Determinants of sport participation in different sports

TLDR

Previous research shows that a demographic–economic model can explain sport participation, but it has not yet been tested across different sports. This study tests the model’s applicability to various sports and maps participant profiles in Germany. Using survey data from 26,263 respondents, the authors applied regression analyses to identify determinants for each sport. Determinants vary by sport; for example, tennis players are typically male, well‑educated, and native, confirming the model’s predictive validity across sports.

Abstract

Previous research has shown that the demographic–economic model consisting of variables such as age, gender, nationality, income, and time can generally be used to explain sport participation. However, this model has not yet been tested for participation in different sports. The purpose of this paper is to test the applicability of the model for different sports and to depict profiles for sport participants in different sports in Germany. Based on data from different sport participation surveys with an overall sample size of n = 26,263, the determinants for practising different sports are tested using regression analyses. The findings suggest that different sports have diverse determinants. For example, the typical tennis player tends to be male, well-educated, and a native of the country. The results indicate that the demographic–economic model is appropriate in predicting sport participation in different sports.