ABSTRACT

Internationally, many sport policies articulate a desire for lifelong participation in sport. However, participation often fluctuates throughout the lifespan and most people drop-out at some stage. Most research on drop-out of sport focuses on children and adolescents, with little attention towards other age groups. The aim of this study was to investigate why adults aged 50+ years dropped out of sport during their life, and how and why they may re-engage later in life. Eight focus groups (n = 49) were conducted, with Australian National Sporting Organisations; adults aged 50+ years, who were either currently involved in sport (e.g. player/volunteer/coach) or not currently involved. The Socio-Ecological Model was used to frame the interview questions, and Leisure Constraints Theory was used to analyse the results. The main themes on drop-out included lack of appropriate playing opportunities; competing priorities; and low priority from sporting organisations. The main themes for re-engagement in sport at an older age included improving physical health; social opportunities, especially with family/friends; and having more leisure time. It is recommended that to re-engage adults aged 50+ years in active sport participation, organisations should focus on providing age appropriate playing opportunities, whilst ensuring that social interaction is an integral focus.

摘要

在国际上，许多体育政策都表达了终身参与体育运动的愿望。然而，参与度在整个生命周期中经常波动，大多数人在某个阶段退出。大多数关于退出运动的研究都集中在儿童和青少年身上，很少关注其他年龄组。这项研究的目的是调查为什么 50 岁以上的成年人在他们的一生中退出了运动，以及他们如何以及为什么在以后的生活中重新参与。与澳大利亚国家体育组织一起开展了八个焦点小组（n = 49）；50 岁以上的成年人，他们目前正在参与体育运动（例如运动员/志愿者/教练）或目前没有参与。访谈问题采用社会生态模型构建，休闲约束理论用于分析结果。辍学的主要主题包括缺乏适当的比赛机会；相互竞争的优先事项；和体育组织的低优先级。老年人重新参与体育运动的主要主题包括改善身体健康；社交机会，尤其是与家人/朋友的社交机会；并且有更多的闲暇时间。建议让 50 岁以上的成年人重新参与积极的体育运动，组织应专注于提供适合年龄的运动机会，同时确保社交互动是一个整体重点。