Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, ISSN 1318-2269 37 Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Boris Sila FREQUENCY OF ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT SPORTS OF SLOVENIAN ADULTS OVER A ONE-YEAR PERIOD POGOSTNOST UKVARJANJA ODRASLIH PREBIVALCEV SLOVENIJE Z RAZLIČNIMI ŠPORTNIMI AKTIVNOSTMI V OBDOBJU ENEGA LETA Abstract The study was conducted on the basis of a survey of October 2000 aimed at discovering what sports the adult population of Slovenia did in the past 12 months and how frequently. The sample of 1,100 adults (over 18 years of age, average age 45.38) consisted of 524 males (47.6%) and 576 females (52.4%). Data were compared between the active and inactive study subjects in terms of their sports activity, and the ratio was 45% to 55%. Sports activ- ity was reported by 55% of all men included in the study and by only 36% of women. Slovenian adults prefer walking & strolling, swimming, cycling, mountaineering, alpine skiing, dancing, jogging, morning exercises, badminton, basketball, soccer and fitness. In terms of frequency of sports activity in one year, a small part of the sample consisted of the subjects practising a specific sport on a regular basis and/or also for competitive purposes. On the other hand, a large part of the sample consisted of subjects engaging in a specific range of sports activities on a frequent basis. Gender and age were shown to be significant with respect to frequency of practice and selection of sports activities. Key words: sports activity, adults, frequency, sports disciplines, gender, age Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia Corresponding author: Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana Gortanova 22, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Tel.: +386 1 520 7743 Fax.: +386 1 5207730 E-mail: boris.sila@sp.uni-lj.si Izvleček Študija je bila opravljena na podlagi anketiranja, izvedenega oktobra 2000 s ciljem ugotoviti, s kat- erimi športi in kako pogosto so se odrasli Slovenci ukvarjali v zadnjih 12 mesecih. V reprezentativni vzorec je bilo zajetih 1100 odraslih prebivalcev Slovenije, starih 18 let in več, s povprečno starostjo 45,38 let, med katerimi je bilo 524 (47,6 %) moških in 576 (52,4 %) žensk. Z različnimi športnimi ak- tivnostmi se je ukvarjalo 45 % anketiranih. Od tega je bilo 58,2 % moških in 41,8 % žensk. Glede na celoten vzorec je bilo aktivnih 55 % moških, žensk pa 36 %. Športne aktivnosti, s katerimi se ukvarja največ odraslih prebivalcev Slovenije, so hoja, plavanje, kolesarstvo, planinstvo, alpsko smučanje, ples, tek v naravi, jutranja gimnastika, badminton, košarka, nogomet in fitnes. Glede na pogostnost športne aktivnosti (tj. kolikokrat v 365 dneh) smo ugotovili, da se z ene strani z nekaterimi športnimi dejavnostmi ukvarja raz- meroma majhen delež anketiranih, vendar so pri tem aktivni zelo redno in/ali tudi tekmovalno, z druge strani pa tudi veliko pogostost določenih športnih aktivnosti, s katerimi se pogosto ukvarja večji delež anketiranih. Tako izbor športov kot pogostnost udejstvovanja sta pomembno odvisna od spola in starosti. Ključne besede: športna aktivnost, odrasli, pogost- nost, športne panoge, spol, starost 38 Sports activity of adults Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Introduction Like elsewhere in the world, some of the Slovenian institutions try to monitor recreational sports activity of the entire Slovenian population as attentively and accurately as possible. Physical activity and sports activity were mostly surveyed using various questionnaires to ascertain how the citizens prefer to spend their leisure time, whether it is related to sports and in what way. The aim was also to explore peoples’ choice of sports and venues, and establish how frequently they participate in each. Diaries were also used to register sports activity in a certain period of time. Given a variety of methodologies used to collect and analyse data and due to application of different measures and assessment criteria, it is hard to use survey results in a cross-national comparison. In the past decades, attempts were made to solve this problem, for example by Finger (1992) and the project Compass (1999), as both strived to set common criteria for comparative information about adults’ sports activity in the European countries. However, so far no satisfactory international guideline for harmonisation have been produced. For more than thirty years (since 1973) the Faculty of Sport at the University of Ljubljana has systematically studied the recreational sports activity of adults in Slovenia. These studies revealed the situation in the country with respect to frequency of sports activity of adult popu- lation (organised and non-organised) in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender and age, level of education and income, and living environment (village, town). At the same time, these surveys dealt with preference for specific sports disciplines and the proportion of Slovenians practising a particular sport. The goal of the present study is to answer the question of what sports Slovenian adults prefer doing and how frequently they do it in a one-year period. The survey evaluated the quantity of sports activity based on the number of times people took part in sports in 365 days. Once- a-week activity means up to 50 training sports sessions and twice-a-week activity about 100 sports sessions yearly. With reference to frequency of participation, we can distinguish between those sports on which weather has no impact and those sports which are strongly influenced by weather. Additionally, we can make a distinction between the sports where nature and sport surfaces change due to weather conditions. Moreover, there are seasonal sports and sports that are at- tractive all year round. Various sports on snow in a cold winter have their own characteristics, compa red to spor t s i n wa r m weat her, e.g. “ blue spor t s” i n t he sea (sw i m m i ng , d iv i ng) or on t he sea surface (sai ling, w indsur fing). There are a lso spor ts w it h relatively no seasona l boundaries but dependent on the weather conditions, i.e. cycling, walking & strolling, mountaineering, inline skating, trim-track running etc. They are attractive throughout the year, but still far more exercised during warmer seasons. All sports mentioned above are “outdoor activities” and can be supplemented by those in the open air requiring sport facilities and special sport surfaces, e.g. tennis, soccer, badminton and beach volley. Many sports do not belong to the weather-sensitive group. They take place in sports halls or indoor sports courts, such as table tennis, badminton, squash, basketball, volley ball, aerobics, fitness activities, morning exercise and other. The surveys in Slovenia mostly covered measuring of frequency of sports activity and discover- ing what sports people practice during a year (Jošt, Sila, Leskošek. T ušak, Doupona T opič, Cecić Sports activity of adults 39 Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Erpič, & Močnik, 1999; Petrović, Sila, Ambrožič, & Žvan, 1980 ; Petrović, Ambrožič, & Sila, 1990 ; Petrović, Ambrožič, Sila, & Doupona, 1998 ; Petrović, Ambrožič, Sila, Doupona Topič, & Bednarik, 2000 ; Petrović, Ambrožič, Bednarik, Berčič, Sila, & Doupona Topič, 2001; Pišot & Sila, 2000 ; Sila & Ambrožič, 1997). The Compass project classifies sports activity according to the following criteria: frequency indicates quantity (none / occasionally: 1–12 times a year, irregularly: 12–69 times a year, and intensive: more than 120 times a year), while quality is explained by whether the activity is competitive or not, and by what range or type of competitions the participants take part in (recreational, local, regional, high-level competition etc.). The third criterion deals with organisation of sports activity which is defined as taking part in organised exercises and as sport club membership. The Australian researchers Dale and Ford (2002 ; the sampled subjects aged over 15) used a 6-level scale measuring frequency of sports activity in a year; 1–6 times, 7–12, 13–26, 27–52, 104 and more times. The survey included 165 leisure time activities, and in terms of number of participants, walking and strolling, swimming, fitness, aerobics, cycling and tennis were on top of the list. Most surveys investigate sports activity within a country and/or among several countries dur- ing a one-year period (Booth, 2000 ; Cordell, McDonald, Lewis, Miles, Martin, & Bason, 1996; Zuzanek, 1996). One of the UK studies (Gratton & Tice, 1994) examines sports activity in past 4 weeks, while IP AQ (International Physical Activity Questionnaires, 2004), launched in Geneva in 1998 is an exception to the rule, as its questionnaire measured sports activity in past 7 days. For decades, the SGMA (Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, USA, founded in 1907) has conducted research investigating sports activity in the American population. While they may complement various consumer, point-of-sale and retail trade studies, data on participa- tion have also become more and more important in defining the size of a market. In the 2002 su r vey (t he sa mple i ncludes more t ha n 15 t housa nd households a nd respondents over 5 yea rs), 103 various sports and fitness activities were documented (Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, 2004). In a multitude of sports activities that the American citizens were fond of were: (1) walking and strolling, (2) swimming, (3) cycling, (4) bowling, (5) various kinds of fishing, (6) strength exercises – free weights, (7) treadmill, (8) stretching, (9) basketball, and (10) jogging. Not only was the popularity of sports measured, but also the frequency of activity in each sport during the past year (sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, 2004). One of the interesting results was that at least 100 training sessions in the past year were performed by 33% of free-weight lifters, 38% of treadmill users, 44% of those engaged in stretching, and by 29% of joggers. In the last fifteen years a faster growth in the number of participants was recorded in the population doing various fitness exercises, especially cardio fitness (fitness cycling, treadmill, orbitrek etc.), inline skating, mountain biking, snowboarding, kayaking, surfing and diving. In the same period, some sports lost their high attractiveness, such as aerobics, badminton, roller skating – 2x2 wheels, cross-country skiing and water skiing. The USA survey conducted by Howard (1992) introduced specific criteria for measuring frequency of sports activity. Participation in sports activity was characterised as highly- repeated versus casual or rare; the respondents were differentiated not only on the basis of 40 Sports activity of adults Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) their reported participation rate but also in relation to sport. By their annual average rate of participation in sports activity, the respondents were divided in heavy, medium and light categories. Adults who reported activity of 1–19 times in aerobics, jogging and fitness (free weights, weight resistance machines) during the previous 12 months were commonly referred to as light; medium was defined by a frequency of 20–99; and heavy as at least 100 times a year. In contrast, golf and tennis were adjusted differently: the term light was defined as 1–4 times a year, medium 5–19, and heavy 20 or more times a year (Howard, 1992). Various definitions of frequency of sports activity as an interesting methodological issue have often been discussed by many authors, such as Booth, (2000), Cuchman, Veal and Zuzanek (1996). This survey tries to highlight some characteristics of the frequency of participation in sport by adults, taking into account sports activities that are popular or preferably chosen by the Slovenian adults. The main point is to establish which sports have the highest frequency rate and whether this frequency rate is determined by gender and age. Method Participants The research used a sample of 1,100 adults aged over 17. Instruments The questionnaire was provided in the framework of a public-opinion research carried out by the Institute of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana. As regards the goal of the research, some parts of the comprehensive questionnaire were taken into consideration separately, according to the following variables: the participation in various sports activities, the frequency of sports activity in the previous year, gender and age. Procedure Data were analysed by the SPSS and EXCEL. Basic statistical procedures were used to interpret the selected results, however, some relations between variables were calculated by Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results The first table comprises the results obtained from answers by all of the sampled respond- ents. In all other presentations of results, only those respondents participating in sports activities in the past year were taken into consideration. Table 1 shows some characteristics of the total sample and of two sub-groups: those respondents who reported sports activity and those who reported to be inactive. A relatively strong correlation (0.82) was established between men and women in the active group of the sample, taking into account the data on all 50 listed sports and considering the fact that 30 sports out of 50 originally listed in the questionnaire were suitable in terms of information needed for the purposes of this survey. Sports activity of adults 41 Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Table 1: Some characteristics of the total sample and some characteristics of both: active and inactive sub-sample Characteristic All % Active % Inactive % Frequency 1100 100 495 45 605 55 Male 524 47.6 288 55 236 45 Female 576 52.4 207 36 369 64 Age - mean 45.4 38.2 51.4 a) younger (18-40 years) 477 43.6 288 60 189 40 b) older (40+ years) 623 56.4 207 33 416 67 Mean of age – younger 29.1 28.2 30.6 Mean of age – older 57.8 51.7 60.9 Table 2: The percentage of active representatives of the sample – the rank of chosen sports by gender MALE % FEMALE % 1. Walking & strolling 34.4 1. Walking & strolling 27.4 2.Swimming 25.0 2.Swimming 20.3 3.Cycling 22.5 3.Cycling 18.1 4.Soccer 19.1 4.Mountaineering 13.9 5. Alpine skiing 18.9 5. Aerobics 12.3 6.Mountaineering 17.7 6.Dancing 11.8 7.Basketball 15.5 7.Morning gymnastics 11.6 8.Running 11.6 8.Badminton 10.2 9.Dancing 10.7 9.Running 9.4 10.Fitness 10.5 10.Alpine skiing 8.2 11. Mountain biking 9.5 11. Volleyball 6.9 12. Table tennis 9.4 12. Fitness 5.2 13.Badminton 8.8 13.Inline skating 5.2 14. Morning gymnastics 8.4 14. Ice skating 4.7 15.Volleyball 8.4 15.Mountain biking 3.5 16.Tennis 7.4 16.Archery 3.5 17.Fishing 6.1 17.Table tennis 3.5 18.Alpinism 5.5 18.Alpinism 2.8 19.Athletics 5.0 19.Trim tracks 2.8 20. Trim tracks 4.4 20. Athletics 2.3 21.Bowling 4.2 21.Cross-country skiing 2.3 22. Inline skating 3.8 22. Tennis 2.1 23.Shooting 3.8 23.Yoga 1.7 24.Bowls 3.6 24.Bowls 1.6 25.Skating 3.6 25.Horse-back riding 1.6 26.Rowing 3.4 26.Basketball 1.6 27. Martial arts 3.2 27. Rafting 1.6 28. Auto-motor sport 3.1 28. Rowing 1.2 29. Underwater sports 3.1 29. Windsurfing 0.9 30. Cross-country skiing 2.9 30. Bowling 0.9 42 Sports activity of adults Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Table 3 : Spor ts d iscipl i nes – ra n k w it h reference to repor ted average t ra i ni ng sessions du ri ng last yea r Rank Sports activities N % Min Max M SD 1 Morning gymnastics 111 10.1 2 365 135.5 123.2 2 Walking & strolling 338 30.7 1 500 103.0 104.9 3Yoga 121.1 3 365 94.2 128.6 4Handball 80.7 3 300 87.9 120.4 5Aerobics 756.8130063.966.2 6 Martial arts 20 1.8 1 300 61.3 82.9 7Fitness 857.7 1 360 59.0 72.5 8 Cycling 222 20.2 2 366 58.9 70.0 9 Horse-back riding 20 1.8 1 365 57.2 99.4 10Athletics 393.5236555.590.3 11 Running 115 10.5 1 365 53.3 75.6 12Soccer 1059.5 1 400 52.5 75.5 13 Inline skating 50 4.5 1 300 45.4 53.1 14 Other sports 26 2.4 2 200 40.7 40.7 15Hunting 131.2215037.040.6 16Shooting 242.2125036.867.7 17 Mountain biking 70 6.4 1 360 35.5 61.2 18 Sports gymnastics 5 0.5 5 50 31.6 18.4 19 Bowls 28 2.5 1 330 31.4 76.8 20 Basketball 90 8.2 1 150 30.2 29.4 21 Fishing 35 3.2 1 150 29.7 38.2 22 Volleyball 84 7.6 1 200 26.8 31.5 23 Swimming 248 22.5 2 200 25.4 26.5 24 Table tennis 69 6.3 2 150 23.9 26.8 25 Bowling 27 2.5 1 150 22.3 30.0 26 Tennis 51 4.6 1 100 20.7 19.6 27 Dancing 124 11.3 1 200 19.6 28.3 28 Paragliding 5 0.5 1 50 17.4 20.7 29 Squash 7 0.6 2 50 17.3 21.9 30 Mountaineering 173 15.7 1 200 16.9 25.4 31 Alpinism 45 4.1 1 150 16.8 28.9 32 Sport climbing 9 0.8 1 80 16.8 28.5 33 Trim tracks 39 3.5 1 100 15.8 22.9 34 Cross-country skiing 28 2.5 2 50 15.1 12.5 35 Badminton 105 9.5 1 104 15.0 16.8 36 Aviation sports 1 0.1 14 14 14.0 . 37 Underwater sports 21 1.9 1 40 13.8 11.3 38 Alpine skiing 146 13.3 1 50 11.8 9.6 39 Auto-motor sports 16 1.5 1 50 11.3 13.1 40 Orienteering 14 1.3 1 50 10.4 15.4 41 Snowboarding 12 1.1 1 30 9.4 9.0 42 Golf 8 0.7 1 40 8.8 13.2 43 Ice skating 46 4.2 1 90 8.4 14.6 44 Rowing, kayak 25 2.3 1 56 7.3 11.3 45 Ice hockey 8 0.7 2 20 7.3 5.8 46 Archery 4 0.4 2 14 6.0 5.5 47 Windsurfing 9 0.8 1 15 5.7 5.7 48 Tour skiing 6 0.5 2 10 4.5 2.9 49 Sailing 14 1.3 1 10 3.9 2.9 50 Rafting 18 1.6 1 3 1.5 0.6 51 Triathlon 2 0.2 1 1 1.0 0.0 Legend (for tables 3, 4, 5): N = number of participants; % = percentage of sport active respondents out of 1,100; Min = minimum times a year; Max = maximum times a year; M = arithmetic mean in numbers – how many times a year; SD = standard deviation Sports activity of adults 43 Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Table 4 reported the average frequency of activity in each sport separately for men and women in a year. Besides the average value, the lowest and the highest numbers of training sessions in each sports discipline reported for the last 12 months were also shown. Only those sport disciplines that were reported by more than 5% of respondents involved in the research were taken into consideration. In terms of average frequency of sports activity, the correlation between men and women was 0.60. Table 4: The rank of sport disciplines by gender Male Min Max P Female Min Max P 1 Morning gymnastics 2 365 121.64 1 Morning gymnastics 3 365 144.57 2 Walking & strolling 2 400 84.15 2 Walking & strolling 1 500 124.39 3Fitness 236071.693Aerobics 130065.75 4Cycling 336659.794Cycling 236557.83 5Running 136556.525Inline skating 330055.13 6Soccer 140054.116Running 136549.63 7Athletics 236552.157Mountain biking236039.25 8Shooting 125041.858Fitness 112035.67 9Bowls 233035.749Volleyball 220030.85 10 Mountain biking 1 300 34.00 10 Swimming 2 200 27.81 11Fishing 115032.0611Dancing 120019.66 12Basketball 115031.6712Table tennis 215019.15 13 Inline skating 1 120 30.80 13 Trim tracks 3 100 18.25 14 Table tennis 2 100 25.80 14 Tennis 2 100 18.00 15Swimming 220023.2515Badminton 110417.88 16Volleyball 112023.1616Alpinism 110017.75 17Bowling 115022.2717Cross-country skiing35015.15 18Tennis 16021.4918Mountaineering 19014.01 19 Dancing 1 100 19.63 19 Alpine skiing 1 48 11.60 20Mountaineering 120019.43 20Ice skating 1 24 5.85 21Alpinism 115016.24 22 Trim tracks 1 100 14.04 23 Alpine skiing 1 50 11.96 24Badminton 14811.26 As regards age, the sample was divided in two groups; the group of respondents aged up to 40 and the group over 40. In terms of average frequency of sports activity, the correlation between the younger and the older age groups was 0.64. 44 Sports activity of adults Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Table 5: Rank of sport disciplines by age Younger – up to 40 years Min Max P Older – over 40 years Min Max P 1 Morning gymnastics 2 365 115.86 1 Morning gymnastics 10 365 167.71 2 Walking & strolling 2 365 98.10 2 Walking & strolling 1 500 110.09 3Aerobics 130065.503Cycling 336676.52 4Athletics 236558.604Fitness 236064.64 5Fitness 130057.865Mountain biking336059.23 6Soccer 140056.596Aerobics 1020054.73 7Running 136556.587Bowls 233052.90 8Cycling 230050.578Running 228842.56 9 Inline skating 3 300 47.67 9 Shooting 1 200 41.60 10 Mountain biking 1 300 30.09 10 Basketball 3 104 39.36 11Basketball 115028.5311Fishing 215038.15 12Volleyball 120027.0312Hunting 215038.10 13Swimming 220024.5413Soccer 330036.91 14Dancing 120024.1814Table tennis 510036.29 15 Table tennis 2 150 19.81 15 Swimming 2 100 27.28 16Tennis 16018.7916Tennis 710026.15 17Bowling 15017.4317Volleyball 25225.45 18 Trim tracks 1 100 16.17 18 Alpinism 2 150 25.33 19Mountaineering 112014.7519Mountaineering 120019.90 20Badminton 110414.2920Badminton 14017.43 21Alpinism 110013.6721Cross-country skiing25017.27 22 Rowing, kayak 1 56 7.55 22 Alpine skiing 1 40 10.60 23 Ice skating 1 90 7.46 23 Dancing 1 50 10.13 Discussion For over thirty years the Faculty of Sport has been monitoring sports activity in Slovenia. As has been established by several studies carried out in that long period, the range of sports on top of t h e l i s t w i t h r e s p e c t t o p r o p o r t i o n o f t h e p a r t i c i p a t i n g p o p u l a t i o n i s r e l a t i v e l y c o n s t a n t . H o w e v e r, there some changes appeared in the popularity of some sports. Bowling, which once prevailed among popular sports in Slovenia and later trim-track activities and tennis, now tend to be outclassed by some new sports such as inline skating, snowboarding, aerobics, fitness exercises, paragliding and some other currently fashionable sports. Even though data from various partial analyses show the existence of one hundred sports disciplines, this survey’s questionnaire relies upon 50 spor t d iscipl i nes selec ted on t he basis of si mi la r prev ious resea rches on spor ts ac t iv it y (Jošt et al., 2000; Petrovič et al., 1980, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2001; Sila & Ambrožič, 1997). The results shown in Table 1 confirm that both gender and age statistically significantly relate to spor t pa r t icipat ion. The percent a ge of men t a k i ng pa r t i n spor t s ac t iv it y wa s h ig her (55% of t he Sports activity of adults 45 Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) whole sample) than that of women (only 36%). In the case of the active sub-sample the rela- tion between men and women was 58.2% : 41.8%. The research established a substantial dif- ference in sports activity in terms of age. The active group within the sample is statistically significantly 13 years younger than the rest of the sample doing very little or no sports. This is not surprising, as the subgroup of respondents aged 40 and less differs from the older group significantly, however, the differences within the sub-groups are even more interesting. 60% of members of the young group were sport active and they were a year younger than average, while the group of respondents over 40 (only one third of the sub-group was active), were 6 years younger than average. The effect of age on sports participation was even more evident when comparing the subgroup of active respondents with that of inactive ones. Table 2 offers a comprehensive overview of the sports activities the Slovenians do most frequently. Some listed sports are equally attractive for both sexes, such as walking & strolling, swimming and cycling. On the other hand, there are some sports men are more likely to participate in than women. Typical men’s sports are soccer and basketball, while women’s sports are aerobics and dancing. The frequency of sports activity during a 12-month period for each sport is reported in Table 3. We took into consideration all sport disciplines included in the questionnaire, even those fewer participants expressed interest in. For some of them a relatively high frequency of activ- ity was established even though they are not considered popular sports. These are sports in which participants take part regularly for competitive purposes as well as for daily recreation, to keep fit or maintain basic motor abilities. The highest frequency was recorded in walking & strolling (500 times a year), followed by soccer (400 times a year) – which is more than once a day. Among daily activities morning exercises, yoga, fitness, cycling, horse-back riding, athletics, jogging and mountain biking were pointed out. More interesting are the results shown in Table 4 explaining the frequency of activity in specific sports during the past 365 days. The results are shown in two columns, separately for men and women. Sports are ranked by average frequency of activity for each gender. On top of the list are the sports both sexes prefer, these being walking & strolling and morning exercise. The average frequency is higher in women, especially when it comes to walking & strolling. It is true that men’s activities are dispersed over many different sports, while walking is a favourite recreational activity of women (for some even the only one) and therefore far more frequently performed. Morning exercise is hardly considered to be a genuine sport, however, as a physical activity it was proven to bring disease-preventative benefits. The relatively high position of morning exercise could be explained by people’s attitudes and awareness of the importance of exercise for their health, well being and improving or at least sustaining their motor abilities to cope with daily work (Berčič, Sila, Tušak, & Semolič, 2001). Fitness also ranks high in men’s column, as does aerobics in women’s column. Both are evidently enticing, due to advanced organisation and equipment as well as guidance by instructors (aerobics), despite their rela- tively high cost. Unavoidable regular activity (more than once a week) to improve physical fitness may bring favourable average results. We may compare these results with those of a USA survey (Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, 2004) where the average training sessions of free-weight lifting increased by 15% over ten years (1990-2001) (the reported 2001 average was 84 training sessions). 46 Sports activity of adults Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) Expansion of aerobics and other fitness activities for women was also described by A. Bunuel (1991) in her sociological research on the Spanish women’s lifestyle. Active engagement in sports was shown as a weakening of the traditional family life pattern that predominantly allowed men to enjoy sport and be physically active. The results show that Slovenian people like cycling very much. This sport ranks high, for both men and women (at least once a week). If we subtracted four cold months during winter, the average frequency – twice a week – would probably be more correct. Mountain biking was also considered a favourite sport. In terms of average frequency, it ranked higher on the women’s list than in that of men (39 : 34). Inline skating ranks substantially higher in women than in men in terms of average frequency. In fact many more women take part in this sport than men (see Table 2). This is a typical cyclic and aerobic activity, which also seems more convenient for women than sports characterised by physical contacts and rivalry. According to the USA survey of 2001 (www. sgma.com), women performed more inline skating (33 times a year on average) than men, however, about 70% of participants were younger than 18. The differences among men and women in terms of frequency of sports activity are largely due to typically male sports (e.g. soccer) and typically female sports (e.g. aerobics, dancing). This is also proven by the low correlation coefficient of 0.60. The next predictor used in the research for distinguishing between frequencies of activity in different sports was age. The results are shown in Table 5. So as to avoid excessive reduction of the sample, we divided it into two groups: a group aged between 18 and 40 years and a group over 40. As expected, the relation between age and frequency of activity was evident (the cor- relation coefficient was 0.64). As shown in Table 5, the older participants are highly positively associated with morning exercise and walking & strolling (much higher average value), while youngsters prefer exciting and competitive sports as well as new, modern sports, evidently because of different motivation and lifestyle. Elder people prefer health-related sports more and enjoy the nature, younger respondents are keen on sports games, competitive activities and currently fashionable sports. Substantial differences were seen, for example, in cycling. It was established that older people were active on a more regular basis (about three times a fortnight) than younger people (once a week). The elder group also had better results in terms of fitness activities (higher average frequency) which may again be ascribed to their positive attitude towards regular sports and physical activity in general as an important factor of health. The elder group regularly engaged in mountain biking twice as much as the young one. There was no doubt that for both of the age groups regular sports activity was crucial for well being and keeping fit. However, elder people mainly practice spor t for hea lt h purposes whi le t his is rarely t he element of youngsters’ motivation. Conclusion To summarise the results of the survey it is appropriate to focus on the fact that the bulk of the sample of the Slovenian population (55%) does not take part in any sport or other physical activit y from a recreationa l point of view. Sports activit y is strongly related to gender. The per- centage of active male population is 55% and female only 36%. Age is another distinguishing factor for sports activity. The young group was ahead, as expected. The average age of the active respondents was 38.2 years, while that of inactive 51.4 years. Some other figures are also worth mentioning. The active group performed 257 sport sessions in the past 365 days on average. Sports activity of adults 47 Kinesiologia Slovenica, 10, 2, 37–48 (2004) The average of women (288 times a year) is a better result than that of men (234 times a year). As regards the age, the younger group (> 40) reported 288 activities in a year, whereas the older group was active 213 times. The Slovenians investing part of their leisure time in sports activities on average take part in 5.8 different sports. There were no differences between men and women, however, differences were found in both age groups. Younger people took part in 7.1 different sports, while elder people chose on average 3.9 various sports activities. About 16% of the respondents participate in sports once a week or less, another 16% are active almost twice a week (104 times a year) and 13% up to 156 times. This means that one third of them is active with frequency ranging from three times a week to once daily. The remaining 22% of re- spondents reported average sports activity of at least once a day. Some general conclusions drawn on the basis of the results from this and some similar previous surveys have to be explained in greater detail to make a reasonable interpretation. Precisely, the reported high average frequency of sports activity (5 times a week) can be explained by the number of various activities of an individual in the same day. Morning exercises could be added to afternoon jogging and evening fitness. The same is true, if one goes to a sports centre by bike, spends an entire afternoon there by taking part in a sports game, then moves to a fitness centre and finally goes to a swimming pool – four different activities in three hours. Therefore, we had to avoid generalisation of results based on the collected numbers of participation in each sport separately and carefully compare the outcomes by using control questions so as to make a valid interpretation. One of the control questions we put in the questionnaire was: how frequently were you active (regardless of the sport discipline). Slightly more than a third of the respondents reported to have participated in sports at least twice a week. Moreover, the frequency as such does not provide complete information on the quantity of sports activity, because an important component is missing i.e. duration. With an insight into the amount of time one spends participating in sports (daily, weekly) the survey would enable a closer observation and provide a more comprehensive picture of sports activity. The research concluded that the more different sports one knows, the more opportunities he or she can exploit and reach better results regarding frequency of sports activity. Therefore, in exploring various alternatives to increase participation in sport, it would be appropriate to focus on the importance of a better accessibility and availability of sports, especially for young people. 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