Socioeconomic status and parent perceptions about the costs and benefits of youth sport.

OBJECTIVES: Describe what costs and benefits parents across the socioeconomic spectrum weight most heavily when making decisions about sport participation for their children. METHOD: Cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative online panel of parents of children between the ages of 5 and 18 (n = 1025, 52% response rate). Parents rated the importance of a series of potential costs and benefits of youth sport and these responses were compared across tertiles of per capita family income. We first examined the association between family income tertiles and cost and benefit variables. Model-based cluster analysis was then used to identity homogeneous groups of responses to costs and benefits. RESULTS: In all income tertiles, the top two benefits of sport were the same: having fun and being physically active. Sport as a means of keeping children out of trouble was very important for 64% of low-income parents as compared to 40% of high-income parents. Obtaining a college athletic scholarship was very important for 26% of low-income parents, as compared to 8% of high-income parents. Relative rankings of potential costs were similar by income tertile, with risk of concussion and other injury and the impact of sport on schoolwork prioritized across tertiles. CONCLUSIONS: Parents prioritized fun and fitness in sport, and were concerned about injury and the impact of sport on academics. Lower income parents were the most likely to view keeping their child out of trouble, and the potential for a college athletics scholarship, as benefits of sport. Efforts to support parental decision making should be grounded in an understanding that family preferences are contextually constrained. While all parents should be appropriately informed about the potential costs and benefits they are weighting in their sports-related decision making, such family-focused efforts should be balanced with the recognition that structural change is needed to address income-related concerns about sport participation.

Family Affluence Relationship to Sports Specialization in Youth Athletes.

Our objective was to examine the association between participant-reported family affluence and sport specialization level. We conducted a cross-sectional investigation of adolescent athletes. Specifically, participants completed a level of sport specialization (low/moderate/high) questionnaire and the Family Affluence Scale. The majority (52%) of the 195 youth athlete participants reported low, 33% reported moderate, and 15% reported high sport specialization. Sport specialization groups were similar in age (mean = 15.3 ± 1.6 years), proportion of females (49%), and time spent training (mean = 11.9 ± 5.0 hours per week). The high sport specialization group reported significantly greater family affluence than the low sport specialization group (Family Affluence Scale = 10.4 ± 1.7 vs 9.2 ± 1.9; P = .005). After covariate adjustment, higher levels of sport specialization remained significantly associated with greater family affluence (ß = 0.48, 95% confidence interval = 0.11-0.86). Understanding the relationship between family affluence and sports specialization affords an opportunity to better identify and monitor populations likely to specialize in a single sport during high school.

The Extent and Nature of Food and Beverage Company Sponsorship of Children's Sports Clubs in Canada: A Pilot Study.

Food and beverage marketing is considered a determinant of childhood obesity. Sponsorship is a marketing technique used by the food industry to target young people when they are engaged in sports. The purpose of this study was to document the frequency and nature of food company sponsorship of children's sports clubs in Ottawa, Canada. Using national data on sports participation, the five most popular sports among Canadian children aged 4-15 years were first selected for inclusion in the study and relevant sports clubs located in Ottawa (Canada) were then identified. Sports club websites were reviewed between September and December 2018 for evidence of club sponsorship. Food company sponsors were identified and classified by food category. Of the 67 sports clubs identified, 40% received some form of food company sponsorship. Overall, sports clubs had 312 commercial and noncommercial sponsors. Food companies constituted 16% of total sponsors and were the second most frequent type of sponsor after sports-related goods, services, and retailers (25%). Fast food restaurants and other restaurants accounted for 45% and 41% of food company sponsors, respectively. Food company sponsorship of children's sports clubs is frequent with some promoting companies or brands associated with unhealthy foods. Policymakers should consider restricting the sponsorship of children's sports clubs by food companies that largely sell or promote unhealthy foods.

Parental awareness and engagement in the Active Kids program across socioeconomic groups.

OBJECTIVES: In 2018, the New South Wales (NSW) Government implemented a State-wide program to reduce the cost barrier to organised sport and physical activity participation. We explored parent/carer's awareness and children's engagement in the Active Kids program across socioeconomic groups and used the NSW Population Health Survey (PHS) to validate engagement in the program. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2018 NSW PHS and the Active Kids program registration database. We compared demographic characteristics of children who had registered for the program in the registration database with children in the weighted NSW PHS. Multinomial regression models were used to determine whether socioeconomic status was associated with parent/carer awareness and children's engagement in the program. RESULTS: Parent/carer's in the most disadvantaged quartile were twice as likely to have never heard of the Active Kids program (OR: 2.04, 95% CIs 1.31, 3.16) or to have heard or the program but not registered (OR: 1.94, 95% CIs 1.26, 3.00), and more than twice as likely to have registered for a voucher, but not followed through and redeemed the voucher (OR: 2.68, 95% CIs 1.27, 5.63) compared with the least disadvantaged quartile. CONCLUSIONS: The Active Kids program has provided financial support for organised sport and physical activity to a large number of children. However, there are still a substantial proportion of socially disadvantaged groups who are unaware or have not engaged in the program. Further targeted work is required to increase the awareness and engagement in the program for socially disadvantaged groups.

Impact of sports participation on incidence of bone traumatic fractures and health-care costs among adolescents: ABCD - Growth Study.

Objective: To analyze the risk of bone traumatic fractures according to the engagement in sports, as well as to identify the potential impact of sports participation and traumatic fractures on health-care costs among adolescents. Methods: This is a longitudinal 12-month study of 285 adolescents of both sexes in Brazil. We assessed the occurrence of traumatic fractures and health-care services (hospitalizations, medicine use, medical consultations, and exams) by phone contact every month for 12 months. Adolescents were divided into four groups according to sport characteristics: non-sport (n = 104), non-impact sport (swimming [n = 34]), martial arts (n = 49 [judo, karate, kung-Fu]) and impact sports (n = 98 [track-and-field, basketball, gymnastics, tennis, and baseball]). Results: The incidence of new fractures was 2.1%. The overall costs accounted during the 12-month follow-up were U$ 3,259.66. Swimmers (US$ 13.86) had higher health-care costs than non-sport (US$ 1.82), martial arts (US$ 2.23), and impact sports (US$ 2.32). Conclusion: swimming seems to be related to higher health-care costs among adolescents.

The Public Health Consequences of Sport Specialization.

Sport specialization was thought to affect a relatively small number of elite athletes, but it is now a common practice in youth sport culture. Recent research in the field of sport specialization has led to a better understanding of the influence this issue is having on youth (ie, younger than 19 years of age) today. This review focuses on sport specialization from a public health perspective to elucidate the effect that this practice is having within the United States. The specific goals of this review are to describe (1) the prevalence of sport specialization and the factors that may affect the decision to specialize, (2) the costs of youth sport-related injuries in the context of sport specialization, (3) the financial costs that sport specialization has for families, and (4) how sport specialization may be affecting physical literacy.

Socioeconomic status of parents with children participating on youth club sport teams.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the socioeconomic status, measured by household income and educational attainment, of parents with children participating on youth club sport teams. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Local sport events. PARTICIPANTS: 949 parents (571 female) of youth athletes between 10 and 18 years old were recruited at club team events and practices to complete an anonymous questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: SES variables included total household income (THI) and educational attainment. Sport specialization was classified as low, moderate, or high using a previously utilized 3-point specialization scale. Chi-square tests were used to compare frequencies SES categories with child specialization. RESULTS: Parents reported spending a median of 1500 [500-3000] USD per year on their children's club sports activities. Most parents reported a THI greater than 100,000 USD per year and a bachelor's degree or higher level of education. Parents in the higher THI categories were more likely to have a child that is highly specialized in one sport. CONCLUSION: The current youth sports system in the United States, which emphasizes year-round participation on club teams, may be limiting the participation of families without the resources to participate in this system.