4917.0 - Sport and social capital, Australia, 2010  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/03/2012  Final
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FEELINGS OF TRUST

A more direct measure of feelings of trust is available from the GSS. Respondents were asked how strongly they agreed or disagreed with a number of statements including:

  • that most people can be trusted
  • that your doctor can be trusted
  • that hospitals can be trusted to do the right thing by you
  • that police in your local areas can be trusted.

Responses were reported on a five-point scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

Focusing on the level of generalised trust, the participation rate in sport and physical recreation activities was much higher among those who strongly agreed (74%) than those who strongly disagreed (66%). Sport participants reported greater levels of trust in people than did non-participants. The participation rate in sport and physical recreation was found to decline as feelings of trust diminished.

7.3 Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation, By level of generalised trust
Participated
Did not participate
Total
Participation rate
Non-participation rate
Total
'000
'000
'000
%
%
%
Strongly agree
1 285.7
443.7
1 729.3
74.3
25.7
100.0
Somewhat agree
5 724.4
1 625.5
7 349.8
77.9
22.1
100.0
Neither agree nor disagree
2 110.2
813.1
2 923.3
72.2
27.8
100.0
Somewhat disagree
2 366.9
939.7
3 306.7
71.6
28.4
100.0
Strongly disagree
971.5
507.4
1 479.0
65.7
34.3
100.0
Total
12 458.7
4 329.4
16 788.2
74.2
25.8
100.0


Some 56% of sport participants reported that they either strongly or somewhat agreed that most people could be trusted, compared with 48% of non-participants. In contrast, 27% of sports participants reported that they somewhat or strongly disagreed compared with 33% on non-participants.

Slightly more variation is evident when examining the levels of trust in hospitals, people's own doctors and police in their local area. As shown in Table 7.4, the participation rates in sport were similar across most levels of trust in hospitals, with lower rates among those people who strongly disagreed (60%). While it appears that the sport and physical recreation participation rate dropped with the level of trust in one's own doctor, there was not enough evidence to support this. The participation rates were noticeably higher for those who strongly or somewhat agreed with trusting in police in the local area than it was for those who had neutral or low levels of trust.

7.4 Participation in Sport and Physical Recreation, By level of trust in hospitals, own doctor and police in local area
Participated
Did not participate
Total
Participation rate
Non-participation rate
Total
'000
'000
'000
%
%
%
Level of trust in hospitals
Strongly agree
3 189.4
1 262.8
4 452.2
71.6
28.4
100.0
Somewhat agree
6 061.3
1 771.6
7 832.9
77.4
22.6
100.0
Neither agree nor disagree
1 855.6
738.1
2 593.7
71.5
28.5
100.0
Somewhat disagree
1 053.5
357.1
1 410.6
74.7
25.3
100.0
Strongly disagree
298.9
199.9
498.8
59.9
40.1
100.0
Total
12 458.7
4 329.4
16 788.2
74.2
25.8
100.0
Level of trust in own doctor
Strongly agree
7 126.9
2 420.3
9 547.2
74.6
25.4
100.0
Somewhat agree
4 013.9
1 292.9
5 306.9
75.6
24.4
100.0
Neither agree nor disagree
705.9
288.7
994.6
71.0
29.0
100.0
Somewhat disagree
294.3
172.3
466.6
63.1
36.9
100.0
Strongly disagree
138.1
86.2
224.3
61.6
38.4
100.0
Don't have a doctor
179.5
69.1
248.6
72.2
*27.8
100.0
Total
12 458.7
4 329.4
16 788.2
74.2
25.8
100.0
Level of trust in police in local area
Strongly agree
4 348.7
1 385.0
5 733.7
75.8
24.2
100.0
Somewhat agree
5 268.4
1 623.2
6 891.6
76.4
23.6
100.0
Neither agree nor disagree
1 916.8
890.2
2 806.9
68.3
31.7
100.0
Somewhat disagree
557.5
268.7
826.1
67.5
32.5
100.0
Strongly disagree
367.4
162.4
529.8
69.3
30.7
100.0
Total
12 458.7
4 329.4
16 788.2
74.2
25.8
100.0
* estimate has a relative standard error of 25% to 50% and should be used with caution





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