Do Social Factors Contribute to International Sports Performance: A Panel Data Analysis of Countries' Performance in the Asian Games / ¿Contribuyen los factores sociales al rendimiento deportivo internacional? Un análisis de datos de panel del rendimiento de los países en los Juegos Asiáticos

Asia has become a leader in international sports championships, which justifies a greater emphasis on the region's sporting achievements. However, different economic, political, and social elements influence the region's performance since deteriorating social or economic systems can harm performance. This study examined the impact of social factors on the international athletic performance of Asian nations. To do so, we analyzed the effect of health expenditure, education expenditure, and development on sports performance from 1961 to 2018 while adjusting for gross domestic product and population growth. The data was evaluated using VAR, and the study's conclusions demonstrated a considerable correlation between social growth and national sporting performance. The paper includes recommendations for further research and consequences for the government and policymakers.(AU)

Skin in the game: Race, ingroup identification, and attitudes toward paying college athletes.

OBJECTIVES: The present studies examined two dimensions of racial ingroup identification, using them as predictors of Black and White Americans' attitudes toward paying college athletes. Following Leach et al. (2008), the present work distinguished between ingroup self-investment and ingroup self-definition. The central prediction was that respondent race and self-investment would interact in predicting compensation support. METHOD: In three studies (N = 352, N = 476, & N = 562), U.S. residents who were 18 or older and either Black or White completed an online survey in which they completed a self-report measure of racial identification, as well as reporting their opinion of paying college athletes. RESULTS: The results supported the prediction, demonstrating that Black respondents' support was higher than that for Whites, but this was especially the case at high levels of self-investment. The third study suggests that these effects were driven by respondents who believed that Black athletes made up a larger percentage of the pool of likely beneficiaries of compensation. Ingroup self-definition played no role as a moderator. CONCLUSIONS: Broadly speaking, it may be that, for policies whose likely beneficiaries are disproportionately Black, stronger racial self-investment serves to widen racial divides in support. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors associated to the market value of professional soccer players / Factores asociados al valor de mercado de los futbolistas profesionales / Fatores associados ao valor de mercado de jogadores profissionais de futebol

The objective of this study was analysed to the market value (MV) of professional soccer players from Top-5 European Soccer Leagues. An ANOVA analysed the effect of the independent variables on the MV of the soccer players, with p<0.01. Soccer players from the Premier League (PL) showed greater MV compared to other leagues. Foreign soccer players showed greater MV compared to national soccer players. Soccer players between 21-30 years showed greater MV compared to those <21 and >30 years. Forward and midfielders showed greater MV compared to goalkeepers and backs. Soccer players that represented their countries at international matches showed greater MV compared to those that did not. The soccer players with a youth background formation in their clubs in the Premier League and La Liga showed greater MV compared to soccer players coming from other clubs. In conclusion, extrinsic factors affect the MV of soccer players. Research results may be useful to the sport managers in the selection of professional soccer players. (AU)

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el valor de mercado (VM) de futbolistas profesionales de las 5 mejores ligas europeas de fútbol. Se analizó el efecto de las variables independientes sobre el VM de los futbolistas, mediante una ANOVA con un nivel de significación de p <0.01. Los futbolistas de la Premier League (PL) mostraron mayor VM en comparación con los de otras ligas. Los futbolistas extranjeros mostraron mayor VM en comparación con los futbolistas nacionales. Los futbolistas entre 21-30 años mostraron mayor VM en comparación con los <21 y > 30 años. Los delanteros y centrocampistas, mostraron mayor VM en comparación con los porteros y los laterales. Los futbolistas que representaron a sus países en partidos internacionales mostraron mayor VM en comparación con los que no lo hicieron. Los futbolistas de formación juvenil en clubes de la PL y La Liga (LL) mostraron mayor VM en comparación con los futbolistas de otros clubes. En conclusión, factores intrínsecos y extrínsecos afectan el VM de los futbolistas. Los resultados de esta investigación pueden ser útiles para los directores deportivos en el proceso de selección de futbolistas profesionales. (AU)

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar o valor de mercado (VM) de jogadores de futebol profissional das 5 melhores ligas europeias de futebol. O efeito das variáveis independentes sobre a VM dos futebolistas foi analisado por meio de uma ANOVA com nível de significância de p <0,01. Os jogadores de futebol da Premier League (PL) apresentaram MV mais alto em comparação com os de outras ligas. Os jogadores de futebol estrangeiros apresentaram VM superior em comparação aos jogadores de futebol nacionais. Jogadores de futebol entre 21-30 anos apresentaram maior VM em comparação com aqueles com <21 e> 30 anos. Os atacantes e meio-campistas mostraram maior VM em relação aos goleiros e laterais. Os jogadores de futebol que representaram seus países em jogos internacionais apresentaram maior MV em comparação com aqueles que não o fizeram. Jogadores de futebol em formação de jovens em clubes da PL e La Liga (LL) apresentaram maior VM em comparação com jogadores de futebol de outros clubes. Em conclusão, fatores intrínsecos e extrínsecos afetam a VM dos jogadores de futebol. Os resultados desta pesquisa podem ser úteis para dirigentes esportivos no processo de seleção de jogadores profissionais de futebol. (AU)

Research on the sustainable development of physical education students' exercise in colleges and universities / Pesquisa sobre o desenvolvimento sustentável do exercício de estudantes de educação física em faculdades e universidades / Investigación sobre el desarrollo sostenible del ejercicio de estudiantes de educación física en colegios y universidades

ABSTRACT Introduction: The essence of sustainable development is ecological civilization. The entire modern development, including sports in colleges and universities, is built based on resource conservation, enhanced environmental support capabilities, and a virtuous ecological environment cycle to achieve sustainable economic and social development. Objective: Looking at the development history of sports in Chinese colleges and universities for more than 50 years, there have been many successful experiences in human resource development, and there are also many problems that need to be solved. Methods: The author took 442 people from 4 provinces as the survey object, researched and discussed the evaluation indicators of the sustainable development of sports in colleges and universities. After factor analysis and professional theoretical research, a total of 15 indicators in 5 categories were established: science and technology, moral education, system Standard category, economic, competitive development category, external input category, and the coach training system category that eliminates "inbreeding." Results: The author found in the research that both sports and non-sports families in China are unwilling to engage in sports and college sports for their children. The main reasons are traditional ideological issues, sports social status issues, and athletes' education issues. Among them, coaches, the "inbreeding" training system is one of the main reasons that affect the sports talent resources of colleges and universities in China. Conclusions: There can be at least five types of evaluation indicators for the sustainable development of sports in Chinese colleges and universities: science and technology and ethics education, institutional norms, economic and competitive development, external investment, and a coach training system that eliminates inbreeding. The income of sports families is generally lower than that of non-sports families, and their education level is also lower. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

RESUMO Antecedentes: A essência do desenvolvimento sustentável é a civilização ecológica Todo o desenvolvimento moderno, incluindo esportes universitários, é baseado na economia de recursos, fortalecimento da capacidade de suporte ambiental e realização do desenvolvimento econômico e social sustentável do ciclo ecológico e ambiental. Objetivo: revisar o curso de desenvolvimento de educação física da universidade chinesa por mais de 50 anos, há muitas experiências bem-sucedidas no desenvolvimento de recursos humanos e muitos problemas a serem resolvidos. Métodos: 442 pessoas de 4 províncias foram investigadas para conhecer o índice de avaliação do desenvolvimento sustentável da educação física universitária. Por meio da análise fatorial e da pesquisa da teoria profissional, foram determinados 15 índices de cinco categorias principais: ciência e tecnologia, educação moral, normas institucionais, economia, desenvolvimento competitivo, insumos externos e eliminação da consanguinidade. Resultados: as famílias esportivas e não esportivas não estão dispostas a permitir que seus filhos participem de atividades esportivas universitárias, sendo os principais motivos as ideias tradicionais, o status social do esporte e a educação dos atletas. Entre eles, o sistema de treinamento "consanguíneo" de treinadores é um dos principais motivos que afetam os recursos de talentos esportivos das universidades chinesas. Conclusão: O índice de avaliação do desenvolvimento sustentável da educação física nas universidades chinesas pode ser dividido em pelo menos cinco categorias: educação científica e ética, normas institucionais, desenvolvimento econômico e competitivo, investimento externo, eliminação do sistema endógamo de treinamento de treinadores. A renda das famílias que praticam esportes é geralmente menor do que a das não praticantes, e o nível de educação também é baixo. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos: investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Antecedentes: la esencia del desarrollo sostenible es la civilización ecológica. Todo el desarrollo moderno, incluidos los deportes universitarios, se basa en el ahorro de recursos, el fortalecimiento de la capacidad de apoyo ambiental y la realización del desarrollo económico y social sostenible del ciclo ecológico y ambiental. Objetivo: revisar el curso de desarrollo de la educación física universitaria en China durante más de 50 años, hay muchas experiencias exitosas en el desarrollo de los recursos humanos, y hay muchos problemas que resolver. Métodos: 442 personas de 4 provincias fueron investigadas para conocerel índice de evaluación del desarrollo sostenible de la educación física universitaria. A través del análisis factorial y la investigación de la teoría profesional, se han determinado 15 índices de cinco categorías principales: ciencia y tecnología, educación moral, normas institucionales, economía, desarrollo competitivo, insumos externos y eliminación de la endogamia. Resultados: tanto las familias deportivas como las no deportivas no están dispuestas a que sus hijos participen en actividades deportivas universitarias. Las principales razones son las ideas tradicionales, la condición social deportiva y la educación de los atletas. Entre ellas, el sistema de formación de "endogamia" de los entrenadores es una de las principales razones que afectan a los recursos de talentos deportivos de las universidades chinas. Conclusión: el índice de evaluación del desarrollo sostenible de la educación física en las universidades de China puede dividirse en al menos cinco categorías: educación científica y ética, normas institucionales, desarrollo económico y competitivo, inversión externa, eliminación del sistema de formación de entrenadores endogámico. Los ingresos de las familias deportivas son generalmente inferiores a los de las familias no deportivas, y el nivel de educación también es bajo. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos: investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

An evaluation of coupling coordination between sports industry and health service industry in China.

Depending on the strategy of "Healthy China", more and more people pay attention to health issues. The integration and development of sports industry and health service industry is an inevitable outcome of industrial transformation and upgrading and healthy life in the new era. Through constructing the evaluation index system of the coupling and coordination development degree between sports industry and health service industry, using entropy evaluation method and coupling and coordination degree model, this paper explore the comprehensive level and coupling and coordination development status of sports industry and health service industry in thirty-one provinces, municipality cities and autonomous regions of China from 2013 to 2017. The results of this paper show that the comprehensive China's sports industry and health service industry both present an incremental development trend year by year, and are characterized by the distribution of "high in the east and low in the west" in space. The government's policy support provides superior industrial supporting conditions for the development of sports industry. However, it is not conducive to the promotion of industrial economic benefits. In the health service industry, the rapid development of health insurance is beneficial to the integration of industrial resources and the perfection of industrial chain. Whereas as the core content of health service industry, health service has greater space for development; the coupling and coordination degree between the two industries rises from mild maladjustment to basic coordination, which is characterized by the distribution of "high in the east and low in the west" in space; among provinces, with Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong as the three development center points, it shows the spatial evolutionary process from "dispersion-type plaques" to "gathering type scattered surfaces".

Active Kids: evaluation protocol for a universal voucher program to increase children's participation in organised physical activity and sport.

OBJECTIVE: Background: Regular participation in physical activity during childhood and adolescence is important for good health. There is strong evidence of the physical and psychosocial benefits associated with recreational physical activity in these age groups, specifically in the context of organised sport. Most children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity, with financial cost commonly cited as a barrier to the initiation and maintenance of sport. The Active Kids program is a major policy initiative introduced in 2018 that aimed to overcome this barrier by implementing a statewide sport voucher scheme, allowing all NSW school-enrolled children (1.2 million) initial access to a $100 annual contribution towards organised sport and physical activity, with concurrent evaluation over the initial 4-year phase of the program. STUDY TYPE: This paper presents the protocol for evaluation of the Active Kids program, including an assessment of program impact on children's organised sport participation and recreational physical activity level, and analysis of the correlates of participation at individual, state and national levels. METHODS: A quasi-experimental and mixed-method evaluation will be used to examine the patterns of organised sport and recreational physical activity behaviour and the correlates associated with sports participation, voucher uptake and program reach. Sociodemographic information will be collected for each child who registers for a voucher. The effects of this program on children's health-enhancing physical activity, engagement with the sport sector, self-efficacy and social influences on participation will be monitored through a cohort study. Acceptability, engagement and experience of the voucher program will be assessed from both user and provider perspectives. Additionally, effects of the program on families' annual sport-related expenditure will be assessed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: It is anticipated that the implementation of the NSW Government's Active Kids program will increase participation in recreational physical activity among NSW children. The results of this evaluation will contribute to the evidence base and policy directions for sport voucher programs in Australia and internationally.

Specialization in sports: A theoretical approach.

Nations have been competing in sporting competitions for centuries. Therefore, explaining the success of different countries has a long history in sports science. At first, researchers tried to explain success patterns with the help of divergent geographical factors. Later, literature included other determinants on the macro-level which provide evidence that especially the GDP as a proxy for the prosperity of a country has a significant impact on success in sports. Within this broader field of research, also specialization patterns in sports developed into an important topic of research. In line with the literature on factors which lead to (national) success, so far, the discussion mostly concentrates on determinants on a macro-level. We identify the problem that different specialization patterns can be observed in countries that have similar factors on the macro-level, as well. There seems to be a research gap concerning the influencing factors on a meso-level. As a result, the aim of this paper is to show which determinants on the meso-level can affect sports specialization patterns. We provide a model based on the findings of lobbying theory that explains not only different specialization patterns between, e.g., Europe and Africa, but also different specialization patterns within a continent and dissimilar patterns of countries with a similar macro-level can be understood. Overall, our paper contributes to the discussion on specialization in elite sports from an economic perspective, so that future research can build on our work, in particular concerning empirical tests of our approach.

The influencing factors of opening of college sports resources in the background of national public fitness services / Os fatores que influenciam a abertura de recursos esportivos universitários no contexto do serviço público de educação física nacional / Factores que influyen en la apertura de los recursos deportivos en las universidades

ABSTRACT There are some problems such as few and old equipment in urban community sports fitness facilities, which makes it difficult for community fitness resources to continue to meet the fitness needs of community residents. The opening of university sports resources can alleviate the problem of residents' fitness difficulty to a certain extent. In order to explore the problems faced by the opening of university sports resources, this study established the analytic hierarchy process model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Delphi law in the background of national public service of fitness, and combined with the questionnaire survey method to study the influencing factors of opening of college sports. The model modified by the Delphi method contains 6 first-level and 22 second-level influencing factors. It is found that the most important factor in the first level is the hardware factor of college sports resources, and the most important factor of the second level is the spatial layout of university sports resources. The results show that improving the hardware facilities of university sports resources, improving the management mode of sports resources, and increasing the targeted financial subsidies and tax reduction and exemption are helpful to enhance the willingness to open sports resources and improve the quality of opened sports resources. It is hoped that this study can promote the opening of college sports resources and promote the continuous improvement of the service level of sports resources.

RESUMO Há alguns problemas, tais como equipamentos antiquados e em menores quantidades em instalações esportivas na Comunidade urbana, o que dificulta que os recursos de exercícios físicos continuem atendendo as necessidades de atividades físicas dos moradores das comunidades. A abertura de recursos desportivos universitários pode atenuar, em certa medida, o problema da dificuldade dos moradores de praticar atividades físicas. A fim de explorar os problemas enfrentados pela abertura dos recursos desportivos universitários, este estudo estabeleceu o modelo de processo hierárquico analítico baseado no processo hierárquico analítico (Analytic Hierarchy Process — AHP) e na Lei Delphi no contexto do serviço público nacional de atividades físicas, combinado com o método de inquérito por questionário para estudar os fatores que influenciam a abertura dos recursos esportivos universitários. O modelo modificado pelo método Delphi contém 6 fatores influenciadores de primeiro nível e 22 fatores influenciadores de segundo nível. Constata-se que o fator de primeiro nível mais importante é o fator físico dos recursos esportivos universitários, e o fator de segundo nível mais importante é a disposição espacial dos recursos esportivos universitários. Os resultados mostram que a melhoria das instalações físicas dos recursos desportivos universitários, a melhoria do modo de gestão dos recursos desportivos e o aumento dos subsídios financeiros e a redução e isenção de impostos são úteis para aumentar a disponibilidade da abertura dos recursos desportivos e melhorar a qualidade dos recursos desportivos abertos. Espera-se que este estudo possa promover o processo de abertura dos recursos esportivos universitários e promover a melhoria contínua do nível de serviço de recursos esportivos.

RESUMEN Explorar los problemas que enfrenta la apertura de los recursos deportivos universitarios, este estudio estableció el proceso de jerarquía analítica (PJA) y la ley Delphi en el contexto del servicio público nacional de educación física, y los combinó con la encuesta por cuestionario para estudiar los factores que influyen en la apertura de los deportes universitarios. El modelo modificado por el método Delphi contiene 6 factores de influencia de primer nivel y 22 de segundo nivel. Encontramos que el factor más importante en el primer nivel es el factor hardware de los recursos deportivos universitarios, y el factor más importante del segundo nivel es la distribución espacial de los recursos deportivos universitarios. Los resultados muestran que mejorar las instalaciones de hardware de los recursos deportivos universitarios, mejorar el modo de gestión de los recursos deportivos y aumentar los subsidios financieros específicos y la reducción y exención de impuestos son útiles para mejorar la disposición a abrir recursos deportivos y mejorar la calidad de los recursos deportivos abiertos. Esperamos que este estudio pueda promover la apertura de recursos deportivos universitarios y promover la mejora continua del nivel de servicio de los recursos deportivos.

Dilemma and path selection of college sports resources into the public service system of national fitness in the new era / Dilema e seleção do caminho dos recursos desportivos universitários que integram o sistema nacional de serviços públicos de educação física na nova era / Dilemas y opciones para la integración de los recursos deportivos de la nueva era en el servicio público universal de gimnasia

ABSTRACT With the improvement of people's yearning for a healthy and beautiful life, national fitness has become a hot word in academic circles. Combining Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the Tobit technology, this paper constructs the evaluation model of college sports resource efficiency based on the DEA Tobit model. Based on the establishment of the input-output index system of college sports resources, the model achieves the effect of accurate analysis on the allocation efficiency of university sports resources. Taking 10 universities in a city as experimental objects, the model is verified. The verification shows that the three efficiency indexes of STU University and IPE University in group M are all 1, which shows that the resource allocation is more reasonable; the comprehensive efficiency of Ju university is low, and the sports resources investment is excessive; in group n, except for the EU University, the efficiency of other colleges and universities is lower than the pass line. It can be concluded that there are problems such as excessive input of sports resources and low output rate in Colleges and universities of a city. Therefore, colleges and universities in a city should make full use of the existing resources, enhance their social sports guidance force, while improving the publicity of national fitness. This study has high reference significance for the path selection of national fitness integration in Colleges and Universities.

RESUMO Com a melhoria do desejo das pessoas por uma vida saudável e agradável, a atividade física nacional tornou-se a palavra de ordem nos círculos acadêmicos. Combinando a Análise por Envoltória de Dados (DEA, do inglês Data Envelopment Analysis) e a tecnologia Tobit, foi construído o modelo de avaliação da eficiência dos recursos desportivos universitários com base no modelo DEA Tobit. Com base no estabelecimento do sistema de índice de entradas-resultados dos recursos desportivos universitários, o modelo produz o efeito de uma análise precisa da eficiência de alocação dos recursos desportivos universitários. Tomando dez universidades de uma cidade como objetos experimentais, o modelo é verificado. Após verificação, os três índices de eficiência da Universidade de Stu e da Universidade de IPE no Grupo M são todos 1, o que indica que a alocação de recursos é mais razoável; a eficiência global da Universidade de Ju é inferior à da Universidade UE, e a eficiência de outras universidades do Grupo n é inferior à linha de aprovação, com excepção da Universidade UE. Os resultados mostram que há alguns problemas nos recursos esportivos de faculdades e universidades em uma cidade, como muita entrada de recursos esportivos e baixos resultados. Por conseguinte, as escolas e universidades urbanas devem utilizar plenamente os recursos existentes, reforçar a orientação dos esportes sociais e melhorar a divulgação da aptidão física nacional. Este estudo tem um alta relevância de referência para a seleção do caminho da integração da atividade física nacional em faculdades e universidades.

RESUMEN Con el aumento del deseo de las personas de tener una vida saludable y plena, la educación física nacional se ha convertido en un concepto imperativo en los círculos académicos. Combinando el Análisis Envolvente de Datos (DEA) y la tecnología Tobit, este documento construye el modelo de evaluación de la eficiencia de los recursos deportivos universitarios basándose en el modelo Tobit DEA. Con el uso del sistema de índice de insumo-resultado de los recursos deportivos universitarios, el modelo logra un análisis preciso de la eficiencia de asignación de dichos recursos. El modelo es verificado tomando 10 universidades de una ciudad como objetos experimentales. La verificación muestra que los tres índices de eficiencia de la Universidad STU y de la Universidad IPE en el grupo M son todos 1, lo que demuestra que la asignación de recursos es más eficaz. Por otra parte, la eficiencia integral de la universidad de Ju es baja y la inversión en recursos deportivos es excesiva. En el grupo n, a excepción de la Universidad EU, la eficiencia de otros colegios y universidades es menor que la línea de aprobación. Se puede concluir que existen problemas como la inversión excesiva en recursos deportivos y la baja tasa de resultados en los colegios y universidades de una ciudad. Por lo tanto, los colegios y universidades deben aprovechar al máximo los recursos existentes, reforzando la orientación respecto a los deportes sociales y, al mismo tiempo, mejorando la publicidad de la educación física nacional. Este estudio tiene una gran importancia como referencia para la selección del camino de integración nacional de la educación física en colegios y universidades.

Barriers to entering race training before 4 years of age for Thoroughbred horses born in the 2014 Australian foal crop.

Currently, there is a paucity of data on the barriers for Australian Thoroughbred horses transitioning from stud farm to racetrack. This paper reports the reasons why horses failed to enter race training and documents their exit destinations. Biographical records of Australian Thoroughbred horses born in 2014 were investigated to determine the number of horses that had not officially entered race training by the start of the 4-year old racing season (1 August 2018). Of the 13,677 foals born in 2014, 66% had commenced training and 51% had raced before the beginning of their 4-year-old season in Australia. A sampling frame based on the post code of the premises where foals were born and records from Racing Australia were used to select a geographically representative sample of the 2014 Australian Thoroughbred foal crop (n = 4,124). From the population eligible for sampling 1,275 horses that had not entered training were enrolled in the survey and their breeders were sent an online questionnaire with follow-up phone calls for those who had not responded. Of the 633 responses (50% of 1275) the most frequent outcomes for horses were: death (38%, n = 239), participation in the racing industry in their 4-year old racing season (24%, n = 154) and retirement (16%, n = 100) either as Australian Stud Book (ASB) bloodstock (n = 17), or as horses rehomed outside the Thoroughbred industry (n = 83). Illness or injury was the most frequent reason for horses not entering race training that were ASB bloodstock, rehomed or deceased. There was a loss of traceability at the point of sale with most horses sold at 1 year of age. This study provides important information on the reasons, alternative outcomes and gaps in traceability for horses not entering training prior to the 4-year-old racing season.

Physical activity and sport participation characteristics of Indigenous children registered in the Active Kids voucher program in New South Wales.

OBJECTIVES: Investigate sociodemographic factors associated with physical activity and sport participation among Indigenous children registered in the New South Wales (NSW) government-funded Active Kids voucher program in 2018, including comparison with non-Indigenous children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: The Active Kids voucher program aims to support the cost of children's sport and physical activities. All children aged 5-18 years in NSW are eligible for a voucher. To register, parent/carers report child sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity, sport participation and optional height and weight. Regression models were used to determine which sociodemographic characteristics were associated with meeting physical activity guidelines and sport participation for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. RESULTS: Of the 671,375 children aged 5-18 years, 36,129 (5.4%) were Indigenous. More Indigenous children than non-Indigenous children met the physical activity guidelines before registering in the Active Kids program. Indigenous children had greater odds of meeting physical activity guidelines across all socio-economic quartiles. Among non-Indigenous children, odds reduced with social disadvantage. Indigenous children (38%) were less likely to participate in organised physical activity and sport sessions at least twice a week compared to non-Indigenous children (43%). Indigenous children living in major cities had higher sport participation levels compared with those living in outer regional and remote areas. CONCLUSIONS: The Active Kids voucher program achieved population representative reach among Indigenous children, whose physical activity levels were higher than non-Indigenous children across all socioeconomic quartiles. The program has potential to supplement Indigenous children's physical activity levels using organised sessions and reduce sport drop-out among older children.

Attitudes of sports organisation members to junk food sponsorship.

OBJECTIVES: To explore sports organisation members' attitudes to sponsorship of sport by energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and drink ('junk food') brands. STUDY DESIGN: The study design is a cross-sectional study. METHODS: An online survey of adult members of three sports organisations that did not accept junk food sponsorship in Victoria, Australia in 2018: one was responsible for an elite team in a national competition (5000-10,000 members); one managed a team sport competition across Victoria (50,000-100,000 registered junior and adult participants, referees and coaches); and one administered a junior team sport competition for boys and girls in a major city (10,000-15,000 participants). RESULTS: Most (71%) of the 2224 respondents reported it was important/very important that their organisation did not accept junk food sponsorship. A higher proportion was concerned/very concerned about junk food companies sponsoring children's sport (60%) compared with such companies sponsoring elite (49%, P < 0.001) or community adult (39%, P < 0.001) sport. A higher proportion of respondents were likely/very likely to support a policy that restricted junk food sponsorship of children's sport (84%), compared with a policy restricting sponsorship of elite (76%, P > 0.001) and adult community (74%, P > 0.001) sport. Two-thirds of respondents supported restricting junk food companies from sponsoring sport, even if fees for children's (66%) and community adult (65%) sport increased, or if membership and attendance costs for elite sport supporters increased (63%). CONCLUSIONS: In the Australian context of this study, junk food sponsorship of sport, particularly children's sport, is a concern to members of sports organisations. Although still high, support for restricting such sponsorship declines if members perceive it will lead to increases in participation costs and decreases in participation opportunities. Initiatives restricting junk food sponsorship of sport are likely to receive strong support from the sports community, particularly when the focus is on children's sport, and participation costs and opportunities are not negatively impacted.

An evaluation of prevention initiatives by 53 national anti-doping organizations: Achievements and limitations.

BACKGROUND: One main purpose of the World Anti-Doping Agency was to harmonize anti-doping efforts, including the provision of anti-doping education. A multifaceted approach to doping prevention can play a key role in preventing intentional and unintentional doping. This article aimed to systematically record and evaluate doping prevention approaches in the form of information and education activities of national anti-doping organizations (NADOs) and assess the extent to which a multifaceted doping prevention approach has been realized. METHODS: Data on anti-doping information and education activities of 53 NADOs were collected via a survey and an online search of the NADOs' websites. Prevention activities were classified into knowledge focused, affective focused, social skills, life skills, and ethic- and value- based. The implementation of the prevention activities was assessed by 4 independent raters using a modified visual analogue scale. RESULTS: In total, 59% of the NADOs (n = 38) returned the survey and 70% (n = 45) had information available online. The data were combined for the visual analogue scale assessment. Overall, 58% of the NADOs (n = 37) reported offering activities including elements of all 5 approaches. Results of the raters' assessments indicated that the knowledge-focused approach was best implemented; the implementation of the other 4 approaches was largely unsatisfactory. The most common barriers to implementing doping prevention programs reported by the NADOs were lack of resources (n = 26) and difficulties in collaborating with sports organizations (n = 8). CONCLUSION: Results show a discrepancy between NADOs' self-report data and the implementation assessment. Even though the NADOs indicated otherwise, most of their education-based approaches did not address aspects of the visual analogue scale (e.g., resisting peer pressure) and only a few programs were ongoing. Possible explanations might be found in the reported barriers (e.g., financial). Concrete guidelines defining multifaceted, values-based education, and best practice examples should be developed to indicate how to include all 5 approaches in prevention.

Five-year cost-effectiveness analysis of the European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) physical activity intervention for men versus no intervention.

OBJECTIVES: Increasing physical activity reduces the risk of chronic illness including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. Lifestyle interventions can increase physical activity but few successfully engage men. This study aims to investigate the 5 year cost-effectiveness of EuroFIT, a program to improve physical activity tailored specifically for male football (soccer) fans compared to a no intervention comparison group. METHODS: We developed a Markov cohort model in which the impact of improving physical activity on five chronic health conditions (colorectal cancer, Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and depression) and mortality was modelled. We estimated costs from a societal perspective and expressed benefits as quality adjusted life years (QALYs). We obtained data from a 4-country (England, Netherlands, Portugal and Norway) pragmatic randomised controlled trial evaluating EuroFIT, epidemiological and cohort studies, and meta-analyses. We performed deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of uncertainty in the model's parameter values on the cost-effectiveness results. We used Monte Carlo simulations to estimate uncertainty and presented this using cost-effectiveness acceptability curves (CEACs). We tested the robustness of the base case analysis using five scenario analyses. RESULTS: Average costs over 5 years per person receiving EuroFIT were €14,663 and per person receiving no intervention €14,598. Mean QALYs over 5 years were 4.05 per person for EuroFIT and 4.04 for no intervention. Thus, the average incremental cost per person receiving EuroFIT was €65 compared to no intervention, while the average QALY gain was 0.01. This resulted in an ICER of €5206 per QALY gained. CEACs show that the probability of EuroFIT being cost-effective compared to no intervention is 0.53, 0.56 and 0.58 at thresholds of €10,000, €22,000 and €34,000 per QALY gained, respectively. When using a time horizon of 10 years, the results suggest that EuroFIT is more effective and less expensive compared to (i.e. dominant over) no intervention with a probability of cost-effectiveness of 0.63 at a threshold of €22,000 per QALY gained. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude the EuroFIT intervention is not cost-effective compared to no intervention over a period of 5 years from a societal perspective, but is more effective and less expensive (i.e. dominant) after 10 years. We thus suggest that EuroFIT can potentially improve public health in a cost-effective manner in the long term.

Social return on investment (SROI) method to evaluate physical activity and sport interventions: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Physical Activity and Sport (PAS) interventions can reduce the social and economic burden of non-communicable diseases and improve the wellbeing of the population. Social return on investment (SROI) has the capacity to measure broader socio-economic outcomes in a singular monetary ratio to help identify the most impactful and cost-beneficial intervention. This review aimed to systematically identify and review studies using the SROI method within the field of PAS and assess their quality. METHODS: Peer-reviewed and grey literature SROI studies were identified through a systematic search of six databases. Two reviewers independently assessed the identified studies to determine eligibility. Study quality was assessed using the Krelv et al. 12-point framework. For each included study, information was extracted and classified into summary tables. Extracted information included study and participant characteristics, type of outcomes and SROI ratio. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. RESULTS: Seventeen studies published between 2010 and 2018 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies (94%) were non-peer reviewed publicly available reports, primarily conducted in the UK (76%), by private consulting firms (41%) and included all types of stakeholders (76%). PAS interventions included Primary prevention (47%), Sport for development (29%), Secondary and tertiary prevention (18%) and High-performance sport (6%). SROI ratios, which report the social value created in relation to the cost of an intervention, vary between 3:1 and 124:1 for the high-quality studies. CONCLUSIONS: The SROI framework can be a useful tool to inform policy-making relating to PAS investment as it can account for the wide societal benefits of PAS. The quality of studies in the field would benefit from the employment of an impact map (or logic model), reporting negative outcomes and using objective study designs. The application of the SROI method in the PAS field is relatively recent, and thus further research would be beneficial to promote its potential for policy-making bodies in the field.

Reducing financial barriers through the implementation of voucher incentives to promote children's participation in community sport in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Participation in organised sport and physical activity contributes to health-enhancing levels of leisure time physical activity. In Australia, 58% of children aged 0-14 years participated at least once a week in October 2015 - December 2017. To overcome the frequently cited cost barrier, sports voucher incentives have been widely implemented across Australia. METHOD: The financial value of jurisdictional vouchers and the National median financial value were used to calculate the proportion of total annual expenditure on children's participation in sport supported by sports vouchers. Participation rates using AusPlay data were estimated by age, sex and socio-economic index (SEIFA) at state and national level for children aged 0-14 years. RESULTS: Five States and Territories implemented sports vouchers from 2011 to 2018, with a median value of AU$150. Nationally, median annual expenditure for children's sport participation was AU$447 (IQR $194.2-936), with 27% reported expenditure supported by a sports voucher. The proportion of financial support from sports vouchers increased considerably with social disadvantage, rising to over 60% of total expenditure in the most disadvantaged populations. CONCLUSIONS: Socio-economic status was associated with sports-related expenditure and sports participation amongst children. Sport vouchers should target children in the most disadvantaged areas to promote participation in organised sport and physical activity.

Critical success factors of public health sponsorship in Australia.

Public health sponsorship is a unique phenomenon in Australia. The current research examines the critical success factors of Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation's (Healthway) sponsorship program, Australia's largest public health sponsorship program. Using stakeholder interviews and expert observational studies, two studies present five key success factors: (i) effective segmentation and targeting of health messages; (ii) collaboration between Healthway and partnering organization to leverage sponsored events; (iii) displacement of unhealth sponsorship; (iv) use of leveraging strategies to raise awareness of health messages; and (v) environmental changes that facilitate behavioural change. The current research provides insights into how and why sponsorship is an effective public health promotion tool.