What is Sport Anyway?
In February 2008, the National Centre for Cultural and Recreational Statistics (NCCRS) released a Discussion Paper: Defining Sport and Exercise, a Conceptual Model (cat. no. 4149.0). After receiving feedback and comments on the paper from specialists working in the field of sport and physical activity policy, research or measurement, NCCRS has now released the final version of this paper, titled Information Paper: Defining Sport and Physical Activity, A Conceptual Model (cat. no. 4149.0.55.001).
If you have ever contemplated the question "what is sport?" or "what is exercise?" then this paper will be of interest to you. The information paper presents definitions of sport, exercise and physical recreation. It also examines the relationship between these overlapping concepts, and brings them together in a conceptual model. The model outlines what activities may be considered in scope for research on exercise, physical recreation and sport.
As a precursor to the development of this conceptual model, an analysis of sports and physical activity surveys was undertaken to review 30 surveys conducted at the national, state or territory level. The aim of developing a conceptual model for sport and physical activity is to aid interpretation and future development of surveys in this field. That said, even when concepts are well defined, there can still be practical difficulties in designing a survey that will accurately measure the concepts. This is also briefly discussed in the paper.
If you have any queries regarding the paper, please contact Megan Warner in the Sport Statistics Unit (08) 8237 7387.
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