Brent Eastwood: Sport NZ study offers insights into young women/girls physical activity path

Hockey - Whangārei Girls' High School vs Hikurangi. Young women experience a complex range of personal and social factors in their lives that influence their involvement in sport and active recreation. Photo / NZME

SPORT THOUGHT

It is well-known that teenage girls and young women face diverse barriers to participation in active recreation and sport.

This is corroborated by national research that highlights a strong decline in physical activity for this demographic.

A recent Sport NZ generated report provides key insights into the perceptions of young women aged 12-17 – their behaviour, experiences, needs and desires – to help those working with young women navigate these complexities and support young women on their physical activity journeys.

It is designed to be a starting point for those organisations looking to better engage with, and provide for, young women given that we know that not all environments and communities are the same, and young women are a diverse group with different and evolving needs.

"Young women experience a complex range of personal and social factors in their lives that influence their involvement in sport and active recreation, resulting in a drop-off in participation and engagement." - Sport NZ, 2021

The report highlighted some key (and very important) insights about this demographic:

• Nine in 10 young women want to be active – as young women get older, the activities they participate in change from organised physical activities to self-driven activities;

• 96 per cent of young women understand why taking part in physical activity is good for them – by age 17, the top three activities young women undertake are running, workouts and walking: all informal activities;

• 69 per cent participate for fun overall, but this decreases from 80 per cent at age 12, to 51 per cent by age 17 – maintaining social interaction and having fun are two of the main motivators for young women to continue participating in physical activity;

• 68 per cent will avoid participating when they do not feel confident about their bodies – a positive environment, complete with friends, allows girls and young women the opportunity to forget their fear of judgement and simply enjoy being active;

• By 17 years, 59 per cent of young women state they are too busy to participate – when time is precious, young women will choose to spend their time doing something they enjoy and where they feel confident and supported. Unless physical activity offers that support and enjoyment, they are unlikely to access it;

• 34 per cent of young women use technology for physical activity – and this increases from 31 per cent at age 12 to 40 per cent at age 17. Some young women will elect to pursue physical activity at home, often using technology such as YouTube to provide guidance.

So what motivates young women and girls to participate in active recreation and sport?

Overall, feelings of enjoyment, happiness and fun play a key role in young women's positive physical activity experiences. This relationship flows both ways, with the benefits of being active having a positive impact on wellbeing and satisfaction.

Young women who participate in over seven hours of physical activity a week have higher levels of happiness and are more likely to find concentrating on schoolwork easier after being active.

The importance of 'fun' in physical activity cannot be over-emphasised; it outweighs and counteracts the stress, emotional pressures, and social and family complications of young women's daily lives.

Many young women report the outcomes of physical activity are feelings of accomplishment (through completion, not skill), self-worth and empowerment. This sense of accomplishment incentivises continued or future participation.

In the next article, I will highlight some tips for active recreation and sport providers to consider when planning, developing and delivering opportunities for young women in their teenage years.

• Brent Eastwood is chief executive of Sport Northland.