Youth Sport Participation and Physical Activity in Rural Communities: A Case Study

Abstract

BackgroundPhysical activity, a high-frequency health behavior, varies by where youth live, learn, and play. Youth accumulate physical activity in adult-led in-school and out-of-school settings. Youth sport is a potential setting for physical activity, but there are differences in youth sport participation based on age, gender, and socioeconomic status. There is a gap in understanding demographic influences on youth sport participation and how these factors interact to influence physical activity. This case study examines influences of grade, gender, and family income on youth sport participation and these factors and youth sport participation on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of youth in rural communities.MethodsYouth (n=418 3rd–6th graders) living in two rural communities completed the online Youth Activity Profile as part of Wellscapes, a type 3 hybrid implementation-effectiveness community randomized trial. Mixed models with community as a random effect examined main effects and interactions of grade, gender, and family income on youth sport participation and these factors and youth sport participation on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. ResultsAbout 80% of youth engaged in youth sport, and full pay lunch students were almost four times more likely to have youth sport participation than students with free/reduced lunch (OR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.95, 7.8). Females and 6th graders (p <0.05) had lower physical activity than comparison groups. Males with higher family income had greater physical activity; females with higher family income had less physical activity. For 6th graders, high family income had less effect on physical activity than similar 3rd-5th graders (p<0.01). ConclusionsWhile a fairly high percentage of youth participate in youth sports, there are disparities in rural communities on youth sport participation and physical activity outcomes based on age, gender, and family income.

Sociodemographic influences on youth sport participation and physical activity among children living within concentrated Hispanic/Latino rural communities

“…We specifically concentrated on the second administration of the instrument in spring 2022 to capture children's PA behaviors that occurred during the school year and maintain consistency with work from Wave 1. Previous publications have documented the protocol (50) and summarized descriptive PA and YS participation patterns at the population level in the Wave 1 communities (34).…”

“…Increasing sport participation among children and adolescents is also included as a Healthy People 2030 PA objective (4), although, the current YS system's pay-to-play model has erected barriers to participation, disproportionately impacting children from minority groups (32,33). For example, Kellstedt and colleagues found family income was a significant (p < 0.05) predictor of YS participation among predominantly White children (n = 235) living in rural communities, in which children with full-pay lunch status were almost four times more likely to participate than peers with free or reduced lunch (OR = 3.91, 95% CI = 1.95-7.8) (34). Additionally, the authors found YS participants accumulated significantly more daily average minutes of MVPA than non-participants (84.9 min vs. 78.1 min, p < 0.05), which is consistent with the literature (35)(36)(37).…”

“…Additionally, the authors found YS participants accumulated significantly more daily average minutes of MVPA than non-participants (84.9 min vs. 78.1 min, p < 0.05), which is consistent with the literature (35)(36)(37). However, further investigation of the impact of race, ethnicity, and the combination of these characteristics (i.e., ethnoracial status) on YS participation and MVPA within increasingly diverse rural American communities has been recommended, as cost may not be the only barrier for entry (e.g., lack of programming, facilities, and transportation limitations) into these and other social systems of interaction (11,34).…”

“…It is well established that childhood PA is vital, valuable, and lacking, and the places where children live, learn, play, and age disproportionately impact this essential, modifiable health behavior. There is an opportunity to examine the influence of children getting more PA through YS participation (38); yet, there is a gap in understanding the sociodemographic characteristics related to YS participation in under-researched and under-resourced ethnoracially diverse rural communities and how these factors interact to influence PA outcomes (34,39). The goals of this study were to (1) examine the association between participation in adult-led organized YS opportunities by grade, sex, ethnoracial status, and family income, and (2) determine the influence of these factors (grade, sex, ethnoracial status, and family income) and organized YS participation on PA levels of children living in ethnoracially diverse rural communities.…”

High School Sport Participation Intensity and Breadth

“…ESAs offer low costs for participation, less time commitments, and reduced needs for privatized transportation than their out-of-school activity counterparts (Glover, 1999;Guèvremont et al, 2014). In addition, when budgetary decisions threaten the vitality of the diversity of rural ESA offerings school leaders should consider community or regional partnerships, including cooperatives, to maintain ESA opportunities (Kellstedt, 2021;Lang, 2021;Porter, 2016). In conjunction with maintaining diverse ESA offerings school leaders should also consider traditional barriers to participation not frequently examined related to regional norms, culture, and race/ethnicity.…”