Purpose
This report focuses on participation in play, active recreation and sport by disabled people in comparison with non-disabled people aged 5-plus.
Methodology
This is the first spotlight report on participation in play, active recreation and sport from Active NZ, following the release of the Active NZ Main Report in June 2018.
It focuses on understanding the impact of disability on participation by highlighting the differences (and similarities) between disabled and non-disabled people’s participation. It is not intended to comment on the prevalence of disabled people and their specific impairments. Section 1 provides contextual information on disability from the 2013
Census and the Statistics New Zealand 2013 Disability Survey. This report uses data collected through the redesigned Active NZ survey from 5 January 2017 and 4 January 2018 from 6004 young people (aged between 5 and 17) and 27 038 adults (aged 18-plus).
It should be noted that results have been drawn from two separate surveys and data sets: one for young people aged from 5 to 17 and one for adults aged 18-plus. Where commentary is included about differences between young people and adults, comments are 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 per cent confidence level. Significance testing means we can be sure that the differences reported are not due to random variation, because we are using a sample and not conducting a population census. Knowing that a difference is statistically significant does not mean the difference is important, and only meaningful differences have been commented upon.
Key Results
- Being disabled has a negative effect on participation in play, active recreation and sport. For disabled people, this is compounded with increasing age as poor health as a barrier increases and injury as a barrier decreases.
- Disabled people who participate score more favourably on health and wellbeing indicators than disabled non-participants.
- Disabled people have poorer results than non-disabled people in all six domains of physical literacy. The gap is bigger for disabled people on confidence, competence and opportunity to take part in activities of their choice, compared with non-disabled.
- The quality of the experience in physical education is poorer for disabled young people who are less likely to enjoy PE than non-disabled young people. Disabled young people are also more likely to agree ‘my school doesn’t offer the physical activities I’m interested in’ than non-disabled young people.
- For disabled and non-disabled people, no difference is evident in weekly participation between ages 12 and 24. However, by age 25, the proportion of disabled people participating weekly, and the average number of sports and activities participated in, begins to decline. By age 50-plus, the amount of time spent in weekly participation also begins to decline.
- Appetite to increase participation is highest among disabled adults from age 25-plus, compared with non-disabled. This is the age when participation among disabled adults begins its steady decline.
- Overall, disabled adults spend 16 per cent less time participating than non-disabled adults.
- Disabled people participate in a narrower range of sports and activities than nondisabled. Disabled young females and disabled young people from high deprivation areas participate in fewer sports and activities.
- Disabled young people are less likely to participate in sports and activities for fun, in competitive sports and activities (especially between ages 8 and 14) and in play-related activities, and are more likely to participate for physical fitness than non-disabled young people.
- Disabled adults have lower levels of participation across all sports and activities, but they participate in the same top-ranked sports and activities. A bigger gap exists in weekly participation in walking, running and jogging between disabled and non-disabled adults.
- Other commitments taking priority and lack of motivation are the top two barriers to participation for disabled and non-disabled people. However, lack of motivation is more of a barrier for disabled people than lack of time, when compared with nondisabled people.
- Disabled adults are more likely to participate to meet people or be part of a group than non-disabled. This is particularly the case between ages 25 and 34.
- For disabled people between ages 15 and 24, not having the equipment required, family not being able to afford it, lack of nearby facilities or places, and no one to participate with are stronger barriers than for non-disabled of the same age.
- Participation and barriers are linked to type of impairment. For example, disabled young people with an impairment in communicating, mixing with others or socialising identify the most barriers, score highest on lack of motivation, are more likely to lack confidence and are less likely to participate in competitive sports and activities.
- Not having the equipment is more of a barrier for young people with a walking, lifting or bending impairment. Young people with this impairment have a strong appetite to increase their participation.