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.
Relatively more boys (71%) participated in sport compared to girls (64%) during this time period. Although gender differences appeared overall, they 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 boys, 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 were not significant among girls. There were no significant differences in participation for boys or girls by community size. Among children and youth living in the largest communities (100,000 or more residents), however, a slightly higher percentage of boys participated in sport compared to girls.
Among both boys and girls, a significantly higher percentage participated in sport if their parents also participated. For example, among boys, 86% of children participated in sport if their parents also participated in sport compared to 61% of those whose parents did not participate. Similarly, 83% of girls participated in sport if their parents also participated compared to 55% of girls whose parents did not participate.
Regularity of participation by gender
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 girls and boys participated in sport during these three time periods: < 6 months, 6-11 months, and 12 months per year. Among boys or girls, there were no age-related differences in participation per month. For both boys and girls, 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 lower income households. There were no significant gender-related differences in frequency of participation by community size.
Among girls, 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 boys.
Figure 2: Regularity of sport participation by gender of child and parental sport participation
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Frequency of participation by gender
Parents were then asked about the frequency 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.
Although there were no gender-related differences overall, some gender-related differences did appear within the two age groups. For example, among boys, 12-to-17-year-olds were more likely than those aged 5-to-11-years to report participating four or more times per week, whereas a greater percentage of younger boys participated once a week. There were no significant gender-related differences in the frequency of participation by household income or community size. There were differences, however, by parental sport participation. Among both boys and girls, 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 gender 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 you 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 boys and girls reportedly participated in these types of environments. For both boys and girls, there were no age-related differences in the level of structure of their participation.
Among girls, 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 boys. Among girls, 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 boys.
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. Among girls, 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. This same relationship appeared for boys also.
Figure 4: Competition level by age and gender of child
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Among girls, 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 boys. There were no gender-related differences in competition level by community size. Among boys, a higher percentage of parents who participated in sport indicated that their child participated for competition, whereas a greater percentage of parents who did not participate in sport indicated that their child participated primarily for recreation. This relationship was not significant among girls.
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% indicated that they were somewhat likely, and 16% were not very likely. Parents of girls were more likely to have reported that they are not very likely to participate in sport in the next six months compared to boys. Among girls and boys, parents of 12-to-17-year-olds were more likely to have reported that they are not very likely to participate in the next six months. Among these 12-to-17-year-olds, parents of girls (24%) were more likely than boys (18%) to have indicated that they children were not very likely to participate in sport within the next six months.
Figure 5: Future participation in sport by age and gender of child
Source: 2022 Physical Activity Monitor, Parent Survey, CFLRI
Among girls, 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 boys. Among girls, 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 are not very likely to participate in sport. The same pattern appears for boys.
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.
