Young people's use of sports facilities: a Norwegian study on physical activity.
In recent years, sports facilities have formed part of Norwegian public health policies to increase physical activity among children and adolescents. Despite large sums of public money being spent on such facilities, information on usage is limited.


OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to study the effects of gender, age and relative activity level on young people's use of sports facilities.


METHODS
We explored 662 young people's (age 6-16 years) usage of 19 different kinds of sports facilities. A questionnaire was administered to students and teachers, and situation plots of students at recess were made.


RESULTS
The findings indicate that sports facilities in general were less used by girls, adolescents (14-16 years) and the least active (physically active < or = 1 times/week outside school) than by boys, children (6-13 years) and the most active (physically active > or = 4 times/ week outside school). More general, multifunctional facilities were used to a greater extent than specialized facilities, particularly by the least active. Distance to facility was important for the use of common facilities.


CONCLUSIONS
These results raise the question of whether sports facilities significantly increase physical activity among "all'' young people, which is the government's stated goal. More research on sports facilities use and physical activity levels among males and females of all ages is warranted.
Limstrand
Torgeir
T
Bodø University College, School of Professional Studies, Bodø, Norway.
Rehrer
Nancy J
NJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires