In Ireland, limited physical activity data exist that have been collected from representative samples of children and even fewer data collected where physical activity has been measured with precision (1-5). Action 50 of the National Physical Activity Plan (2) calls for the ‘establishment of a systematic, regular and long-term national surveillance system to monitor physical activity levels in each of the NPAP target groups’ (p32). This follow-up study to the Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity study (3; CSPPA09-10) will help to provide quality surveillance data on the current physical activity levels of Irish children and youth. This data, if aligned to CSPPA09-10, will allow us to establish trends over time; to evaluate progress since 2009-10 and it will provide guidance on intervention design to ensure that every child in Ireland is given the chance to be physically active. Ultimately, it will become a corner stone for judgements in relation to future funding in the area of children and physical activity.
This multi-centre study, led by the University of Limerick, will bring together Ireland’s best expertise from the respective fields of physical activity, physical education, sport and coaching studies, epidemiology, public health and statistics. It will replicate and improve on CSPPA09-10, and use the experience of academics within the University of Limerick, University College Cork and Dublin City University to conduct CSPPA17-18. The purpose of CSPPA17-18 is to provide research that will:
- Comprehensively assess the participation levels of Irish children in sport, physical education and physical activity using both subjective and objective modalities;
- Determine the factors that enhance or inhibit this involvement,
- Demonstrate the health benefits of participation in regular health-enhancing physical activity for Irish children and youth and
- Provide a direct comparison between CSPPA09-10 and CSPPA17-18.
Funding Agency: Sport Ireland and Healthy Ireland
Duration: October 2017-October 2018
Award: €288,613
Academic Teams involved:
- University of Limerick: Professor Catherine Woods (PI and UL lead)
- Prof. Alan Donnelly, Prof. Ann MacPhail, Dr. Ciaran MacDonncha, Mr. Cormac Powell and Dr. Matthew Herring
- Dublin City University: Dr. Sarahjane Belton (DCU lead)
- Johann Issartel, Dr. Sarah Meegan, Dr. Sarah Kelly, Mr. Enda Whyte, Dr. Siobhan O’Connor, Ms. Christina Duff.
- University College Cork: Dr. Wesley O’Brien (UCC lead)
- Janis Harrington, Dr. Fiona Chambers and Dr. João Costa
For more information on the study contact: Catherine.Woods@ul.ie or Cormac.Powell@ul.ie
References:
- Fahey T, Delaney L, Gannon B. (2005) School Children and Sport in Ireland. ESRI publications. Dublin. 0707002397
- Growing Up in Ireland (2009). Available at: http://www.esri.ie/growing-up-in-ireland/
- Woods, C.; Moyna, N., Quinlan, A., Tannehill, D., and Walsh, J. (2010) The Children’s Sport Participation and Physical Activity Study. Report 1. Irish Sports Council.
- Gavin, A., Keane, E., Callaghan, M., Molcho, M. Kelly, C. and Nic Gabhainn, S. (2015) Health Behaviour in School-aged Children: a World Health Organizaion (WHO) Collaborative Cross-national Study. Department of Health and National University of Ireland, Galway.
- Harrington DM, Murphy M, Carlin A, Coppinger T, Donnelly A, Dowd KP, Woods, C, O’Brien, W, and Belton, S. Results From Ireland North and South’s 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. J Phys Act Health. 2016;13(11 Suppl 2):S183-S8.
- Healthy Ireland. Get Ireland Active! The National Physical Activity Plan for Ireland: Department of Health, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport; 2016.
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Catherine Woods is a Professor in Physical Activity and Health in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences. View Catherine’s profile here and on Researchgate and Twitter.
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