Key Results of the 2007/08 Active New Zealand Survey Research Completed

Title

Key Results of the 2007/08 Active New Zealand Survey

Lead Author

Sport NZ

Organisation(s)

Sport NZ

Publication Year

2008

Publisher

Sport NZ

Contacts

Interactive tools, information and further reports: www.activenzsurvey.org.nz/

Further publications relating to the survey: www.activenzsurvey.org.nz/Publications/

Abstract

Active NZ is a new national physical activity survey. Consequently, it sets a benchmark in how we will monitor participation in sport, recreation and physical activities among New Zealand adults.

This has been a huge project for SPARC to undertake with the survey being fielded over a 12 month period and incorporated two measurement tools to capture robust, quality data from over 4,000 Kiwis. We are extremely pleased with the depth of information this survey gives us and our partners in the sport and recreation sector.

So what does it tell us? Sport and recreation continues to be a major part of the lives of New Zealand adults. During any week, nearly 80 percent of adults participated in at least one sport or recreation activity; over 12 months, one in four Kiwis provided support to sport and recreation as volunteers and almost 40 percent took part in at least one event or organised competition. In terms of how active Kiwis are, nearly 50 percent of adults met physical activity guidelines for adults advocated in New Zealand (at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day on fi ve or more days a week).

In terms of trend data, participation levels in sport and recreation, volunteering levels and being members of clubs or centres can be compared to data collected in 2000/01. Again the news is good; our levels of engagement in sport and recreation as participants and volunteers have remained stable between 2000/01 and 2007/08.

SPARC will be releasing much more information from the survey over the coming months, including for the first time, a profi le for each of the 17 Regional Sports Trusts which will allow regional bodies to compare high-level results to other regions and nationally. We will also be releasing profi les on the sport and recreation activities with the highest participation numbers. In addition there will be ethnic-specific profiles, profiles focusing on volunteers and other demographic groups.

Finally I would like to take this opportunity to thank the following people and organisations who helped this project come to fruition: all the participants who freely gave their time to participate in this survey; Ministry of Health, Statistics New Zealand and Dr Karen Moy who assisted with the design of the survey; Nielsen for undertaking the survey; and the SPARC Research Team, in particular, Grant McLean, Paula Pope and Maea Hohepa who managed the Active NZ survey, analysed the data and wrote this report.

 

Keywords:

Survey, Recreation, New Zealand, Sport, Sport NZ, SPARC, Activity, Volunteer, Common activities, Trends, Fitness, Participation