Youth Sports Participation In The United States, 2016-2017

Abstract

PURPOSE: The National Youth Sports Strategy was released in 2019 with an aim to expand participation in sports among US youth. Our study examines differences in the prevalence of youth sports participation by selected characteristics to better understand disparities in participation and how they may vary across age groups. METHODS: Nationally representative data from the 2016-2017 National Survey of Children’s Health (N=49,952) were analyzed. Parents with children aged 6-17 years were asked whether their child participated in a sports team after school or on weekends during the previous 12 months. Prevalence of participation was estimated overall, by age, and sex, race/ethnicity, highest level of parental education, and household income (percentage of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]). Significant differences and trends, assessed using pairwise t tests and orthogonal polynomial contrasts, are reported (p<0.05). RESULTS: Overall, 58.4% of youth aged 6-17 years participated in sports. Youth aged 10-13 years had the highest prevalence of sports participation (61.9%) compared to those aged 6-9 years (56.6%) and 14-17 years (56.5%). Prevalence of participation was higher among boys (61.3%) than girls (55.2%) and among non-Hispanic whites (65.4%) compared to non-Hispanic blacks (48.1%), Asians (55.6%), and Hispanics (49.8%). Prevalence increased with increasing parental education level (from 31.9% [highest education level of high school or less] to 73.1% [college degree or higher]) and household income (from 41.1% [household incomes <100% FPL] to 75.7% ([≥400% FPL]). Patterns were similar across age groups, although differences by race/ethnicity, parental education, and household income were generally more pronounced in the youngest age group. For example, among youth aged 6-9 years the range in prevalence of participation from lowest to highest income level was 35.4% to 80.6%, while among youth aged 14-17 years it was 43.2% to 68.5%. CONCLUSION: While about 6 in 10 youth in the United States participate in sports, important disparities exist particularly by household income and are generally more pronounced among younger children. Identifying and overcoming barriers, such as cost and accessibility, may help increase youth sports participation to support the aims of the National Youth Sports Strategy.