title: Associations between sport participation, demographic and socio-cultural factors in Portuguese children and adolescents.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The number of studies that focus on factors influencing the sport participation (SP) of children and adolescents is limited. The present study examines the associations between demographic [age, gender and socio-economic status (SES)] and socio-cultural factors (SP of family, and peers and physical educator influences) and the SP of children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 3352 Portuguese children/adolescents, 10-18 years, their parents and siblings was surveyed. The assessment of SP was based on a psychometrically established questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used in data analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (i) age was not related to children/adolescent's SP; (ii) children/adolescents with high SES (OR:1.7, 95%CI:1.4-2.2) and medium SES (OR:1.4, 95%CI:1.1-1.7) were more involved in sports; (iii) children/adolescents were more likely to participate in sports when their family also participate; (iv) boys were more likely to participate in sports than girls (adjusted OR:3.3, 95%CI:2.8-3.9 from a main effects model), but mother's SP influenced their daughters and sons differently. Daughters showed a greater propensity for practising sports when their mothers did (OR:2.5; 95%CI:1.7-3.6). For sons, sports involvement was similar whether or not their mothers participated (OR:1.1; 95%CI:0.7-1.7); (v) peers had a positive influence on the participants' SP (OR:2.2, 95%CI:1.9-2.7); (vi) after adjusting for other factors, the influence of a physical education teacher was not found to affect the SP of the children/adolescents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are important demographic and socio-cultural influences on the SP of children/adolescents-in particular, gender, SES, family members' SP and peer influence.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sports, University of Porto. Porto, Portugal. aseabra@fcdef.up.pt
authors.forename: André F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Seabra
authors.forename: Denisa M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mendonça
authors.forename: Martine A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Thomis
authors.forename: Tim J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010379:Peer Group; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D011174:Portugal; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires