Abstracts

Methods: De-identified data on participant membership registrations in three popular sports in the Australian state of Victoria were obtained from
each sport’s state governing body over a 4-year period (2009-2012 for one sport and 2010-2013 for two sports). From the membership
registrations, those who were enrolled in a modified sports program in the first year were tracked over the subsequent three years and classified
as one of: transitioned (member transitioned from a modified sport program to a club competition); continued (member continued participation in
a modified sport program; or withdrew (member discontinued a modified program and did not transition to club competition).
Results: 209,336 children (64% male) participated in one of three modified sports programs in the base year. Many modified sports participants
were very young, especially males aged 4-6 years. Fewer than 25% of females and fewer than 14% of males transitioned from a modified sports
program to community level sports for competition/participation within a 4-year period. There were age differences between when boys and girls
started, withdrew and transitioned from the modified sports programs. Very few children (4% females and 2% males) continued in a modified sports
program for the whole 4-year period. Over two thirds of children withdrew immediately after the base year (67%).
Discussion: Very few children transitioned to community level sports club competitions/participation within a 4-year period. There were also
differences in gender in terms of when boys and girls start and transition or withdraw from the modified sports programs. This study highlights
considerations for the development and implementation of sport policies and programming, whereby the same program may not be suitable for both
boys and girls, nor across the age spectrum of 4-12 years. Further, there is a need for better links between modified programs and community level
sports club competition/participation to maintain sport participation as children age. If we can retain children in sport it will be beneficial for their
health.
70 Four-year trends in sport participation and retention: the gender differences
R. Eime 1 * • J. Harvey 2 • M. Charity 1 • M. Casey 2 • H. Westerbeek 3 • W. Payne 3
1
Federation University and Victoria University • 2 Federation University • 3 Victoria University
Background: There is evidence that physical activity declines during adolescence, especially for females, and that females generally have lower
rates of participation in sport than males. There is, however, limited knowledge about participation trends by gender in organised, club-based sport,
either cross-sectionally across the lifespan or longitudinally. The measurement and analysis of sport participation data is vital to provide the sport
management and public health sectors with the evidence to make informed decisions about sport programming and policy. The aim of this study was
to identify sport participation retention and dropout trends across the lifespan, by gender, in four popular Australian sports over a 4 year period, with
a particular focus on the ages 4-14 years where most participation occurs.
Methods: All Victorian participant membership records from four popular team sports over a 4-year period were analysed: 2009-2012 for two
sports and 2010-2013 for two sports. All participants in the base year were tracked over the 4-year period, and classified as either a 1-year
participant, a discontinuous participant, or a continuous participant.
Results: A total of 408,544 participant records were analysed, comprising 69% males and 31% females. Across the lifespan, except for the 4-year
olds, at least 40% of participants in each age band participated continuously. Rates of continuous participation were much lower for ages 4-6 years
(32%-42%), and generally lower for females than males. The retention rates for those aged 4-5 were considerably lower for females (14%-24%)
than that for males (34%-35%). There were high rates of continuous participation for those aged 10-14 before considerable declines with age.
Participation trends across the lifespan were generally consistent for males (except at age 4) whereas for females the participation patterns fluctuated
more.
Conclusion: The high numbers of very young participants (4-6 years) and corresponding low retention rates require further investigation, as does
the much lower rates of retention for females in general. There is a growing body of evidence regarding the barriers to participation for females.
This information needs to be applied and perhaps new sport offerings are needed, which take into account the factors contributing to low
participation and retention rates from late adolescence (15 years) through to adulthood, specifically for females.
Thursday 22 October
71 A Novel Approach to Predict Repeatability of Performance in Older Adults: Coefficients of Variation for
Strength and Functional Measures
I. Selva Raj 1 * • S. Bird 1 • B. Westfold 1 • A. Shield 2
1
Discipline of Exercise Sciences, RMIT University • 2 School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology
Introduction: Reliable measures of muscle strength and function in older adults are essential for meaningful clinical assessments and to enable
accurate conclusions to be made about interventions. However, multiple familiarisation sessions prior to assessments to ensure reliability are not
feasible in many settings. Coefficients of variation (CVs) could be an efficient means of determining if an individual can produce repeatable
subsequent performances in tests of muscle strength and function. The aims of this study were to determine: (i) whether CVs for each participant
at the first test session can predict repeatability of performance in a subsequent session; and (ii) the level of CV that produces acceptable
repeatability (