Effectiveness of a school-community linked program on physical activity levels and health-related... more Effectiveness of a school-community linked program on physical activity levels and health-related quality of life for adolescent girls. BMC Public Health, 14 pp. 1-15.
Background: The contribution of sport to overall health-enhancing leisure-time physical activity ... more Background: The contribution of sport to overall health-enhancing leisure-time physical activity (HELPA) in adults is not well understood. The aim was to examine this in a national sample of Australians aged 15+ years, and to extend this examination to other ostensibly sport-associated activities. Methods: The 2010 Exercise, Recreation and Sport Survey (ERASS) was conducted by telephone interview in four quarterly waves. Data from this survey were analysed to categorise leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) as HELPA or non-HELPA, and to categorise HELPA activities and sessions of HELPA activity by setting and frequency. The contribution of sport to HELPA was estimated, both directly through activities and settings classified as sport per se, and indirectly through other fitness activities ostensibly related to preparation for sport and enhancement of sport performance. Results: Of 21,602 respondents, 82 % reported some LTPA in the 12 months prior to the survey. In aggregate, respondents reported 37,020 activity types in the previous 12 months, of which 94 % were HELPA. Of HELPA activities, 71 % were non-organised, 11 % were organised but not sport club-based, and 18 % were sport club-based. Of all sport activities, 52 % were HELPA. Of sport HELPA, 33 % was sport club-based and 78 % was undertaken ≥12 times/year. Sport club members were significantly more likely to have participated in running, but significantly less likely to have participated in walking or aerobics/fitness training, than non-club members. Conclusions: Club sport participation contributes considerably to LTPA at health enhancing levels. Health promotion policies, and more specifically physical activity policies, should emphasize the role of sport in enhancing health. Sport policy should recognise the health-promoting role of community-based sport in addition to the current predominant focus on elite pathways.
and the Brimbank City Council. The statistics in the report were compiled from sources believed t... more and the Brimbank City Council. The statistics in the report were compiled from sources believed to be accurate. The views expressed in this report are solely those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Mitchell Institute or the Brimbank City Council.
Sport participation and volunteering can make important contributions to good health. Sporting or... more Sport participation and volunteering can make important contributions to good health. Sporting organisations need volunteers to deliver their participation opportunities and for many years the sector has faced challenges to volunteer recruitment and retention, especially due to the increased bureaucratic and compliance demands in operating community sports clubs. As sporting organisations pivot to adapt to COVID-safe sport we can learn about their experiences to inform volunteer recruitment and retention policies and practices. This research examined volunteer intentions and motivations in coaching and officiating in basketball and explored factors influencing their decision to return to COVID-safe basketball. Data was collected via an online survey that drew on theoretical frameworks of volunteer motivations (i.e. modified Volunteer Functions Inventory VFI) in sport as well as sport policies related to COVID-safe guidelines for return to sport. Data was collected in Victoria Austra...
Sport and Recreation Spatial (SRS) is a collaborative venture of Federation University and Victor... more Sport and Recreation Spatial (SRS) is a collaborative venture of Federation University and Victoria University
BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2017
This study investigated the perceived influence of a Healthy Welcoming Environment (HWE) on parti... more This study investigated the perceived influence of a Healthy Welcoming Environment (HWE) on participation in sports clubs among adolescent girls, and how these perceptions changed longitudinally. HWE was defined in terms of a set of health promotion policies advocated by a health promotion foundation as the basis of sport club health promotion practice to promote structural reform in state sporting organisations and their affiliated associations and clubs. These included sports injury prevention, smoke-free, responsible serving of alcohol, sun protection, healthy eating, and welcoming and inclusive environments. Year 7 and 11 female students from metropolitan (n = 17) and non-metropolitan secondary schools (n = 14) in Australia were invited to participate in three annual surveys. These surveys collected information about current or past membership of a sports club and the influence of HWEs on their decision to participate (or not) in a sports club. Year 7 (n = 328; 74.5%) and Year 1...
Triple G girls get going in tennis : resource manual
Physical activity is ranked second in importance only to tobacco control in health promotion and ... more Physical activity is ranked second in importance only to tobacco control in health promotion and disease prevention in Australia. Individuals can be active in many ways every day, including –walking to and/or from school, work and other places of interest; participating in sports clubs; going to the YMCA or community leisure centre where you can be active through gyms, group fitness classes or in the swimming pool; visiting local parks and walking trails, and even at home and in the backyard. You can always find ways to be active in the community. Promoting physical activity to young people is important for developing healthy lifestyles now and maintaining them for the future. A physically active lifestyle can be of benefit to physical, mental and social health. Despite these benefits, adolescent girls and young women are considerably less active than their male counterparts, and sport participation decreases dramatically among girls during their secondary school years. Many physica...
Australian and New Zealand journal of public health, Jan 22, 2017
Ecological models have been applied to investigate multiple domains influencing physical activity... more Ecological models have been applied to investigate multiple domains influencing physical activity behaviour, including individual, social, organisational, community, environmental and policy factors. With regard to the built environment, research to date has been limited to small geographical areas and/or small samples of participants. This study examined the geographical association between provision of sport facilities and participation in sport across an entire Australian state, using objective total enumerations of both, for a group of sports, with adjustment for the effect of socioeconomic status (SES). De-identified membership registration data were obtained from state sport governing bodies of four popular team sports. Associations between participation rate, facility provision rate and SES were investigated using correlation and regression methods. Participation rate was positively associated with provision of facilities, although this was complicated by SES and region effec...
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Papers by Meghan Casey