The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee recently took evidence on the participation of children and young people in Sport and Physical Activity (PA). As part of the SPICe fellowship programme, Dr David Meir and Dr David Scott have been reviewing the evidence base regarding physical activity in Scotland to determine current barriers to participation, identify knowledge gaps, and highlight potential policy solutions. This blog highlights some of the key barriers to participation they have identified.
Views expressed in this blog are those of the authors and not those of SPICe or of the Scottish Parliament.
Introduction
Sport and Physical Activity (PA), alongside eating well and maintaining a healthy weight, is one of the six Public Health Priorities for Scotland. However, the Sport and PA landscape in Scotland is complex, with various social, cultural, and political factors influencing how people feel able to get active.
This blog summarises the recently published SPICe briefing on Sport and PA policy in Scotland, with a focus on the main barriers to participation that have been frequently cited in various reports, evidence bases, and academic papers. This is the second blog in a series of publications on Sport and PA from SPICe. You can read the first part here.
Inequalities in sport and physical activity participation
It is well known that there are disparities across society regarding those who participate in Sport and PA, and those who do not. There have also been persistent reports of inequalities when it comes to various segments of society being unable to access various clubs, facilities, and equipment which help to enable their participation.
This is not necessarily an issue that is restricted to Scotland, with the pattern being similar to other countries globally, although ‘comparator’ countries (e.g., Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands) are able to demonstrate greater inclusivity and wider opportunities for participation based on the available evidence.
Identifying the specific inequalities and barriers to participation which exist will enable those who develop, organise, and provide Sport and PA to know which areas and groups to target. However, it should be noted that none of these issues exist in isolation, with individuals often facing numerous inequalities and barriers at the same time (known as intersectionality).
Poverty and economic inequalities
According to the 2022 Scottish Household Survey, only 37% of people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland participate in Sport and PA, compared to 64% of those living in the least deprived areas. These disparities are seen across various ages, genders, abilities, ethnicities, and locations across the country, with socioeconomic status being the strongest indicator for a range of health-related issues, including increased likelihood of long-term health conditions, shorter healthy life expectancy, and a 12-year gap in average overall life expectancy.
A report in 2022 by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee also addressed the issue of health inequalities in Scotland, with the conclusion being that people facing deprivation experienced greater benefit from taking part in Sport and PA than those from less disadvantaged communities. The report also highlighted four key aspects of PA, health, funding, and policy:
- There was overwhelming evidence which demonstrated the negative effects poverty and deprivation has on the health and wellbeing of children and young people.
- There is a disproportionate reduction in Sport and PA participation from the age of 11 from those from more disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as girls and disabled young people.
- There should be a requirement for the Scottish Government to ensure any additional funding committed over the course of this Parliament is focused on promoting further inclusion in Sport and PA for children and young people living in poverty.
- All providers of Sport and PA, including SportScotland, should be collecting data on individuals’ socioeconomic backgrounds and PA levels.
There are clear links between economic deprivation and a lack of participation in Sport and PA. As such, there is an awareness and desire for future Sport and PA policy to attempt to tackle these socioeconomic inequalities.
Gender
The 2023 Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report into Female Participation in Sport and PA indicated the need for alternative Sport and PA provisions that are suitable for women which are currently not available. In addition, there is currently not enough understanding around the impacts of pregnancy, periods, menopause, and other female-specific health conditions which might influence women’s’ participation in Sport and PA.
There is a clear disparity between genders when it comes to participation in Sport and PA, with evidence repeatedly noting that the early teenage years (13-15) presents an increased risk of inactivity amongst females. This is typically explained by the competitive element of sport being often being disliked, with friendliness and fun being sought instead. This indicates that there are not enough opportunities for girls and young women to engage in non-competitive sport, informal sport, or PA with like-minded individuals.
Disability
Although a recent report on disability Sport and PA (Davidson et al., 2023) stated that 83.4% of people with a disability are currently participating, this overlooks a number of issues and experiences when it comes to access and knowledge of opportunities within disability Sport and PA.
It has been reported that the combination of having a disability and living in poverty creates a complex issue not faced by other populations, which is the balance between improving physical health and the fear of losing monetary benefits. Given benefit entitlements are at least partially assessed on physical function, there is a reluctance to engage in activities which might result in this support being reduced or withdrawn altogether.
There are further issues that have been highlighted by the 2023 Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, including the additional barriers experienced by disabled girls and women, as well as a distinct lack of accessible and suitably adapted sporting facilities and infrastructure.
Other notable barriers to participation
Equity, diversity, and inclusion, age, and geographic regions have also been consistently identified as factors which influence participation rates in Sport and PA across Scotland. To summarise, those who are not of White Scottish ethnicity, aged between 18-30, and live in one of the central belt cities are increasingly unlikely to participate in Sport and PA.
However, it should also be noted that there are significant gaps in the evidence base, due to the lack of a cohesive, detailed, and centralised evidence base. There is a need to further understand the complexities, experiences, and nuances which influence each individual’s choices to participate, or not participate, in Sport and PA. For example, there is very limited understanding as to the impact of celebrated schemes such as the Active Schools network on participation rates, while there has been little attention given to older adults in Scottish policy documents to date.
As such, the aim of increasing Sport and PA to achieve a healthier Scotland is fraught with difficulties and challenges. However, it is possible to take steps towards this through a co-ordinated and collaborative policy focus that accounts for these intersectional inequalities. The 2022 Health, Social Care and Sport Committee called for an overarching national strategy with clear and measurable goals for increasing PA among young people in Scotland. It includes further information on how this might be achieved.
Dr David Meir, University of the West of Scotland, and Dr David Scott, University of Abertay