Sports Participation In Children Research Articles

Characteristics of Children with an Undesirable Motor Competence Development During the Transition from Early to Middle Childhood: Results of a 2-Year Longitudinal Study

Objective: Motor competence development from early to middle childhood is accompanied by great variance. This course can be influenced by many factors in the ecosystem. The objective of this study was to examine which individual characteristics are associated with an undesirable motor competence development during the transition from early to middle childhood. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted between February 2020 and May 2022. Actual and perceived motor competence and the potential determinants physical activity enjoyment, weight status, and organized sports participation of children (49% boys) aged 4–6 years old at T0 (N = 721) were measured at two points in time, separated by a two-year interval. Associations between potential determinants and AMC, including interactions with time, were analyzed using linear mixed-effect regression models with continuous motor quotient scores as outcome variables. Results: Overweight, obesity, and lack of organized sports participation were associated with lower motor quotient scores over time. Multivariate analyses showed that associations of weight status (overweight and obesity) and sports participation with motor quotient scores remained significant after adjustment for variations in perceived motor competence and physical activity enjoyment. Conclusions: Excessive body weight and lack of sports participation from early childhood are associated with an increased risk of an undesirable motor competence development over time.

PARENTAL ATTITUDES AND SUPPORT TOWARD SCHOOL SPORTS

This cross-sectional study examined parents’ attitudes, their support, and perceptions of school involvement in school sports using a newly developed Parental Attitudes and Support for School Sports and Perceptions of School Involvement Questionnaire (PASSIQ). The study also examined the association between parents' gender and children's sports participation concerning these attitudes and support levels. A total of 380 parents were included in the study, with 341 valid responses analyzed. Our findings indicate that higher levels of parental support are strongly associated with more positive attitudes toward school sports (p < 0.001). While perceptions of school support showed a marginally significant positive relationship (p = 0.083), extended participation in sports was generally associated with lower parental attitudes, potentially reflecting concerns about burnout or shifting perceptions over time. Notably, the interaction between parents' gender and children's sports participation revealed that for male parents, extended sports participation of their children significantly enhanced positive attitudes toward school sports (p = 0.004). These results highlight the importance of considering parental support and gender-specific responses when developing strategies to promote positive attitudes and support for school sports. The PASSIQ proved to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing these constructs, providing a foundation for future research and interventions to foster supportive environments for children's physical activity.

Middle Childhood Sport Participation Predicts Timely Long-Term Chances of Academic Success in Boys and Girls by Late Adolescence.

School age children experience successive academic demands which increase over time. Extracurricular sport develops skills which involve physical movement, social rules, formal practice, and rational competition. This may facilitate success. Using a prospective-longitudinal birth cohort of 746 girls/721 boys, we examined prospective associations between middle childhood sport participation with subsequent indicators of academic success in adolescence. We hypothesized that persistent participation would promote long-term achievement indicators. Mothers reported on whether the child participated in sporting activities with a coach/instructor from ages 6 to 10 years. Developmental trajectories of participation were generated using longitudinal latent class analysis and then used to predict outcomes. From ages 12 to 17 years, youth self-reported on academic indicators of success over the last 6 months. These were linearly regressed on trajectories of participation in sport, while controlling for pre-existing and concurrent child/family confounds. Children's sport participation from kindergarten to fourth grade predicted long-term chances of academic success in boys and girls, above and beyond individual/family confounders. Consistent participation predicted increments indicators of future success and reductions in academic failure and dropout risk through to the senior year of secondary school, ranging from 9.1% to 21.3% for girls and 11.7% to 22.9% for boys. We provide compelling and timely evidence of long-term associations between children's sport participation and subsequent indicators of academic success in typically developing boys and girls by late adolescence. Persistent sport involvement in sport increased educational prospects by late adolescence, potentially improving opportunities for success in emerging adulthood.

‘He wants to play football but not available here … ’ Parent perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child physical activity and sport participation

ABSTRACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have higher physical activity participation levels than non-Aboriginal children. However, this trend reverses in adulthood. Data came from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC) at age 8–13 years. Using conventional content analysis, interviews with primary caregivers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were analyzed to understand current sports and physical activity participation, what children would like to do, and associated barriers. Sport (individual and team) and play were identified as important; with football and water sports most frequently mentioned as activities that children enjoy. Dancing was frequently mentioned as an activity that children enjoy and would like to participate in … These findings identify preferences for physical activity and sports participation, including activities that have cultural significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in addition to exercise. These activities can act as mediums for family, kinship, community and cultural connection.

Research on the Promotion Mechanism of Sports Participation in Children and Adolescents Based on Social Cognitive Theory

This study aims to explore the promotion mechanism of children and adolescents' sports participation, based on social cognitive theory. By analyzing the theoretical framework of social cognitive theory, this study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the internal mechanisms of children and adolescents' participation in sports, and provide theoretical support for promoting their physical and mental health development. The study adopted various research methods, including literature review, expert interviews, observation, and teaching experiments, to systematically analyze the elements and promotion mechanisms of children and adolescents' participation in sports. The research results show that social cognitive theory plays a crucial role in interpreting children and adolescents' sports participation behavior, cognitive processes, and emotional experiences. In terms of practice, research has proposed multiple strategies, including innovating the teaching mode of physical education for children and adolescents, integrating sports training camps with social cognitive theory, and designing intervention programs for children and adolescents in sports participation based on social cognitive theory. Future research directions include providing diverse role models, encouraging diverse ways of social participation, and establishing a positive sense of social identity to further promote the practice and development of sports participation among children and adolescents.

Association between sports participation and resilience in school-attending students: a cross-sectional study.

This research sought to identify the association between sports participation and resilience in children and adolescents as a means to enhance mental health. A comprehensive survey was carried out, encompassing primary, middle, and high school students from chosen educational institutions. The analytical sample comprised 67,281 students of school age. Sports participation and resilience were evaluated using validated assessment tools, while relevant covariates, such as sex and school grade, were assessed through self-reported questionnaires. Generalized Linear Models were applied to ascertain the association between sports participation and resilience for the entire sample, and separately for subgroups divided by gender or school grade, after controlling for covariates. Among the 67,281 school students, males constituted 51.9% of the sample. Approximately 47.1% of the entire sample reported no sports participation, and the average resilience score was 24.7. The regression model analysis revealed that, in the entire sample, increased in sports participation was linked to higher resilience scores (odds ratio [OR] for 1-3 times per month: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.16-1.24; OR for 1-2 times per week: 1.38, 95%CI: 1.33-1.43; OR for 3 times or more per week: 1.72, 95%CI: 1.65-1.79). Analyses stratified by gender and school grade indicated that sports participation was consistently associated with greater resilience. This study provides cross-sectional evidence supporting the positive association between sports participation and the resilience of children and adolescents, underscoring the potential of encouraging sports participation as a strategy for promoting mental health resilience. The findings presented herein should be subject to further confirmation or refutation in future research endeavors.

Should organized sport characteristics be considered as a strategy for meeting physical activity guidelines in children?

A clearer understanding of the relationships between specific sport context with overall physical activity (PA) and sedentary time (ST) may contribute to the development of more accurate preventive strategies to increase children's engagement in PA. This study aimed to examine how different organized sports contributed to children's daily PA and ST. PA was measured for seven days via accelerometers, in 410 children aged 6-10 years (49.8% boys). Of those, 332 (53.0% boys) were engaged in an organized sport and were further considered for statistical analyses. Parents reported children's sport participation (e.g. which sport, number of times per week, duration). The sports were classified into: indoor vs. outdoor; individuals vs. team; combat vs. individual aesthetic vs. racing vs. invasion. Children's height and weight were objectively collected. Multiple one-way analyses of covariance were used to examine the effects of sport characteristics on PA and ST. A linear regression, adjusted for children's sex, age, body mass index and father's educational level, determined the relationship between being involved in multiple PA and sedentary behaviours with Moderate to Vigorous PA (MVPA) levels. Although engaged in an organized sport, only 30% of the children achieved the PA recommendations. Sport (compared with active commute and active play) was the best contributor to daily MVPA. Outdoor sports (vs. indoor) contributed the most to vigorous PA (VPA) and MVPA. Team sports (vs. individual) were significantly associated with lower ST. Children in combat sports accumulated more VPA and MVPA, while those in racing sports showed a higher ST. Sport participation alone does not guarantee children will reach the PA guidelines, and the type of sport can influence children's PA levels. Gender-stereotypes in sports may prevent girls from achieving their 60 minutes of MVPA daily.

A Narrative Review of Contact Sports Participation in Children and Young Athletes With a Solitary (Functioning) Kidney

Background: Evidence is sparse regarding the incidence or prevalence of renal or genitourinary injuries arising from contact sports. There are currently no World Health Organization or European consensus guidelines relating to the participation in sport for children and young athletes with a solitary (functioning) kidney. Purpose: To review the international literature and to make sport-specific recommendations for children and young athletes with a solitary (functioning) kidney participating in sports, based on the overall likelihood of potential renal or genitourinary injury. Study Design: Narrative review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted of current literature according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. Embase, Google Scholar, Cochrane, and PubMed databases were queried from 1975 to 2023, to assess available evidence regarding the prevalence and risk of renal injury through sports participation and guidelines surrounding the participation in sports for children and young athletes with a solitary (functioning) kidney. Methodological quality and certainty of evidence were assessed according to the International Classification of Urological Disease guidelines. Results: A total of 28 publications were identified after database searches and exclusions, comprising 40,889 patients. The majority of papers providing recommendations arose from the United States. Of the recommendations, 79% permitted an unrestricted return to noncontact sports. A return to contact sports is permitted in most instances after physician consultation. Conclusion: There is a dearth of good-quality published evidence in the literature relating to sports participation with a solitary (functioning) kidney. Overall, the risk of genitourinary injury in sports is low, and after physician assessment, there is currently no strong evidence to exclude children and young athletes with a solitary (functioning) kidney from full participation in contact and collision sports.

A04: A Pilot Study on the Persistence of Children's Online Sports Games

Purpose: In the post-epidemic era, children's physical activity has decreased sharply, and smart sports at home have gradually emerged, making online sports games an important path for children's sports participation. This pilot study was to explore the persistence of children's online sports game participation through exercise frequency recording and provided guidance for online sports game intervention programs. Methods: A total of 29 primary school children were enrolled, including 24 boys and 5 girls. Participants exercise autonomously through motion software. In this study, the movement of each participant was recorded through the background of the software system and exported to Excel. Two-week period was used as one stage and a total of six stages were analyzed. After preliminary collation of the data, one-way ANOVA using SPSS23.0 was performed. Results: By analyzing the motion records of the 12 weeks of online exercise, overall trend of the first five stages is linear decreasing, and the trend of the fifth and sixth stages is flat; There was no significant difference between the first stage and the fourth stage (p > 0.05). The first and fifth and sixth stages showed that the differences (p < 0.01). The difference between the second and sixth stages was significant (p < 0.05), and the difference between the second and fifth phases was very significant (p < 0.01). Conclusions: Online sports games have a certain attraction to children, ensuring the frequency of children's early sports participation, but this attraction is difficult to last for a long time. Children's interest in sports will decline to varying degrees with time. It is recommended to further improve and stabilize the persistence of children's participation by formulating external behavioral intervention strategies and adjusting internal intervention programs.

Youth sport during the COVID-19 pandemic: The influence of race and affluence on parents’ perspectives of youth participation

COVID-19 restrictions led to a nearly 50% decline in youth sport participation across the United States (Dorsch et al., 2021). Today, communities and sport organizations have resumed sport. However, research has yet to fully elucidate how COVID-19 restrictions impacted youth participation across different sociodemographic groups during the pandemic. The present study explored the association between race and affluence and their relationship with parents' attitudes toward children's youth sport participation before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Online questionnaires were completed by a nationally representative sample of 3706 parents (Mage = 39.57 ± 9.03 years) who had a child regularly participating in youth sport before COVID-19. Multivariate Analyses of Variance using Tukey post-hoc tests were conducted to examine the main effect differences by race and affluence and the interactive effects of race and affluence. Results suggest that race and affluence -- independently and in combination -- were salient categorical variables of children's weekly hours of sport participation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight that White*high affluent groups had the highest rates of sport participation during the COVID-19 pandemic and that these families desire to invest more time and money at greater rates upon returning. Theoretically, designed intersectionality research is recommended to explore further effects of race and affluence in youth sport.

The discovery of a data-driven causal diagram of sport participation in children and adolescents with heart disease: a pilot study

The interventions aimed at improving the levels of physical activity (PA) in children and adolescents diagnosed with heart disease did not produce the expected outcomes. Safe participation in sport activities proposed based on actual recommendations could be a solution to promote PA in this population. The aims of this study were to discover a causal diagram of sport participation in children and youth with heart disease and establish the factors that affect and are affected thereof through the use of questionnaires. Furthermore, the study aims to qualitatively assess the reliability of the constructed diagram in comparison with existing medical knowledge. The Greedy Fast Causal Inference method was employed to conduct a data-driven search of the directed acyclic graph that represents the causal relationships within the provided observational data. This causal discovery was performed using the Tetrad software. The analysis involved a cohort of 121 Caucasian patients (50 females) diagnosed with heart disease. The age range of the patients included in the study was 8–17 years. The study findings indicate that the participants engaged in sports presented significantly higher values of health-related quality of life (QoL) and motives for participating in physical and leisure activities. Age appears to be a cause of sport participation. Sport participation appears to be a cause of participation in physical education classes, which in turn appears to be a cause of higher enjoyment. Higher enjoyment appears to be a cause of other motives for participating in physical and leisure activities, as well as a higher score in terms of physical health. The causal diagram provided a graphical representation of the causal relationship between sport participation and better QoL with potential confounders for children and adolescents with heart disease that nearly coincided with the existing literature. Clinical trials should be designed to validate clinical utility of the presented causal diagram.

Assessment of anthropometric and physical profi le of selected school-age children in rural and urban setting in South-West Nigeria (NigeriaLINX pilot)

Objective: the objective of this study was to examine the anthropometric and physical profile of selected school-age children in rural and urban setting.Methods: the descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted for the study while multistage sampling techniques, which included simple random and systematicsampling techniques, were used to draw samples from the target population. The sample constitute healthy children who voluntarily participated in the study after consent for participation was given by individual parent. Anthropometric measurements for the study included height, weight, sitting height and BMI while the physical fitness tests for the study included sit and reach, handgrip strength, speed bounce, standing broad jump, 10m x 5 shuttles run and multistage fitness test. Z score, STEN score and independent T-Test were used for data analysis.Results: a total of 222 healthy children with average age of 10 years (male=112, female=109) participated in the study. The results showed that the urban children were taller (Urban=141.3±9.2m; Rural=134±21.3m), heavier (Urban=37.6±10.4kg; Rural=28.2±6.2kg), had more leg power (Urban=105.7±25.5; Rural=49.4±41.0) and arm strength (Urban=15.7±4.1; Rural=13.4±5.2) than rural children. However, the rural children had higher sit and reach score (Rural=25.3±5.8; Urban=22.8±6.0) and completed more laps in multistage fi tness test (Rural=35.5±25.5; Urban=12±5.7). The statistical analysis showed that all the variables were signifi cantly differenturban and rural children (P<0.05).Conclusion: the current study shows that the children in the urban and rural settings diff ered in the selected anthropometric and physical variables. Therefore, the physical education program and infrastructural facilities for physical activity and sport participation for school age children should be designed based on the socioeconomic status, social amenities and level of development of thehost community.

School attendance and sport participation amongst children with chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional analysis from the Kids with CKD (KCAD) study.

School attendance and life participation, particularly sport, is a high priority for children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study is aimed at assessing the association between CKD stage, sports participation, and school absences in children with CKD. Using data from the binational Kids with CKD study (ages 6-18years, n = 377), we performed multivariable regression to evaluate the association between CKD stage, school absences, and sports participation. Overall, 62% of participants played sport with the most frequent sport activities engaged in being swimming (17%) and soccer (17%). Compared to children with CKD 1-2, the incidence rate ratios (IRR) (95% CI) for sports participation amongst children with CKD 3-5, dialysis, or transplant were 0.84 (0.64-1.09), 0.59 (0.39-0.90), and 0.75 (0.58-0.96), respectively. The median (IQR) days of school absences within a four-week period were 1day (0-1), with children on dialysis reporting the highest number of school absences (9days (5-15)), followed by transplant recipients (2days (1-7)), children with CKD 3-5 (1day (0-3)), and with CKD 1-2 (1day (0-3)). Duration of CKD modified the association between CKD stage and school absences, with children with a transplant experiencing a higher number of missed school days with increasing duration of CKD, but not in children with CKD 1-5 or on dialysis (p-interaction < 0.01). Children receiving dialysis and with a kidney transplant had greater school absences and played fewer sports compared to children with CKD stages 1-2. Innovative strategies to improve school attendance and sport participation are needed to improve life participation of children with CKD.

Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States.

While previous studies have examined the impact of family socioeconomic characteristics on a child's sport specialization behaviors, this research has been limited to affluent communities with limited sociodemographic diversity. The purpose of this study was to examine associations of parent income and education with child sport specialization behaviors among a nationally representative sample of youth sport parents in the United States. Cross-sectional. Parents of youth athletes in the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire used for this study consisted of: 1) parent demographics (including parent age, race/ethnicity, biological sex, gender identity, household income, and educational status), and 2) child sport participation characteristics and sport specialization behaviors. Parents who reported an annual household income of $75,001 or more were more likely than parents making less than $75,000 to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR [95%CI]: 1.94 [1.15-3.27]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR [95%CI]: 1.85 [1.10-3.11]), or specialized in a single sport (OR [95%CI]: 2.45 [1.45-4.14]). Parents who reported receiving a Bachelor's degree or higher were more likely than parents who did not to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR [95%CI]: 3.04 [1.78-5.18]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR [95%CI]: 2.42 [1.43-4.10]), or specialized in a single sport (OR [95%CI]: 1.94 [1.15-3.26]). Thes results suggest that in the modern youth sport culture, family resources may serve as a major determining factor in the type of experiences available for a youth athlete. III.

Physical activity in relation to motor performance, exercise capacity, sports participation, parental perceptions, and overprotection in school aged children with a critical congenital heart defect

ObjectiveTo depict objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), motor performance (MP), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), organized sports participation, parental perceptions of vulnerability and parenting style in children with a Critical Congenital Heart Disease (CCHD), and to explore whether these factors are associated with MVPA. Study designA prospective observational cohort study in 62 7–10 years old children with a CCHD. ResultsOn average, children with CCHD spent 64 min on MVPA per day (accelerometry), 61 % met the international WHO physical activity guideline. Only 12 % had >60 min of MVPA daily. Eighteen percent had a motor delay (movement-assessment-battery-for children-II) and 38 % showed a below average CRF (cardiopulmonary exercise test using the Godfrey ramp protocol). Seventy-seven percent participated in organized sports activities at least once a week. Twenty-one percent of the parents are classified as overprotective (parent protection scale) and 7.3 % consider their child as being vulnerable (child vulnerability scale). A significant positive association was found between MVPA and MP (rs = 0.359), CRF(V̇O2peak/ml/kg: rs = 0.472 and Wpeak/kg: rs = 0.396) and sports participation (rs = 0.286). Children who were perceived as vulnerable by their parents showed a significantly lower MVPA (rs = −0.302). No significant associations were found between mean MVPA and parental overprotection. ConclusionEven though the majority of school aged children with a CCHD is sufficiently active, counseling parents regarding the importance of sufficient MVPA and sports participation, especially in parents who consider their child being vulnerable, could be useful. Since motor delays can be detected at an early age, motor development could be an important target to improve exercise capacity and sports participation to prevent inactivity in children with a CCHD.

Sports Participation and Transgender Youths

This Viewpoint describes recent legislation and recommendations from statewide athletic associations regarding sports participation for transgender children and adolescents.

S5-1 Physical literacy in different European contexts: research-based knowledge for practical applications

Abstract The term and concept of physical literacy is increasing in popularity in both policy and practice and is increasingly applied in the fields such as sports, public health and education. Physical literacy is the ability to move with competence and confidence in a variety of physical activities. Although there is widespread consensus that physical literacy has the potential to act as the basis for a lifelong active life, there is little known about how it is assessed, operationlized, and applied. The aim of this symposium is to describe what is currently happening in the European context. Therefore, in this symposium we will bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss the asseessment, operationlization and application of the physical literacy concept across four European countries. Presentation 1) Process of developing a physical literacy consensus statement for England (UK) Presentation 2) Towards national monitoring of physical literacy in Denmark Presentation 3) Application of the concept of physical literacy in the context of water: aquatic physical literacy (Belgium) Presentation 4) Developing an individual-based advice for sports participation and physical activity in children using the concept of Physical Literacy (the Netherlands). The discussant of the symposium who will lead the discussion after the individual presentations will ensure exchange of knowledge, expertise and experiences among audience and presenters.

S5-5 Developing an individual-based advice for sports participation and physical activity in children using the concept of Physical Literacy

Abstract Purpose Practitioners, researchers and policy makers have been looking for ways to change the negative trend observed in physical activity (PA) behaviour in children. An individual PA advice for children, based on the concept of physical literacy (PL), might offer an important avenue to support and motivate children to be physically active in a way that fits their needs and skills. Due to the holistic approach of PL, this concept is suitable for the development of an individual PA advice to motivate children to be physically active for life. Therefore, we aim to develop a feasible tool to provide children aged 4 to 12 years with an individual PA advice in the Dutch school setting. Method In this project, experts on the different areas of PL collaborate to create a tool feasible for implementation in the Dutch primary school setting. Experts will comprise children, parents, practitioners, researchers and policy makers. First, available measurement instruments on (elements of) PL will be reviewed. This will help us determine what instruments are best suitable to be used in the Dutch setting to create ‘input’ for a tool. Secondly, we will examine how data from these instruments can be harmonized to create an individual PA advice. This step will involve close collaborations with ICT while adhering to privacy rules and regulations. During this step we will also examine how the translation from ‘input’ to ‘output’, an individual PA advice, might have to differ for different age groups. Thirdly, we will develop a plan for the implementation in the Dutch setting and educational context. This involves feasibility in terms of finances as well as feasibility from a practical point of view. Conclusion By creating a tool to develop an individual PA advice, we hope to support and motivate children and parents to engage in PA that will last a life time. Throughout the process, relevant stakeholders will be involved in any step needed to ensure acceptability, feasibility and sustainability. Funding This project is funded by the Dutch Ministery of Health, Welfare, and Sports.

Competitive Sports Participation is Associated with Decreased Risk of Obesity in Children with Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

Individuals with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) have historically been advised to avoid contact sports and isometric exercise for risk of increasing aortic dilation and valve disease. There is mounting evidence that current sports participation guidelines qualify children for a high rate of sports exclusion, and that this population is at increased risk of obesity. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate relationship between sports participation and aortic dilation in children with bicuspid aortic valve and secondarily the relationship between competitive sports participation and obesity. We performed a review of children between the ages of 8 and 17years with isolated BAV followed at Oregon Health & Science University. We excluded those with other congenital heart diseases, genetic conditions, prior cardiac intervention, and inability to ambulate independently. Parents completed a phone survey detailing their child's level of daily activity and participation in competitive sports. Demographic information and most recent echo findings were collected from the electronic medical record. We found no difference between the aortic diameters of athletes vs non-athletes. We also found that sports participation and daily activity were both associated with a decreased likelihood of obesity (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.078-0.73 and OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.081-0.71 respectively). In summary, in our sample population, competitive sports participation was associated with a decreased risk of obesity. Competitive sports participation does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of aortic dilation in our population.

Higher Family Affluence is Associated With Multi-Sport Participation Among Irish Youth.

The impact of early single sport participation among young people has received much attention, with both sport leaders and pediatricians advocating multi-sport participation at least until early adolescence. In this study we explored the association between family socioeconomic status and level of Irish youth specialization in sport. We relied on data from the Children's Sport Participation and Physical Activity (CSPPA) study, involving a representative sample of 3499 Irish children and adolescents aged 10-15years. We analyzed data from questions related to the number of sports played, the number of days per week the youth were engaged in sport, and family affluence (as a proxy measure for socioeconomic status). Youth sport specialization before 12years of age (males 5.7%; females 4.2%) and even between 13-15years of age (males, 7.8%; females, 5.8%) was uncommon. However, lower levels of specialization were associated with higher socioeconomic status in that more children with high family affluence participated in multiple sports. Careful consideration should be given to whether low socioeconomic status may act as a barrier to participation in multiple sports.