SPRINTER Group

Analysis of population surveillance metrics to understand participation rates and trends in organised sport and physical activity. Data sources used include Ausplay (through national partnership with Sport Australia). 

Analysis of population surveillance metrics to understand participation rates and trends in organised sport and physical activity. Data sources used include Ausplay (through national partnership with Sport Australia). 

Design and implement complex yet pragmatic process and outcome evaluations across the Office of Sport. Pragmatic evaluations are aimed at: planning interventions, learning and continuous improvement of interventions, programming policies, and transformation of society.

ACTIVE KIDS

Effects of the Active Kids voucher program on children and adolescents’ physical activity

In 2018, all children and adolescents registered for an Active Kids voucher provided sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity and research consent. This prospective cohort study used an online survey with validated items to measure physical activity and other personal and social factors in children and adolescents who used an Active Kids voucher. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine changes from registration to after voucher use at ≤8 weeks, 9–26 weeks and ≥ 6 months. Study participants reported increasing their days achieving physical activity guidelines from 4.0 days per week at registration to 4.9 days per week after 6 months. Increased physical activity was observed for all sociodemographic population groups. The voucher-specific activity contributed 42.4% to the total time children participated in structured physical activities outside of school. Children and adolescents who increased to, or maintained, high levels of activity were socially supported to be active, had active parent/caregivers, had better concentration and were overall happier than their low-active counterparts. The Active Kids program significantly increased children’s physical activity levels and these increases continued over a six-month period. The Active Kids voucher program shows promise as a scaled-up intervention to increase children and adolescents’ physical activity participation.

Who does the Active Kids program reach?

Abstract: Active Kids is a government-led, universal voucher program that aims to reduce the cost of participation in structured physical activity for all school-enrolled children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. As part of the Active Kids program evaluation, this cross-sectional study examined the Active Kids’ program’s reach to children in NSW and their physical activity behaviors, before voucher use. Demographic registration data from all children (4.5–18 years old) who registered for an Active Kids voucher in 2018 (n = 671,375) were compared with Census data. Binary and multinomial regression models assessed which correlates were associated with meeting physical activity guidelines and participation in the sessions of structured physical activity. The Active Kids program attracted more than half (53%) of all eligible children in NSW. Children who spoke a primary language other than English at home, were aged 15–18 years old, lived in the most disadvantaged areas, and girls, were less likely to register. Of the registered children, 70% had attended structured physical activity sessions at least once a week during the previous 12 months, whilst 19% achieved physical activity guidelines. Active Kids achieved substantial population reach and has the potential to improve children’s physical activity behaviors.

Physical Activity and Sport participation in Indigenous children

• In 2018, more than 35,000 Indigenous children engaged with Active Kids.  This is one of the largest cohorts of indigenous children in Australia presenting unique opportunity to learn more 
• The Active Kids voucher program evaluation highlights the significant reach that the program achieved to Indigenous and non-Indigenous children indicating that the universality of the Active Kids program appears acceptable, enabling reach to children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and of all abilities which is essential to promote inclusive sport and physical activity opportunities. 
• This study found that Indigenous children are more physically active, however their sport participation is lower, than non-Indigenous children.
• This universal approach could be complimented with additional targeted approaches to achieve equitable socioeconomic reach. 

SPRINTER evaluation protocol for Active Kids is registered with Australian and New Zealand Clinical trials registry. ACTRN12618001148268

Trial 

Active Kids evaluation protocol

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

Parental awareness and uptake paper

• In 2018, the Active Kids program reached over half (53%) of all school-enrolled children in NSW and subsequently reduced the cost barrier to organised sport and physical activity for these children. This reach supports continued government investment in the program.
• A substantial proportion of children who live in the most disadvantaged areas have engaged in the Active Kids program.
• However, there is still a large proportion of socially disadvantaged groups who have not engaged in the program.
• Parent/carer’s in the most disadvantaged areas were twice as likely to be unaware and not engage in the Active Kids Program compared with parents/carers in the least disadvantaged areas.
• Further targeted work is required to increase the awareness and engagement in the Active Kids program for socially disadvantaged groups.

The scope of the Regional Sport and Active Recreation plans evaluation is broad as each of the nine regional areas in NSW have individualised plans. These plans adopt a multi-sectoral, place based approach and will be implemented by six partner groups. We have developed a standardised evaluation framework with specific targets and measurable indictors which will be used to answer the following questions:

1. To what extent are the six objectives in the regional sport and active recreation plans achieved at short (1-2 years), medium (3-4 years) and long term (5 years) time points in regional NSW?
2. What works, and what doesn’t work, in the process of implementing the regional sport and active recreation plans in the varied areas of regional NSW at short (1-2 years), medium (3-4 years) and long term (5 years) time points in regional NSW?  

Regional Sport Plans Snapshot

Collating best practice evidence to translate and inform policy processes and strategic decision making. 

Voucher scheme review 

Women in sport participation review

7 best buys 

Understand the reach and role major events play in promoting population participation in physical activity and sport. 

Build research capability across the sport and physical activity sector through collaboration and partnerships to enhance delivery and decision making. 

CASRO review – Inactive and active Australians

Hockey NSW analysis - available on request
Netball NSW analysis - available on request
Softball NSW analysis - available on request

National sport plan consultation

Quantifying the impact of sport and active recreation

SPRINTER annual symposia provide an opportunity to celebrate and showcase the impact of SPRINTER work. 

2018 SPRINTER symposia wrap up

2019 SPRINTER symposia wrap up

Sport NSW event presentations - available on request

Contribution to building and enhancing the academic evidence base for health, wealth and wellbeing promotion through physical activity and sport.  The SPRINTER team engage with academic and scholarly activity in Australia and around the world.

Bridget Foley PhD – Active Kids 

Financial incentives paper

• Cost is commonly cited as a barrier for participation in community sport in Australia. To overcome this, significant  attention has been given to the use of financial incentives, such as sports vouchers, with five states and territories in Australia adopting this approach since 2011.
• Participation in community sport and the amount Australians spend on community sport is associated with location, with individuals living in most advantaged areas spending more and playing more sport, than disadvantaged communities.
• Across Australia, financial incentives contribute over 60% of total expenditure for families living in the most disadvantaged areas. 
• State-wide participation strategies, including the implementation of voucher programs, present a clear opportunity to promote participation in sport through their impact on financial costs of sport participation.
• Financial incentives, such as sport vouchers, should be a part of a multi-component approach to get more people active everyday and should focus on communities living in the most disadvantaged areas. 

Getting Australia Active III (GAAIII) is an evidence-based guide designed to support policy makers with adopting or strengthening a whole-of-systems approach to physical activity in Australia. It has been developed by the Australian Systems Approaches to Physical Activity (ASAPa) project, a national initiative led by researchers at The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre and the University of Sydney with funding from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Fund. 

It is the first such guide on a systems approach to physical activity in the world, and provides guidance for health and non-health sectors in developing physical activity-relevant policies and programs. It presents design specifications on effective policies and programs across 8 policy domains, guidance on priority investments, case studies and links to online resources. A series of ‘summary briefs’ on key areas will shortly accompany this guide. 

GAAIII updates the evidence published in previous editions of Getting Australia Active in 2002 and 2004, and incorporates additional guidance to support government policy makers in Australia with implementing the actions recommended by the World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity. It provides timely guidance given the current consultation on a new 10-year National Preventive Health Strategy, and supports work in State-level planning or a possible National Physical Activity Strategy.

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