GLOSSARY
Aerobics and fitness
Includes organised exercise biking, fitness centre activities, gymnasium workouts and other aerobics and exercising.
Art and craft activities
The interpretation of art and craft activities was left to the respondent. If the respondent queried the definition they were advised that this category included painting, drawing, photography, macramé, origami, needlework, model making and other visual arts and crafts. Attendances at performing arts events and visits to art galleries were excluded.
Balance of state/Territory
Comprises the Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory, and the balance of the six states (excluding the state capital cities).
Basketball
Includes organised indoor and outdoor basketball.
Bike riding
Includes both organised and non-organised bike riding activities.
Couple family
For the purposes of this publication, a family consisting of two persons in a registered marriage or de facto relationship with at least one child aged 5-14 years who is usually resident in the household. The family may also include any number of other dependants, non-dependants and other related individuals.
Cycling
Includes organised cycling (bike riding), BMX and mountain bike riding. Non-organised cycling is included in the selected other activity 'Bike riding'.
Dancing
The interpretation of the term 'dancing' was left to the respondent. If the respondent queried the definition they were advised it included formal dancing lessons (e.g. ballet, callisthenics), musicals and eisteddfods where the child's predominant activity was dancing. The dancing must have occurred outside of school hours and may have included lessons, practising and performances.
Drama
Interpretation of the term 'drama' was left to the respondent. If the respondent queried the definition they were advised it included acting; designing, creating and organising costumes, props and sets; lighting and front of house activities (e.g. organising venues, production and distribution of programs, ticket sales, ushering). The activity must have occurred outside of school hours and may have included lessons, practising and performances.
Gymnastics
Includes organised callisthenics, circus acrobatics, gymnastics and trampolining.
Has a mobile phone
Having a mobile phone refers to the child having the exclusive use of a mobile phone regardless of who paid for the phone and who pays the phone bill. This includes having a phone but not using it and excludes sharing a phone with other family members or borrowing a phone on occasion.
Hockey
Includes organised indoor and outdoor hockey. Excludes underwater, ice and in-line hockey.
Homework or other study
Excludes practice or lessons for music, singing, dancing or drama. It must have occurred outside of school hours and may have included work undertaken during after school care.
Horse riding and equestrian events
Includes horse riding, organised polo, polocrosse, show jumping and other equestrian events.
Ice and snow sports
Includes organised ice hockey, ice skating, snow skiing, snow boarding and other ice/snow sports.
Internet access
Includes situations where a parent is present teaching the child or where the parent is operating the mouse or keyboard under the child's direction. Excludes situations where the child is only observing the parent accessing the Internet.
Last two weeks of school
Refers to the last two completed weeks of the current or most recent school term, including weekends and public holidays.
Lessons
Refers to organised/structured training or tuition. Lessons can be undertaken either on an individual or group basis. They must have been undertaken outside school hours.
Martial arts
Includes organised Chi Kung, judo, jujitsu, karate, kickboxing, taekwondo, tai chi and other martial arts.
Mean
The mean is a summary number that measures one type of midpoint in a range of numbers. In statistical terms determining the midpoint in a range of numbers is called the Measure of Central Tendency.
To find the mean of a set of numbers, or observations, we take the total value of all the members of the set and divide it by the number of items in the set. It is also known as the arithmetic average. More information is available from Statistical Language!, 2008 (cat. no. 1332.0.55.002).
Median
The median is one of the three measures of central tendency. The median is the middle score that separates the higher half of a data set from the lower half. It looks at the midpoint of a set of data when the numbers are ordered numerically. More information is available from Statistical Language!, 2008 (cat. no. 1332.0.55.002).
Museum or art gallery
The interpretation of 'museum or art gallery' was left to the respondent. Visits, including school excursions, to museums or art galleries were included, providing they occurred outside of school hours.
Netball
Includes organised indoor and outdoor netball.
One-parent family
For the purposes of this publication, a one-parent family consists of a lone parent with at least one child aged 5-14 years usually resident in the household. The family may also include any number of other dependants, non-dependants and other related individuals.
Organised cultural activities
The selected organised cultural activities considered in this survey comprise time spent outside of school hours playing a musical instrument, singing, dancing and drama. The activities include practising, having lessons and giving performances. Practising refers to organised or structured practice sessions only. It includes practice sessions set by an instructor even though the instructor may not be present at the time.
Organised sport
In this survey, organised sport refers to sports which are played or trained for outside of school hours and are organised by a school, club or association. Any organised or structured training or practice sessions are included as long as they have been set by an instructor or coach. Whether the child participated in an organised sport was left to the judgment of the respondent. Training is defined as undertaking a structured training activity or practice session which has been set by an instructor or coach.
This survey used a coder to assign codes to sports. Similar sports are grouped together. Where sports have been grouped together, further information is provided in this Glossary. See Glossary entries for Aerobics and fitness, Basketball, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Horse riding and equestrian events, Ice and snow sports, Martial arts, Netball, Roller sports, Squash, Surf lifesaving, Surf sports, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball.
Other countries
The group comprises all countries except Australia and the other main English-speaking countries (the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, the United States of America and New Zealand).
Other main English-speaking countries
Comprises the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, the United States of America and New Zealand.
Other screen-based activities
Any screen-based activities aside from watching TV, DVDs and videos. This may include, but is not limited to, using the computer or Internet, playing games on a games console or mobile phone, and creating music playlists or viewing photos on an MP3 player.
Outside of school hours
Includes weekends and the period generally outside the hours of 9am to 3pm (or as appropriate) on a school day. Lunchtime is considered to fall within school hours.
Participation rate
For any group, the number of persons involved in an activity expressed as a percentage of the total population of that group.
Performing arts event
The interpretation of 'performing arts event' was left to the respondent. If the respondent queried the definition they were advised it included drama and dance performances, musicals and concerts, circuses and pageants. It also includes performing arts events at school functions providing the event occurred outside of school hours.
Playing a musical instrument
The interpretation of the term 'playing a musical instrument' was left to the respondent. The activity must have occurred outside of school hours and may have included lessons, practising and giving performances. Includes playing as part of learning (e.g. playing a musical instrument to learn chords without actually being able to play a set piece of music).
Public library
The interpretation of 'public library' was left to the respondent. If the respondent queried the definition they were advised to exclude school, TAFE or university libraries. Visits, including school excursions, to national, state and local government libraries were included providing they occurred outside of school hours.
Reading for pleasure
The interpretation of 'reading for pleasure' was left to the respondent. If the respondent queried the definition they were advised that it referred to reading any printed material not related to a child's homework activity. The child must undertake the reading themselves. It includes reading books, magazines, newspapers, comics or other printed material and audio books where this is the only option that is available to a child for reading. Electronic books, school readers, textbooks and being read to by another person were excluded.
Roller sports
Includes organised skateboarding, rollerblading, in-line hockey and other roller sports.
Selected other activities
For this survey, 'Selected other activities' refers to the following activities: skateboarding, rollerblading or riding a scooter; bike riding; watching television, DVDs or videos; other screen-based activities (excluding watching television, DVDs or videos); art and craft; reading for pleasure and homework or other study. Both organised and non-organised activities are included.
Singing
Includes formal singing lessons (e.g. learning scales, voice training), practice sessions to learn songs (e.g. for choir) and singing performances. They must have occurred outside of school hours.
State capital cities
The areas determining the six state capital cities are the Statistical Divisions for those capital cities defined in the Statistical Geography: Volume 1 - Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) (cat. no. 1216.0).
Surf lifesaving
Includes organised Royal lifesaving.
Surf sports
Includes organised surfing, sailboarding and other surf sports. Excludes surf lifesaving and wind surfing.
Swimming
Includes organised diving.
Tennis
Includes organised indoor and outdoor tennis. Excludes table tennis and Royal tennis.
Volleyball
Includes organised indoor and outdoor volleyball and Newcombe ball. Excludes water volleyball.
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