Indiana State University, Terre Haute, United States.
J Community Health. 2022 Aug;47(4):687-696. doi: 10.1007/s10900-022-01078-4. Epub 2022 May 17.
To describe youth sport participation behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported by parents of youth sport athletes, to examine the association of family demographics with the likelihood of children resuming sports, and to qualitatively report the factors influencing parental decision-making regarding youth sport participation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A national sample of parents of youth athletes from across the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire focused on changes in child sport participation and family finances as a result of COVID-19 and included both close-ended and open-ended questions.
Most parents (63.1%) reported the time their children spent participating in organized youth sports had decreased because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three-quarters of parents (75.5%) reported that it was likely that their children would fully resume participating in organized youth sports within the next year. Parents whose financial situation was worsened by COVID-19 were less likely to report that their children would resume sports in the upcoming year. Three domains related to parental decision-making emerged from the open-ended responses: safety, fear, and normalcy.
Understanding the factors influencing changes in youth sport participation during the pandemic can allow systems to implement strategies for safe participation in youth sport and physical activity among children. Encouraging participation in outdoor sports with appropriate safety precautions such as masking, social distancing, and hygiene may reduce fear of participation among parents.
描述父母报告的 COVID-19 大流行期间青少年参与体育运动的行为，探讨家庭人口统计学特征与儿童恢复运动的可能性之间的关系，并定性报告影响父母在 COVID-19 大流行期间决定青少年参与体育运动的因素。
通过 Qualtrics Online Samples（Provo，UT）使用主动管理的、双重选择加入的市场研究面板组合，在美国各地招募了 236 名青少年运动员的父母（年龄：39.2±8.1 岁，57.2%女性）参加一项在线问卷调查。该问卷主要关注 COVID-19 对儿童运动参与和家庭财务的影响，包括封闭式和开放式问题。
大多数父母（63.1%）报告说，由于 COVID-19 大流行，他们孩子参加有组织的青少年运动的时间减少了。四分之三的父母（75.5%）报告说，他们的孩子很可能在未来一年内完全恢复参加有组织的青少年运动。财务状况因 COVID-19 而恶化的父母不太可能报告他们的孩子在未来一年内会恢复运动。从开放式回答中出现了三个与父母决策相关的领域：安全、恐惧和常态。
了解影响大流行期间青少年体育参与变化的因素可以使系统能够实施针对儿童安全参与青少年体育和体育活动的策略。鼓励在户外进行运动，并采取适当的安全措施，如戴口罩、保持社交距离和卫生，可以减少父母对参与的恐惧。
