ARCHIVED: Youth Facts and Stats

Sport and leisure

2000-2007

Topics

Young Australians: Their health and wellbeing 2007
Attendance at selected cultural venues and events, Australia, 2005-06
Australian children and teenagers are less physically active, 2006
Young cricket players in 2003
Young Australians' participation in sport, 2000

Young Australians: Their health and wellbeing 2007

Part Three of this report, produced by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, contains data on some of the broader factors which influence young people's health. It includes a selection of data on levels of physical activity among this age group. The following data, published in the report, were sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2004–2005 National Health Survey.

Level of physical activity based on self-reported activity type and duration by age and sex, 2004–2005 (per cent)

Sedentary = Less than 100 mins (includes no exercise/sitting in one place for extended periods of time) over a two-week period.
Low = 100 mins to less than 1,600 mins over a two-week period.
Moderate = 1,600–3,200 mins, or more than 3,200 mins but less than 2 hours of vigorous exercise over a two-week period.
High = More than 3,200 mins and 2 or more hours of vigorous exercise over a two-week period.

According to the report, 'the National Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day for young people aged under 18 years, and at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week for adults aged 18 years and over' (AIHW 2007, p.74).

Source: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2007, Young Australians: Their health and wellbeing 2007, AIHW, Canberra [viewed 13/06/07].

Back to top

Attendance at selected cultural venues and events, Australia, 2005–06

Some findings from a survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS):
In 2005-06,

• 85% of Australians (13.5 million) aged 15 years and over attended at least one cultural venue or event in the previous twelve months.
• Going to the movies remains our most popular cultural activity and it's the younger generation who are going. The vast majority (93%) of 15- to 17-year-olds went to the movies at least once. Attendance rates tailed off as people grew older, with cinema attendance dropping to 27% for those aged 75 years and over.
• In total, close to two in three Australians (65% or 10.4 million people aged 15 years and over) went to the movies at least once. Over one in five movie-goers (23%) went more than ten times.
• After the movies the next most popular activity with Australians was going to the zoo or aquarium, with just over one in three (36%) people attending, followed by going to the library (34%), and the botanic gardens (34%).
• Other venues and events were more popular with people in older age groups. Some 46% of people aged 25-44 years attended a zoo or aquarium, while art galleries and classical music concerts were most popular with people aged 45-64 years (26% and 13% respectively).
• Females were more likely to go to cultural venues and events than males except for museums and popular music concerts.

Further information is in Attendance at Cultural Venues and Events, Australia, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4114.0) [viewed 08/03/2007]


Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics Media Release: Cultural activities a popular Australian pastime: ABS January 25, 2007 [viewed 08/03/2007]

Australian children and teenagers are less physically active, 2006

The Queensland University of Technology study of data on Australia's 3.5 million under-18s found that secondary school students have 600 less hours of physical activity in a year than their counterparts 30 years ago.

Dr Ken Edwards and Dr Craig Daly of QUT's School of Human Movement Studies have estimated that, compared with their mid-1970s counterparts, today's school leaver has missed out on 5,000 hours of physical activity at the end of 12 years' schooling.

The findings were important in the light of the rise in childhood obesity, and lost exercise could be part of the problem along with 'computer lifestyles', safety concerns and inappropriate food choices.

Dr Edwards said; 'The loss of opportunities for getting physical occurred when about 30 hours a year of formal physical education and sport was deleted from the primary school curriculum … traditional schoolyard play and sports practice before and after school and lunch time as well as organised weekend activities have disappeared.' Further problems were that students were not developing vital coordination skills nor positive attitudes to physical activity and the basic information and insights that would allow them to make diet and other lifestyle decisions in the future.

Sources: Queensland University of Technology media release, Australian kids 'lose' one billion exercise hours, 6 January 2006 [viewed 18/01/2007].
Sydney Morning Herald, 9 January 2006, p.3
The Daily Telegraph, 9 January 2006, p.5
The Age, 9 January 2006, p.3
The Canberra Times, 9 January 2006, p.3

Back to top

Young cricket players in 2003

Cricket Australia's 2003 census reveals the participation rates of young people in Australian cricket as a percentage of the total population. The figures show that the participation rate is highest among young men and young women in the 13-18 years age group.

Source: Cricket Australia National Census 2002-03, [viewed 18/01/2007].

Young Australians' participation in sport, 2000

Percentage of 18-24-year-olds who participated in sport:
... males: 46.9%
... females: 38.3%
... total people 18-24: 42.7%

Research by the Australian Sports Commission found that participation rates for organised sport and physical activity decreases with age. The participation rate overall in this study of people 18 years and over was highest for the 18-24 year age group.