Participation in club-based activity

• In 2008, the club-based activity with the highest total participation rate from respondents in Australia was golf followed by outdoor football, tennis, netball , touch football, Australian rules football, lawn bowls, outdoor cricket, basketball and martial arts
• Australian rules football had the largest increase in total participation between 2001-2008. Some of the other sports to experience increases included outdoor football, outdoor cricket, touch football and lawn bowls
• The total participation rate in club-based physical activity in 2008 was 25% of respondents across Australia
• In club-based physical activity the male participation rate was higher than the female participation rate. With non- organised physical activity the female participation rate was higher than the male participation rate
• There has been a slight increase in participation rates for males and females in club-based acitvity since 2001
• Regular participation in club-based acitvity was highest in the 15-24 year old age group

Source: Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport (2009). Participation in exercise recreation and sport Annual Report 2008

Sport and injury rates in NSW

• From 2003-2005 the annual average rate of sport/leisure injury hospitalisations in NSW was 192.4 per 100 000 hospitalisations.
• The activities most commonly causing hospitalisations are, rugby (union & league), soccer, football (unspecified) and cycling.
• Over the period 2003-2005 there was an increase in hospitalisation rates, though this was not statistically significant. Some of the reasons suggested for this increase include:
  • A lack of preventative effort
  • Ineffectiveness of currently implemented safety programs

• From 2003-2005 participation based injury hospitalisations rates increased in Australian rules football and cricket but decreased in rugby football and equestrian activities. Injury rates have increased significantly for motorcycle sports and football (unspecified) based on a per head of population basis.
• The type of injuries that resulted in hospitalisations included: fractures (55%), sprains & strains (7.9%), dislocations (7.1%) and open wounds (5.9%)
• 71.5% of all injuries involved upper & lower limbs

Source: Mitchell R., Boufouss S. & Finch CF. Sport/leisure injuries in New South Wales: trends in sport/leisure injury hospitalisations (2003-2005) and the prevalence of non-hospitalised injuries (2005). Sydney: New South Wales Injury Risk Management Research Centre, July 2008

Sports injury among Young Australians

• 49% of hospitalised injuries for young people occured when engaged in sporting & leisure activities (55% males & 31% females)
• Around half of these injuries occured while playing ball sports. The most common ball sports resulting in hospitalisations in 12-24 year olds were Australian rules football, soccer and unspecified football.
• The rates of hospitalisations were higher for males with the highest in the 12-14 years & 15-17 years age groups

Source: Eldridge D (2008) Injury among Young Australians. Australian Institute of Health & Welfare.  Bulletin 60, June 2008