Further resources and reading
Dive deeper into the research on what supports and limits participation in sport.
Dive deeper into the research on what supports and limits individuals residing in regional or remote Australian communities participation in sport.
- As sporting clubs struggle, rural communities look for alternatives to keep body and mind healthy, opens in a new tab, Chris Rowbottom, ABC, (6 September 2020). Tough decisions are being made at sports clubs across rural and regional Tasmania. The loss of sporting clubs is impacting mental health and social cohesion in the bush. Bush Bootcamps are helping to fill the void.
- Rural and remote health, opens in a new tab, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, (updated 30 April 2024). Around 7 million people – or 28% of the Australian population – live in rural and remote areas, which encompass many diverse locations and communities (ABS 2023h). These Australians face unique challenges due to their geographic location and often have poorer health outcomes than people living in metropolitan areas. Data show that people living in rural and remote areas have higher rates of hospitalisations, deaths and injury and also have poorer access to, and use of, primary health care services, than people living in Major cities. On average, people living in Inner regional and Outer regional areas are older than those in Major cities. In 2023, people aged 20–64 living in rural and remote areas were less likely than those in Major cities to have completed Year 12 or a non-school qualification. Similarly, a smaller proportion of people aged 20–64 living in Inner regional (27%), Outer regional (22%) and Remote and very remote areas (20%) had completed a bachelor’s degree or above in 2022, compared with those in Major cities (41%). In general, people aged 15 and over living in metropolitan (greater capital city) areas are more likely to be employed than people living outside these areas. This may be due to fewer opportunities and access to work outside metropolitan areas and the smaller range of employment and career opportunities in these areas. People living in rural and remote areas also generally have lower incomes but pay higher prices for goods and services. In 2019–20, Australians living outside capital cities had, on average, 15% less household income per week compared with those living in capital cities, and 22% less mean household net worth. In 2022, based on self-reported data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ National Health Survey (NHS) and after adjusting for age, it was estimated that people living in Inner regional and Outer regional and remote areas were more likely to engage in risky behaviours, such as smoking and consuming alcohol at levels that put them at increased risk of alcohol-related diseases or injuries, compared with people living in Major cities. In 2022, based on self-reported data from the NHS and after adjusting for age, people living outside Major cities had higher rates of arthritis, and mental and behavioural conditions, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was higher in Outer regional and remote areas compared with Major cities. In 2018, after adjusting for age, the total burden of disease and injury in Australia increased with increasing remoteness. People living in rural and remote areas are more likely to die at a younger age than their counterparts in Major cities. They have higher mortality rates and higher rates of potentially avoidable deaths than those living in Major cities. In 2020–2022, life expectancy at birth was lower for those living outside of metropolitan areas (greater capital city).
- Black Diamonds Report, opens in a new tab, Glass Jar, (April 2022). The Black Diamonds Project reviews the netball service delivery to ensure that the policies and systems of netball in Western Australia are transformed to better facilitate the engagement and retention of Aboriginal people to the sport of netball. The dominant method of data collection was Yarning Circles, a uniquely Aboriginal methodology, with four stakeholder groups, across two phases. the top three most popular solutions in relation to Parallel Pathways and Selection Criteria were to develop parallel pathways for ATSI players which link to mainstream opportunities, including Aboriginal All Stars Camps; to support an ATSI WANL Club; and to provide more development opportunities for Aboriginal players within regions, with training provided by specialist coaches in Perth who travel more frequently to regions and stay for a longer duration. The solution to the discrimination and “purple circle” experienced and witnessed by many participants were to make selection criteria more transparent; have scouts from Perth visit the regions to identify talent; and providing a code of conduct for selection, particularly to Associations. Some participants also suggested having an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander representative on selection bodies. Participants also linked these talent identification processes with development opportunities and pathways.
- State of Volunteering in Victoria 2020, opens in a new tab, Volunteering Victoria, (October 2020). This report outlines the hidden costs of volunteering, for both volunteers and organisations. Sport plays a very significant role in community connectedness and health and wellbeing, particularly for rural and regional communities. Sport is often the hub to many other connections. The community sports sector relies on in-person activities.
- Volunteering in rural and regional Victoria is not only a way of life but essential to maintaining a variety of services. Issues for volunteering in rural towns and regional cities differ from issues in the Greater Metropolitan Melbourne area.
- Some of the known issues for volunteerism, in rural areas in particular, include ageing and declining populations, the higher cost of transport, lower levels of service provision and the tyranny of distance.
- Further research is needed to better understand how volunteering has been affected in regional and rural communities in recent years, the consequences of declining volunteerism and what the obstacles are to rebuilding or reshaping volunteering.
- Longitudinal Study of Australian Children 2018 Annual Report: Chapter 11, Here to help: How young people contribute to their community, opens in a new tab, Constantine Gasser, Tracy Evans-Whipp, Growing up in Australia, Australian Institute of Family Studies, (December 2019). The purpose of the study is to provide data that contributes to our understanding of children’s development within Australia’s contemporary social, economic and cultural environment. The first wave of data collection was in 2004, with subsequent main waves every two years. Using data collected in 2016, this chapter describes the types of voluntary activities that adolescents at 12-13 and 16-17 years and their parents participate in. The chapter also looks at the frequency and amount of time that adolescents spend volunteering, and the characteristics of adolescents who participate in these activities.
- Compared to adolescents living in major cities, adolescents living in inner regional areas, or outer regional and remote areas had higher odds of volunteering for sport and recreation groups (1.4 and 1.5 times higher, respectively). This finding is consistent with the observation that sport and recreation activities form a major part of the culture in country areas of Australia, and these activities often rely heavily on volunteers.
- Adolescents living in inner regional areas had lower odds of doing voluntary work for church or religious groups.
- Physical Activity Participation in Regional Areas of Australia: A Critical Literature Review, opens in a new tab, Gateway Health, (February 2019). Despite the well-known benefits, physical inactivity is a global problem and is a clear contributor to chronic disease. Australians living in regional areas are not meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines and experience poorer health than those in metropolitan areas. This review aims to understand the barriers and opportunities for participation in physical activity in regional areas to provide evidence to inform public health interventions. Study findings in relation to barriers and enablers to physical activity were grouped using the SDoH framework. Findings highlighted evidence that socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in regional areas experience limited transport opportunities, there is a unique rural culture around physical activity participation, regional environment infrastructure plays a role in influencing physical activity levels and social connections are an important aspect of keeping regional people physically active. The main limitation of this review is that there has been little research conducted in regional areas in relation to physical activity participation. This meant that only 9 studies are included in this review.
- The Social and Economic Sustainability of WA’s Rural Volunteer Workforce, opens in a new tab, Kirsten Holmes, Amanda Davies, Leonie Lockstone-Binney, et al., Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, Report No. 22/19, (February 2019). Study identified how rural communities in WA are addressing the challenges of recruiting and retaining volunteers at a time of unprecedented demographic change and increasing pressure on the rural volunteer workforce. It identified the critical role of volunteering in creating a sense of community wellbeing and delivering essential services in rural areas. It also presents the strategies volunteers and voluntary organisations are using to sustain the rural volunteer
- Indigenous Australians' Participation in Sports and Physical Activities: Part 1, Literature and AusPlay data review, ORC International prepared for the Australian Sports Commission, (May 2017). The key drivers for Indigenous participation in sports and physical activity included desire for fun or enjoyment, a perceived (often health or fitness-driven) need, a lack of barriers, perceived suitability (to personal requirements and preferences), and the existence of external, social support or encouragement. The main barriers fell broadly under the categories of other commitments, especially to family or community; personal illness or injury; financial constraints; access issues; safety or comfort concerns; a different cultural construct of sport and physical activity; and racism. While the drivers and barriers to participation provided insights into some of the underlying factors influencing Indigenous participation in sports and physical activity, the subjective nature of decision-making and feelings of encouragement (or discouragement) to participate made these topics ideal for further exploration during the qualitative stage of this research.
- VicHealth Research Practice Fellowship –Physical Activity Final report, opens in a new tab, Eime, Rochelle, Sport and Recreation Spatial, (March 2016). This research report examined participation trends for seven sports - Australian football, tennis, netball, basketball, cricket, hockey and bowls – played in Victoria. Findings related to rural and regional sports included: males (10-14 years) from non-metropolitan areas had the highest participation rate ; there was an increase in participation rate from 2010 to 2012 for non-metropolitan compared to metropolitan people ; non-metropolitan participation compared to metropolitan areas was higher during adolescence (14–18 years) and throughout mature adulthood (30+ years) ; rates of regular physical activity participation decreased as remoteness increased ; and the rate of participation for Australian football, cricket, netball, hockey, bowls and fishing was higher as geographical remoteness increased.
- The health of people living in remote Australia, opens in a new tab, National Rural Health Alliance, (2016). Remote Australia is characterised by small, isolated communities with the highest rates of ill health. Despite their high needs, people in remote Australia have the lowest numbers of health professionals per population as well as poor access to health services which results in higher rates of hospitalisation and earlier death.
- Bright Futures: Spotlight on the wellbeing of young people living in rural and regional Victoria, opens in a new tab, VicHealth, CSIRO Data61, YACVic and NCFH, (2018). Young people living in rural and regional communities have different experiences and challenges from those who live in cities especially in relation to their education, employment and social opportunities, and access to mental health services. VicHealth partnered with the National Centre for Farmer Health, Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) and CSIRO’s Data61 to explore what the megatrends mean for young people living in rural and regional Victoria. The upside of regional living is being part of community clubs, which largely form the social glue of rural and regional communities. Participation in sport is significantly higher among young people in rural and regional areas (20%) than those living in metropolitan areas (13%). Sports participation can provide both physical and mental health benefits. However, young people in the study who had interests and talents outside of sport and were not members of their local football or netball clubs, spoke about feelings of social exclusion.
- A Review of Country Cricket in Victoria 2014/15, opens in a new tab, David Richards OAM, for Cricket Victoria, (27 April 2015). Richards met with stakeholders from all eight country Regions, the Victorian Country Cricket League (VCCL), Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria Regional Cricket Managers over a five-month period with the aim to assess the current condition of country cricket in the state and to examine the governance and structures impacting it.
- Review of Sport and Recreation in Regional Western Australia, opens in a new tab, Watson P, Perth, Western Australian Government, (2008). Report found that "sport and recreation are inextricably linked to the notion of ‘community sustainability’, something clearly understood by regional Western Australians. "Sport and recreation was identified as important in regional indigenous communities in promoting participation and in building capacity. It found that a booming economy resulted in difficulties in sourcing and retaining a range of specialist personnel e.g. aquatic and recreation centre managers, horticulturalists, sport development officers; in building sport and recreation facilities and the ability of community-based organisations to attract and retain volunteers. Solutions that were suggested included improved use of technology, developing ‘family friendly’ fixturing across sports and the development of alternative club structures to better harness the available volunteers.
- The motivations to play organised club-based sport in Australia, opens in a new tab, Rochelle Eime, Jack Harvey, Melanie Charity, et al., Leisure Studies, (1 May 2024). The aim of this study was to investigate the motivations to play sport across: age, gender, residential location and the settings, modes and level of participation. An online survey of sport participants asked about age, gender, residential location, type of sports and physical activities participated in, frequency and duration of play, and motivations for playing organised club-based sport. Survey respondents (N = 4,395) were aged between 13–92 years. An online survey of sport participants was conducted during May and June 2020 using the Qualtrics survey tool. Recruitment to the survey was primarily facilitated by national and state sporting organisations. The target population was people aged 13 years or older who were registered with a State or National Sporting Organisation in the 2019 and/or 2020 playing seasons to participate in one or more sports. The sport organisations that sent out the survey invitation to their registered participants represent major sports in Victoria and Australia.
- Overwhelmingly, the main motivation to play sport across all demographic groups and sport characteristics was fun and enjoyment. Other main motivations to play sport were physical health or fitness (which may promote autonomy), performance and competition, followed by social reasons (relatedness), to be with friends (relatedness), and for a sense of achievement (competence).
- There were considerable differences in the motivations to play sport in metropolitan cities compared to regional and rural areas (). While fun and enjoyment was the main motivation with 92% of respondents within each region, those living in non-metropolitan regions were significantly more motivated than those in metropolitan cities to play sport for a range of factors including social reasons (75% versus 71%), to be with friends (67% versus 64%), to lose weight or tone body (38% versus 35%), and to be a good role model (29% versus 25%).
- ‘A Different Ball Game’: Adaptation of a men’s health program for implementation in rural Australia, opens in a new tab, Matthew D. McDonald, Kate Hunt, Joanna Moullin, et al., BMC Public Health, Volume 23, Article: 1387, (July 2023). Rural areas were described as ‘a different ball game’ due to limited local services and resources in comparison to metropolitan areas. Study findings have synergies with previous studies undertaken in rural contexts including in relation to the power of word of mouth, the importance of trust, and local partner organisations. Findings have implications for engaging rural men in health interventions in rural contexts where professional sporting contexts are not available.
- ‘Women were just there to ruin his day’: the lived experiences of women golfers and leadership roles in regional Australia, opens in a new tab, Chelsea Litchfield, Sport in Society, Volume 26(4), pp.703-723, (2023). Studies addressing the social and gendered context of golf in Australia are limited. Further, less is known about women golf club members in regional Australia and their occupancy in leadership roles at clubs. This project seeks to understand the lived experiences of women at regional golf clubs in Australia, and in particular, their experiences with leadership and decision making at golf clubs. While part of larger research project, three specific themes were identified and discussed throughout this manuscript, including a lack of females in decision making roles; women golfers facing sexism, discrimination and exclusion, and strategies to change leadership cultures. Using an intersectional lens that focuses on the intersection of gender and age, each of these themes are analysed in relation to social and historical aspects of gendered golf club cultures.
- The Barriers and Facilitators of Sport and Physical Activity Participation for Aboriginal Children in Rural New South Wales, Australia: A Photovoice Project, opens in a new tab, Sarah Liew, Josephine Gwynn, Janice Smith, et.al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Volume 19(4), 1986, (February 2022). Through photos and ‘yarning’, the Australian Aboriginal cultural form of conversation, this photovoice study explored the barriers and facilitators of sport and physical activity participation perceived by Aboriginal children (n = 17) in New South Wales rural communities in Australia for the first time and extended the limited research undertaken nationally. Seven key themes emerged from thematic analysis. Four themes described physical activity barriers, which largely exist at the community and interpersonal level of children’s social and cultural context: the physical environment, high costs related to sport and transport, and reliance on parents, along with individual risk factors such as unhealthy eating. Three themes identified physical activity facilitators that exist at the personal, interpersonal, and institutional level: enjoyment from being active, supportive social and family connections, and schools. Findings highlight the need for ongoing maintenance of community facilities to enable physical activity opportunities and ensure safety. Children held strong aspirations for improved and accessible facilities. The strength of friendships and the family unit should be utilized in co-designed and Aboriginal community-led campaigns.
- Going on a 'witch hunt': investigating the lived experiences of women working in male team sports in regional Australia, opens in a new tab, Hotham, Gabriella; Litchfield, Chelsea; Osborne, Jaquelyn, Sport in Society, Volume 24(3), pp.396-Mar2021, Vol. 24 Issue 3, p396-411, (2021). Male dominated team sports potentially provide many opportunities for women, through both voluntary and paid employment. However, very few studies focus on the experiences of women at a regional (or rural) level in sport. By examining the experiences of women working with male team sports at this level, insight into why women choose to be involved within male dominated sporting spaces can be explored, including the benefits and the barriers faced within these spaces. Such information is pertinent to the wider discussions relating to women in sport in Australia. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the lived experiences of female coaches, trainers, strappers, umpires, exercise scientists and administrators involved in regional male team sports in NSW (sports such as rugby league, Australian rules football, soccer and rugby union).
- Sink or Swim? A survival analysis of sport dropout in Australian youth swimmers, opens in a new tab, Kylie Moulds, Shaun Abbott, Johan Pion, et.al., Scandinavian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sports, Volume 30(11), pp.2222-2233, (2020). To examine long‐term participation and dropout rates in Australian youth swimming using survival analyses and to determine whether multiple individual, socio‐demographic, and competition‐related factors influenced dropout. Part 1—Registration data from N = 17 161 female (n = 9400) and male (n = 7761) New South Wales (NSW) swimmers aged 10‐15 years (inclusive). Part 2—Competition level involvement in a subsample of female (n = 1011) and male (n = 811) swimmers, aged 12‐15 years, was also examined. Residential proximity to major cities was associated with dropout, with urban swimmers reporting a 24.8% higher Hazard Rate than rural swimmers. In a large representative sample of swimmers, survival analyses identified age‐group, competition level, and city proximity were associated with increased swimming dropout rates.
- Participant-Centered sport development: A case study using the leisure constraints of women in regional communities, opens in a new tab, Kyle Rich, Matthew Nicholson, Erica Randl, et.al., Leisure Studies, (31 January 2019). Women in rural and regional communities experience social, cultural, and geographical constraints to sport, physical activity, and leisure participation. This study uses leisure constraints theory to explore the development and delivery of a casual, recreational physical activity program, stand up paddleboarding, for women in regional Victoria, Australia. In this study, we explore a collaborative approach to crafting a program that ensured the prescriptive, proscriptive, and descriptive constraints experienced by the women productively informed the development and delivery of a sustainable participation opportunity. We conclude that a participant-focused rather than an activity-focused approach to program development and delivery may be more effective in producing sustainable participation opportunities, particularly for underserved communities.
- The Impact of Changing Demography and Socioeconomic Environments, and Ageing in a Small, Rural Town in Australia, opens in a new tab, Pamela M. Irwin, Journal of Population Ageing, Volume 12, pp.247-269, (2019). In rural Australia, the recent global economic downturn was heralded by a highly competitive, global market neo-liberalisation, coupled with the effects of climate change, and a downward spiral of rural depopulation. These structural changes enabled the erosion of once vibrant and independent agricultural regions, and the amalgamation and/or collapse of many of the long-term political, economic, and social institutions in small towns. This paper explores the intersection of these population and socioeconomic changes, and ageing, in a small town in rural Australia.
- Participation profiles and the barriers and facilitators that impact on participation of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders living in regional and remote Western Australia, opens in a new tab, Shani Mattinson, Marita Falkmer, Melissa H Black, et al., Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Volume 6(4), (December 2018). 32 families completed a questionnaire pack including a socio-demographic questionnaire and the Participation and Environment Measure – Children and Youth. Children with ASD had reduced participation in community activities. Within the home, children most commonly participated in computer and video games, and in school settings, children participated rarely in non-classroom and extracurricular activities. Parents reported a desire for their children to decrease time spent engaging in video games and increase time spent in the community, socializing, engaging in extracurricular activities, and completing chores. Parents reported a number of barriers to participation across community, home, and school settings.
- Physical activity of rurally residing children with a disability: A survey of parents and carers, opens in a new tab, Luke Wakely, Jessica Langham, Catherine Johnston, et al., Disability and Health Journal, Volume 11(1), pp.31-35, (January 2018). The aim of this study was to investigate parents' perceptions of physical activity opportunities for their child with a disability in a rural area. There were 34 completed surveys, a response rate of 37%. Participants' responses indicated 74% of children were not meeting daily recommendations of physical activity. Participation barriers including emotional, physical and environmental issues. Three main themes emerged from qualitative data; segregation, access to facilities and resources and barriers specific to the child. The children in this study were from rural areas and face similar barriers to children in metropolitan areas. However, they are also confronted with the same barriers children without a disability in rural areas face, participating in physical activity. This may have detrimental effects on their health and development.
- Volunteering in sport is more prevalent in small (but not tiny) communities: Insights from 19 countries, opens in a new tab, Balish S, Rainham D, Blanchard C, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Volume 16(2), pp.203-213, (2018). Research suggests members of smaller communities are more likely to play sport. This study looked at whether members of smaller communities are also more likely to volunteer in sport. Data were acquired from the World Value Survey and analysis involved 22,461 participants from 19 countries. After controlling for country-level demographic variables (including sport participation), participants from communities with between 2,000-20,000 residents were more likely to report volunteering in sport, compared to participants from larger communities (> 500,000 population). The effect of community size occurred for all measured forms of volunteering. These findings provide novel evidence that participants from smaller communities are more likely to volunteer, even when controlling for sport participation. Future research will be needed to reveal the specific determinants and consequences of sport volunteering in smaller communities.
- Who are the future volunteers in rural places? Understanding the demographic and background characteristics of non-retired rural volunteers, why they volunteer and their future migration intentions, opens in a new tab, Amanda Davies, Leonie Lockstone-Binney, Kirsten Holmes, Journal of Rural Studies, Volume 60, pp.167-175, (2018). A greater proportion of the rural Western Australian population was involved in volunteering than the Australian population. Sense of community and connectedness is very important for those who volunteer. 50% of those indicating they were to leave their rural community in the survey had volunteered in the previous three months. Lack of essential services was the key reason for volunteers leaving their community. Further research is required to understand changes in the nature of volunteering in rural areas over the life course.
- The facilitators and barriers of physical activity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander regional sport participants, opens in a new tab, Claudie Péloquin, Thomas Doering, Stephanie Alley, et.al., Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, Volume 41(5), pp.474-479, (2017). Participants were 12 Indigenous Australian adults, and 12 non‐Indigenous Australian adults matched on age, sex, and basketball division. Most participants reported engaging in regular exercise; however, the Indigenous group reported more barriers to PA. These factors included cost, time management and environmental constraints. The physical facilitators identified by our Indigenous sample included social support, intrinsic motivation and role modelling. This study is the first to compare the perspective of Indigenous Australians to a matched group of non‐Indigenous Australians and provides useful knowledge to develop public health programs based on culturally sensitive data.
- 'Sacrifice and compromise': the lived experiences of regional adolescent girls in regional Victoria, Australia who have dropped out of organised sport, opens in a new tab [thesis], Carey, Lukas Peter, University of Southern Queensland, (2017). Recent research has demonstrated that the rate of dropout from sport by adolescent girls throughout regional Australia continues to increase. In response to this phenomenon and to the nature of the research into it, this study investigated the lived experiences of 12 female participants from a regional Australian area who had dropped out of sport during their adolescent years. More specifically the studies main research question was “What are the lived experiences of regional adolescent girls in relation to their participation in and dropout from sport?" The identified themes indicated that the dropout from sport by adolescent girls is individualised depending upon the individual girl concerned, and it is complex for girls more generally. It involves negative influence from peers, families, coaches, sporting clubs and the media, all of whom influence the girls’ decision to dropout from sport. The study demonstrates that the participants were required to make undue compromise and to deal with unwanted pressures via individual, community and situational means. Pressures from these were shown to often result in the adolescent girls premature dropout from sport. In order to address these concerns, the study recommends that a combination of institutional, educational and structural changes in sport, education and the media are required to deal with the phenomenon of adolescent girls’ dropout from sport.
- ‘Power regulation and physically active identities’: the experiences of rural and regional living adolescent girls, opens in a new tab, M. Case, A. Mooney, J. Smyth, et al., Gender and Education, Volume 28(1), pp.108-127, (2016). We explored the discourses and power relations operative between groups of girls that appeared to influence their participation in Physical Education (PE) and outside of school in sport and physical activity (PA) in rural and regional communities. Interviews and focus groups were conducted in eight secondary schools with female students from Year 9 (n = 22) and 10 (n = 116). Dominant gendered and performance discourses were active in shaping girls’ construction of what it means to be active or ‘sporty’, and these identity positions were normalised and valued. The perceived and real threat of their peer's gaze as a form of surveillance acted to further perpetuate the power of performance discourses; whereby girls measured and (self) regulated their participation. Community settings were normalised as being exclusively for skilled performers and girls self-regulated their non-participation according to judgements made about their own physical abilities. These findings raise questions about the ways in which power relations, as forged in broader sociocultural and institutional discourse–power relations, can infiltrate the level of the PE classroom to regulate and normalise practices in relation to their, and others, PA participation.
- Environmental barriers and enablers to physical activity participation among rural adults: a qualitative study, opens in a new tab. Cleland V, Clarissa Hughes B , Lukar Thornton, et al. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Volume 26(2), pp.99-104, (2015). This study explored the environmental factors that act as barriers or facilitators to physical activity participation among rural adults in three regions of rural Tasmania, Australia. It highlighted the importance of shared-use areas, particularly those that were family and dog-friendly. Participants had realistic expectations of what was feasible in rural settings.
- Sex-specific correlates of adult physical activity in an Australian rural community, opens in a new tab, Suzanne Carroll, Jim Dollman, Mark Daniel, Australian Journal of Rural Health, Volume 22(1), pp.15-22, (February 2014). Rural Australians have a higher likelihood of chronic disease and lower levels of physical activity than urban Australians. Little is known of the factors associated with physical activity among rural-dwelling Australians. This study sought to determine the correlates of physical activity among men and women of the South Australian Riverland region. In men, sufficient physical activity was associated with reporting perceived sufficient physical activity for health and having friends who encouraged physical activity. Men who reported insufficient time and getting enough physical activity at their job were less likely to be sufficiently active. In women, sufficient physical activity was associated with not being employed, higher self-efficacy, and having a regular physical activity routine. Older age, poorer self-rated health, and weekend sitting time were negatively associated with sufficient physical activity for women. Factors associated with physical activity in this rural adult population differed by sex. Strategies to enhance social connectedness among men and encourage physical activity outside of work can be warranted. Women can require programs to help them develop a regular physical activity routine and improve self-efficacy.
- Opportunities, Barriers, and Constraints To Physical Activity in Rural Queensland, Australia, opens in a new tab. Eley R, Bush R, Brown W, Journal of Physical Activity and Health Volume 11(1), pp.68-75, (2014). Research in six diverse rural Queensland shires found that half the respondents failed to meet Australian physical activity guidelines and 1 in 5 reported no activity. Some barriers to physical activity (i.e. family commitments) were similar to those from urban areas. Rural barriers included climate, culture of exercise, and community leadership. It was concluded that the promotion of healthy lifestyle in rural environments need to be tailored to the local community and not necessarily replicate urban programs.
- Physical activity in three regional communities in Queensland, opens in a new tab, Brown, W. J., Burton, N. W., Sahlqvist, S., Australian Journal of Rural Health, Volume 21(2), pp.112-120, (April 2013). Overall, 18% of respondents were inactive, with the highest proportions among women (22.3%) and older adults in Mount Isa (24.3%). The proportion meeting activity guidelines was 47% with the lowest proportions among women in Mount Isa (40.4%). Although 63% reported owning a dog, only 22% reported walking a dog daily. Few people reported walking or cycling for transport. The most common types of activities were walking, home-based exercise, running/jogging, and swimming, and the most common location was at or near home. Physical activity levels were lower in these regional communities than the state average. The findings indicate a need for physical activity policy and intervention strategies targeting regional and rural areas. This could focus on women and older adults, dog walking, and physical activity opportunities in or near the home.
- Location, location, location: women’s leisure in rural Australia, opens in a new tab. Campbell A, Leisure Studies, Volume 32(3), pp.249-263, (2013). This paper investigated the impact of geographical location in shaping the leisure activities of rural women living in the Yass Valley Region of NSW. Research found that the specific geographical location had a strong impact on the types of leisure activities available in which they were able to participate. It concluded the specific geographical location can facilitate or inhibit the degree of involvement in community leisure activities that engender social capital among older women living in these locations.
- ‘You're no-one if you're not a netball girl’: rural and regional adolescent girls’ negotiation of physically active identities., opens in a new tab Mooney A, Casey M, Smyth J, Annals of Leisure Research, Volume 15(1), pp.19-37, (2012). This paper reported data collected through interviews and focus group sessions with 138 females ranging from 14 to 16 years of age across six rural and regional communities in the state of Victoria. It examined the impact that dominant discourse-power relations operating in the context of rural and regional sport and physical education can have in the negotiation of physically active identities for adolescent girls.
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