Speakers
Description
Objectives
This study focuses on active participation in physical activity and sports after the introduction of the COVID-19 lockdown. An overview is given of how and to what extent adults experienced the imposed measures and their impacts. Since all organized and subsidized sports activities and facilities were shut down during the lockdown, one could consider the lockdown as a semi-experimental design.
Methods
In order to investigate how adults with regard to their participation in physical activity and sports coped with the measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an online standardized questionnaire was conducted. A total of 13,515 adults answered the questionnaire. Data were weighted to a representative sample by sex, age, educational level, and children living at home. Descriptive statistics as well as regression analyses are carried out.
Findings and discussion
The results indicate that the educational level does not seem to majorly impact the frequency of practicing physical activity and sports. However, the former sporting behaviour of the higher educated is more likely to be affected, probably they suffer more from the closure of subsidized sports activities and facilities. The findings also show that higher educated people are more flexible in adapting their sporting behaviour.
Conclusion
As differences occur in how adults cope with the measures during the lockdown, it may be expected that, on the longer run, COVID-19 will become an (additional) driver of social inequality. As such, policymakers should be aware of this potential impact and consider it in their policy plans.
Key words: sports participation, COVID-19, social inequality
