Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Princetonlaan 8A, 3584, CB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Aug 16;18(1):1022. doi: 10.1186/s12889-018-5919-2.
Many adolescents drop out of organized sports. Lack of motivation and competing priorities are known as important reasons for dropout. However, time use factors as well as environmental determinants have been largely neglected in the current literature on dropout from youth sports. The aim of this study is to investigate how (changes in) time use and characteristics of the physical environment determine dropout from football and tennis among adolescents.
Data on time use and background characteristics were collected through online surveys in 2015 and 2016 among adolescents aged 13-21 (N = 2555), including both the dropped outs and those who still continued membership of their football or tennis clubs. Physical environmental determinants (travel distance to the sports club, and neighbourhood density) were measured objectively. Binary logistic regression analyses were carried out for football and tennis separately to examine the associations between time use (time spent on various activities and changes related to the school and job situation), and environmental factors on the probability of dropping out from sports.
Time spent on sports outside the context of the sports club, and time spent on social or voluntary activities at the sports club was positively associated with continuing being football and tennis members. Tennis players who changed schools or participated in two sports at the same time had a higher probability of dropping out, whereas tennis players who travelled greater distances from home to the tennis club were less likely to drop out.
Determinants of dropout differed between football and tennis. However, time use variables were important predictors of dropout from football as well as tennis, whereas environmental determinants hardly contributed to the prediction of dropout. To keep youths involved in organized sports, this study recommends that sports professionals should: 1) offer flexibility in training and competition schedules, 2) stimulate participation in social activities and voluntary work at the sports club, 3) pay special attention to their needs and preferences, and 4) encourage possibilities to practice and play sports outside of regular training hours, for instance at the sports club or at playgrounds or parks in the neighbourhood.
许多青少年退出有组织的体育运动。缺乏动机和竞争优先级被认为是导致辍学的重要原因。然而，在当前关于青少年退出青年体育的文献中，时间利用因素以及环境决定因素在很大程度上被忽视了。本研究的目的是调查时间利用的变化以及物理环境特征如何决定青少年退出足球和网球运动。
2015 年至 2016 年，通过在线调查收集了青少年（年龄 13-21 岁）的时间利用和背景特征数据，包括已经退出和仍继续参加足球或网球俱乐部的青少年。通过客观测量体育环境决定因素（前往体育俱乐部的旅行距离和邻里密度）。分别对足球和网球进行二元逻辑回归分析，以检查时间利用（在各种活动上花费的时间以及与学校和工作情况相关的变化）与环境因素对退出体育的概率的关联。
在体育俱乐部以外的环境中进行体育活动的时间，以及在体育俱乐部中进行社交或志愿活动的时间与继续成为足球和网球成员呈正相关。改变学校或同时参加两项运动的网球运动员更有可能退出，而从家到网球俱乐部的旅行距离较大的网球运动员不太可能退出。
足球和网球的辍学决定因素不同。然而，时间利用变量是足球和网球辍学的重要预测因素，而环境决定因素几乎没有对辍学预测做出贡献。为了让青少年继续参加有组织的体育运动，本研究建议体育专业人员应该：1）提供训练和比赛时间表的灵活性；2）鼓励参与体育俱乐部的社交活动和志愿工作；3）特别关注他们的需求和偏好；4）鼓励在常规训练时间之外练习和参加体育运动的可能性，例如在体育俱乐部或在附近的操场或公园。
