (<10,000 residents).
Figure 6: Perceptions about sport and physical activity by community size
Source: 2022 Parent Survey of the Physical Activity and Sport Participation among 5 to 17 year olds, CFLRI
Compared to the national average (69%), a greater percentage of parents living in Saskatchewan (79%) reported that the opportunities for physical activity and sport for their children are fun to a moderate or great extent. On the contrary, relatively fewer parents living in Quebec said that opportunities are accessible and fewer living in Alberta stated that opportunities are affordable to a moderate or great extent, compared to the Canadian average.
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.
