Purpose
The 2019 Active NZ Report is the third in our annual series and provides us with insight into the trends we’re seeing across New Zealand.
It highlights where physical activity levels are lower than average, and other areas where physical activity levels are decreasing. We know if we can raise the physical activity levels of New Zealanders it will lead to better health and social outcomes.
Methodology
The report primarily uses data collected through the Active NZ survey between 5 January 2019 and 4 January 2020 from 4,799 children and young people and 21,972 adults. It updates selected participation results by age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation, reinforcing participation patterns reported in 2017 and 2018.
It also uses the data collected through the Active NZ survey between 5 January 2017 and 4 January 2020 from 74,160 adults aged 18-plus and 16,398 children and young people between ages 5 and 17, to identify any changes in participation over time.
Differences (and similarities) are highlighted between children, young people and adult participation, as are variations by age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation.
Results have been drawn from two separate surveys and data sets: one for children and young people between ages 5 and 17 and one for adults aged 18-plus. Commentary about differences between children, young people and adults is based on observations rather than statistical testing between the two data sets.
Within the two data sets, reported differences between the total result and sub-groups are statistically significant at the 95 percent confidence level. Significance testing means we can be highly confident that any differences reported are not random variations due to carrying out a survey among a sample of the population rather than a population census.
Knowing a difference is statistically significant does not mean the difference is important. Only meaningful differences have been commented on in this report.
Data tables accompanying the report contain all base sizes and highlight all statistically significant differences at the 95 percent confidence level. Please note, in some cases, a significant difference is reported between two numbers that appear to be the same and/or no significant difference is reported when it may appear there should be one. This is due to rounding and variation in sample sizes.
Key Results
Participation changes over time
Children and young people
- For children and young people, the four indicators captured through Active NZ to report participation are stable over time. No change has occurred in weekly participation, time spent participating, average number of sports and activities participated in each week or proportion meeting the physical activity guidelines through play, active recreation and sport.
- New insights point to emerging trends across three years (2017 and 2019) between ages 8 and 14. A downward trend is evident in belonging to a team or club inside or outside of school, particularly among boys.
Adults
- An upward trend can be seen in the proportion of adults spending less than 30 minutes in weekly participation particularly between ages 18 and 34 and especially among females.
- Between ages 18 and 24, weekly participation, time spent participating each week and inactivity are trending negatively.
Participation landscape: 2019
Selected participation results by age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation are presented that reinforce participation patterns reported in 2017 and 2018.
By age
- Weekly participation, time spent and average number of sports and activities participated in peak between ages 12 and 14 and then drop steeply between ages 15 and 17. Between ages 18 and 24 and throughout adult years, weekly participation plateaus, before declining from age 65-plus.
By gender
- While no overall difference is evident in weekly participation by gender, both young and adult males consistently spend more time each week being physically active. Young males spend 96 more minutes each week being physically active than young females, and adult males spend 36 more minutes being physically active than females each week.
- The gender gap in time spent being active is between ages 12 and 49 with the biggest difference between ages 15 and 24 (20 percent).
- Young and adult females have a greater appetite to increase participation than males particularly between ages 18 and 49, but they also have more barriers: 3 compared with 2.5 for children and young people and 3.3 compared with 2.6 for adults. This pattern is particularly evident between ages 15 and 24.
- Overall, both young and adult males are more likely to participate in competitive sports and activities. The reverse is true for non-competitive sports and activities.
- No difference can be seen by gender in being physically active in competitive and non-competitive sports and activities between ages 5 and 7 and 15 and 24.
By ethnicity
- Young and adult Asian have lower levels of weekly participation and spend less time being physically active.
- Young Māori continue to spend more time in organised participation: 5.2 hours compared with 4.6 hours for all children and young people. They also spend above-average time in informal participation per week - 7.5 hours compared with 6.5 hours for all children and young people.
- Adult Māori and Pacific have lower levels of weekly participation and spend less time being physically active.
- Adult European females have higher levels of weekly participation than their male counterparts.
By deprivation
- Children and young people and adults from high deprivation areas participate in fewer sports and activities each week than all children and young people and all adults.
- Compared with all children and young people, no difference is evident in weekly participation and time spent being physically active each week by those from high, medium and low deprivation areas.
- In contrast, adults from high deprivation areas are less likely to participate each week and spend less time participating than all adults.
In conclusion
- Results highlight inequities in the system by age, gender, ethnicity and deprivation.
- A negative participation trend is apparent for adults, especially between ages 18 and 24, as well as an increase in inactivity between ages 18 and 34. This is more marked among females. Of note these age groups also had the steepest rate of decline in weekly participation between 1998 and 2014.
- Emerging trends between ages 8 and 14 point to decreasing club membership in and outside of school.