Temporal trends in adults' sports participation patterns in England between 1997 and 2006: the Health Survey for England.
OBJECTIVE
To examine temporal trends in participation in sport and exercise activities in England between 1997 and 2006 while taking into account wider societal changes.


METHODS
A series of annual cross-sectional surveys.


METHODS
Nationally representative samples of men (n = 27 217) and women (n = 33 721) aged >or=16 years.


METHODS
Any (more than once every 4 weeks) and regular (more than once a week) participation in overall sport and exercise and a number of sport and exercise groupings (eg cycling, swimming, gym and fitness club-based activities (G/FC), racquet sports). Time point (1997/98, 2003/04, 2006) was the main dependent variable.


RESULTS
Age-standardised overall regular participation changed from 40.8% in 1997/98 to 41.2% in 2006 for men (multivariable-adjusted participation OR = 1.11 in 2006, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.19, p<0.001) and from 31.2% to 33.9% for women (1.21, 1.13 to 1.29, p<0.001). Regular G/FC increased from 17.0% to 19.2% for men (1.19, 1.09 to 1.30) and from 15.9% to 18.7% for women (1.23, 1.14 to 1.33) and regular running increased from 2.4% to 4.0% for women only (1.84, 1.56 to 2.18). Overall increases were apparent only in older adults (>or=45 years) (1.25, 1.16 to 1.35, p<0.001). Young men (16-29 years) had reduced ORs for cycling (0.72, 0.58 to 0.88, p = 0.008), dancing (0.60, 0.45 to 0.82, p = 0.001), running (0.78, 0.64 to 0.94, p<0.001) and racquet sports (0.60, 0.42 to 0.86, p = 0.003). In men, increases were pronounced only among men from non-manual social classes, higher income households and white ethnic backgrounds.


CONCLUSIONS
Sports and exercise participation in England has changed between 1997 and 2006 as the result of increases among middle-aged and older adults and decreases among young men. There are no signs that the participation gap between less and more advantaged population groups is narrowing.
Stamatakis
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Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 6BT, UK. e.stamatakis@ucl.ac.uk
Chaudhury
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M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013177:Sports / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D055815:Young Adult