The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute’s 2019-2021 Physical Activity Monitor asked Canadians about spaces and places available for physical activity, sport and recreation. Over three-quarters of adults agreed to a moderate or great extent that facilities for physical activity and sport in their community were safe (85%) or well-maintained (77%). Roughly two-thirds of adults agreed to a moderate or great extent that there were enough (67%) or sufficient variety (65%) of places to be physically active and play casual, pickup or unstructured sports and games. Similarly, 66% of adults agreed to a moderate or great extent that there were enough or a sufficient variety (65%) of places to be active and participate in organized or structured physical activities or sports. The majority of adults (84%) agreed to a moderate or great extent that there were sufficient nearby outdoor spaces, including parks, natural environments, gardens, pathways and trails, green or water ways.
The majority of women agreed to a moderate or great extent that there were sufficient outdoor spaces nearby, and that facilities are generally safe and well-maintained.
Women and men generally equally agreed to a moderate or great extent that the spaces and places were available, with two exceptions; a slightly higher percentage of men reported a high level of agreement that there were enough spaces and places to participate in unstructured and structured physical activity and sport.
Table 1: Supportive spaces and places for physical activity and sport by gender
| % Indicating a high level of agreement | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Women |
Men |
|
| Sufficient outdoor spaces nearby |
83% |
85% |
| Facilities are safe |
83% |
86% |
| Facilities are well-maintained |
76% |
77% |
| Enough places to play casual, pick-up or unstructured sport and games |
65% |
69% |
| Sufficient variety of places to play casual, pick-up or unstructured sport and games |
62% |
67% |
| Enough places for organized or structured physical activities and sports |
63% |
68% |
| Sufficient variety of places for organized or structured physical activities and sports |
62% |
67% |
Source: CFLRI, aggregated results from the 2019-2021 Physical Activity Monitor
Among women, there were no age-related differences in perceptions of the availability of the listed spaces and places with one exception; a greater percentage of women aged 45 to 64 years agreed to a moderate or great extent that there were sufficient nearby outdoor spaces, including parks, natural environments, gardens, pathways, or green and water ways compared young women aged 18 to 24 years.
Among women, household income was associated with perceptions of spaces and places for sport, physical activity, and recreation.
Household income-related differences existed for women. A higher percentage of women from some higher household incomes agreed to a moderate or great extent that facilities for sport and physical activity were well-maintained and safe compared to women from households with the lowest household incomes. Similarly, this relationship also existed for those who agreed to a moderate or great extent that there were sufficient nearby outdoor spaces, including parks, natural environments, gardens, pathways, or green and water ways.
Figure 1. Perceptions of supportive spaces and places for women by household income
Source: CFLRI, aggregated results from the 2019-2021 Physical Activity Monitor
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.
