Sports participation in sport clubs, gyms or public spaces: How users of different sports settings differ in their motivations, goals, and sports frequency.

Ineke Deelen,Dick Ettema,Carlijn B. M. Kamphuis,Alessandro Moura Zagatto

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0205198

Abstract

BackgroundTo develop targeted policy strategies to increase sports participation, more insight is needed into the behavioural patterns and preferences of users of different club-organized (i.e., sports clubs) and non-club organized (i.e., gyms, health centres or swimming pools) or informal sports settings such as public spaces. This study investigates 1) how users of different settings differ regarding self-determined motivations and goals, and sociodemographic and sports-related characteristics, and 2) how the association of motivations and goals with sports participation may differ between users of different sports settings.MethodsData were collected through online surveys among Dutch adults aged 18–80 years (N = 910). Ordinal regression analyses were used to investigate the effects of sports settings, the level of self-determined motivations and goals, and interaction effects of motivations and goals with different sports settings, on sports frequency.ResultsUsers of different sports settings differed in their personal characteristics, motivations and goals. In general, controlled motivations were negatively associated with sports frequency (B = -0.46). However, among club members, extrinsic goals related to image (B = 0.44), as well as intrinsic goals related to skill development (B = 0.40) and social affiliation (B = 0.47) had significant positive associations with sports frequency. Health-related goals significantly increased sports frequency among users of informal settings, such as public spaces.ConclusionThe association of motivational variables with sports participation differs between settings. This implies that sports frequency is higher when participants engage in settings that better fit their motivations and goals. Because of the growing importance of informal and flexible settings and health goals, professionals in the sports and health domains should take into account the motivations, goals and needs of different target groups who (want to) use unorganized, informal sports settings including public spaces.

Highlights

Increasing participation in sports and physical activity is an important health objective in developed countries [1,2]
In this paper we build upon definitions of sports participation used in the previous literature [10,11,12] and we distinguish between the following sports settings: 1) club-organized sports settings, 2) non-club organized settings and 3) informal settings such as public spaces
The results of this study suggest that different settings for sports participation attract different types of sports participants

Summary

Introduction

Increasing participation in sports and physical activity is an important health objective in developed countries [1,2]. Typical informal and flexible sports settings are commercial health centres and gyms, informal groups and individual participation in the public space, all of which make participants less dependent on formal structures such as membership obligations, opening hours and the availability of specific sports facilities [6,7]. In this paper we build upon definitions of sports participation used in the previous literature [10,11,12] and we distinguish between the following sports settings: 1) club-organized sports settings (i.e., voluntary sports clubs), 2) non-club organized settings (i.e., gyms, health centres or swimming pools) and 3) informal settings such as public spaces. To develop targeted policy strategies to increase sports participation, more insight is needed into the behavioural patterns and preferences of users of different club-organized (i.e., sports clubs) and non-club organized (i.e., gyms, health centres or swimming pools) or informal sports settings such as public spaces. This study investigates 1) how users of different settings differ regarding self-determined motivations and goals, and sociodemographic and sports-related characteristics, and 2) how the association of motivations and goals with sports participation may differ between users of different sports settings

Results

Discussion

Conclusion