Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T16:01:18.321Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The trend in sport participation among Dutch retirees, 1983–2007

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2012

RABINA COZIJNSEN ,
NAN L. STEVENS  and
THEO G. VAN TILBURG
RABINA COZIJNSEN*
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
NAN L. STEVENS
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
THEO G. VAN TILBURG
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
*
Address for correspondence: Rabina Cozijnsen, Faculty of Social Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: m.r.cozijnsen@vu.nl
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper investigates the trend in sport participation among retirees between 1983 and 2007. Sport participation is important for retirees because of its health benefits and the opportunities it offers for social interaction. Factors that influence sport participation such as educational level, physical limitations, and occupational background have changed during the last decades, possibly accounting for changes in sport participation. Data are from the Amenities and Services Utilization Survey (AVO), a nationally representative Dutch survey with seven observations between 1983 and 2007. The trend in sport involvement, sports club membership, and competition was investigated in a sample of 2,497 male and 1,559 female retirees aged 58–67 years. Increases in participation were observed in sport involvement and sports club membership. This trend can partially be explained by increases in educational level, decreases in the number of retirees with physical limitations, and in those retiring from sedentary jobs. Yet, sport participation seems to have increased for all retirees, regardless of their socio-economic background and health status. Alternative explanations for the observed trend are discussed.

Keywords

sport participationclub membershipretirementtrendcohort
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 33 , Issue 4 , May 2013 , pp. 698 - 719
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Agahi, N., Ahacic, K. and Parker, M. G. 2006. Continuity of leisure participation from middle age to old age. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 61, 6, S340–6.Google Scholar
Agahi, N. and Parker, M. G. 2005. Are today's older people more active than their predecessors? Participation in leisure-time activities in Sweden in 1992 and 2002. Ageing & Society, 25, 6, 925–41.Google Scholar
Ahacic, K., Parker, M. G. and Thorslund, M. 2003. Mobility limitations 1974–1991: period changes explaining improvement in the populations. Social Sciences and Medicine, 57, 12, 2411–22.Google Scholar
Berger, U., Der, G., Mutrie, N. and Hannah, M. K. 2005. The impact of retirement on physical activity. Ageing & Society, 25, 2, 181–95.Google Scholar
Borodulin, K., Laatikainen, T., Juolevi, A. and Jousilathi, P. 2008. Thirty-year trends of physical activity in relation to age, calendar time and birth cohort in Finnish adults. European Journal of Public Health, 18, 3, 339–44.Google Scholar
Brach, J. S., Simonsick, E. M., Kritchevsky, S., Yaffe, K. and Newman, A. B. 2004. The association between physical function and lifestyle activity and exercise in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 52, 4, 502–9.Google Scholar
Breedveld, K., Hover, P., Van Kalmthout, J., Van Lindert, C., Van Veldhoven, N., Van der Werff, H. and Wisse, E. 2010. Georganiseerde sportaanbieders in de levensloop [Organized sport providers in the life course]. In Tiessen-Raaphorst, A., Verbeek, D., De Haan, J. and Breedveld, K. (eds), Sport een leven lang: Rapportage Sport 2010. Netherlands Institute for Social Research, The Hague, 173–88.Google Scholar
Breuer, C., Hallmann, K., Wicker, P. and Feiler, S. 2010. Socio-economic patterns of sport demand and ageing. European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 7, 2, 61–70.Google Scholar
Breuer, C. and Wicker, P. 2009. Decreasing sports activity with increasing age? Findings from a 20-year longitudinal and cohort sequence analysis. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 80, 1, 22–31.Google Scholar
Brockmann, H., Muller, R. and Helmert, U. 2009. Time to retire – time to die? A prospective cohort study of the effects of early retirement on long-term survival. Social Science and Medicine, 69, 2, 160–4.Google Scholar
Broese van Groenou, M. and Deeg, D. J. H. 2010. Formal and informal social participation of the ‘young-old’ in the Netherlands in 1992 and 2002. Ageing & Society, 30, 3, 445–65.Google Scholar
Brownson, R. C., Boehmer, T. K. and Luke, D. A. 2005. Declining rates of physical activity in the United States: what are the contributors? Annual Review of Public Health, 26, 421–43.Google Scholar
Burton, N. W. and Turrell, G. 2000. Occupation, hours worked, and leisure-time physical activity. Preventative Medicine, 31, 6, 673–81.Google Scholar
Chorus, A., Van Campen, C. and Den Draak, M. 2010. Ouderen in beweging: van vitaal belang [Physical activity in older adults: of vital importance]. In Tiessen-Raaphorst, A., Verbeek, D., De Haan, J. and Breedveld, K. (eds), Sport een leven lang: Rapportage Sport 2010. Netherlands Institute for Social Research, The Hague, 137–52.Google Scholar
Chung, S., Domino, M. E., Stearns, S. C. and Popkin, B. M. 2009. Retirement and physical activity: analyses by occupation and wealth. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 36, 5, 422–8.Google Scholar
Coleman, D. and Iso Ahola, S. E. 1993. Leisure and health: the role of social support and self determination. Journal of Leisure Research, 25, 2, 111–28.Google Scholar
De Heer, W. 2000. Sportbeleidsontwikkeling 1945–2000 [Developments in Sport Policies 1945–2000]. De Vrieseborch, Haarlem, Netherlands.Google Scholar
Dik, M. G., Deeg, D. J. H., Visser, M. and Jonker, C. 2003. Early life physical activity and cognition at old age. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 25, 5, 643–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DiPietro, L. 2001. Physical activity in aging: changes in patterns and their relationship to health and function. Journals of Gerontology, 56A, special issue II, 13–22.Google Scholar
Downward, P. and Riordan, J. 2007. Social interactions and the demand for sport: an economic analysis. Contemporary Economic Policy, 25, 4, 518–37.Google Scholar
Eime, R., Harvey, J. T., Brown, W. J. and Payne, W. R. 2010. Does sports club participation contribute to health-related quality of life? Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 42, 5, 1022–8.Google Scholar
Evenson, K. R., Rosamond, W. D., Cai, J., Diez-Roux, A. V. and Brancati, F. L. 2002. Influence of retirement on leisure-time physical activity. American Journal of Epidemiology, 155, 8, 692–9.Google Scholar
Farrell, L. and Shields, M. A. 2002. Investigating the economic and demographic determinants of sporting participation in England. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society Series A – Statistics in Society, 165, 2, 335–48.Google Scholar
Gauthier, A. H. and Smeeding, T. M. 2003. Time use at older ages: cross-national differences. Research on Aging, 25, 3, 247–74.Google Scholar
Haight, T., Tager, I., Sternfeld, B., Satariano, W. and Van der Laan, M. 2005. Effects of body composition and leisure-time physical activity on transitions in physical functioning in the elderly. American Journal of Epidemiology, 162, 7, 607–17.Google Scholar
Harms, L. 2003. Mobiel in de tijd: Op weg naar een auto-afhankelijke maatschappij, 1975–2000 [Mobility in Time: Development of a Car Dependent Society, 1975–2000]. Netherlands Institute for Social Research, The Hague.Google Scholar
Hovemann, G. and Wicker, P. 2009. Determinants of sport participation in the European Union. The European Journal for Sport and Society, 6, 1, 49–57.Google Scholar
Hoyng, J., Roques, C. and Van Bottenburg, M. 2003. Kerngegevens sportdeelname: Sportdeelname in Nederlandse gemeenten [Basic Information of Sport Participation in Dutch Municipalities]. W. J. H. Mulier, Instituut's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.Google Scholar
Iso Ahola, S. E., Jackson, E. and Dunn., E. 1994. Starting, ceasing, and replacing leisure activities over the life-span. Journal of Leisure Research, 26, 3, 227–49.Google Scholar
Janke, M. C., Davey, A. and Kleiber, D. A. 2006. Modeling change in older adults’ leisure activities. Leisure Sciences, 28, 3, 285–303.Google Scholar
Lafortune, G. and Balestat, G. 2007. Trends in Severe Disability Among Older People: Assessing the Evidence in 12 OECD Countries and the Future Implications. OECD Health Working Papers No. 26 2007. Available online at www.oecd.org/dataoecd/13/8/38343783.pdf [Accessed 19 February 2011].Google Scholar
Lalive d'Epinay, C. J., Maystre, C. and Bickel, J. 2001. Aging and cohort changes in sports and physical training from the Golden Decades onward: a cohort study in Switzerland. Society and Leisure, 24, 2, 453–81.Google Scholar
Makinen, T., Kestila, L., Borodulin, K., Martelin, T., Rahkonen, O., Leino-Arjas, P. and Prattala, R. 2010. Occupational class differences in leisure-time physical inactivity: contribution of past and current physical workload and other working conditions. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health, 36, 1, 62–70.Google Scholar
Mensink, G. B., Ziese, T. and Kok, F. J. 1999. Benefits of leisure-time physical activity on the cardiovascular risk profile at older age. International Journal of Epidemiology, 28, 4, 659–66.Google Scholar
Netherlands Institute for Social Research 2010. Aanvullend voorzieningengebruik onderzoek [Amenities and Service Utilization Survey]. Available online at www.scp.nl/content.jsp?objectid=default:18419 [Accessed 19 February 2011].Google Scholar
Nimrod, G., Janke, M. C. and Kleiber, D. A. 2009. Expanding, reducing, concentrating and diffusing: activity patterns of recent retirees in the United States. Leisure Sciences, 31, 1, 37–52.Google Scholar
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2010. The Average Effective Age of Retirement in 1970–2007 in OECD Countries. Available online at http://www.oecd.org/document/47/0,3343,en_2649_34747_39371887_1_1_1_1,00.html [Accessed 19 February 2011].Google Scholar
Petersen, C. B., Thygesen, L. C., Helge, J. W., Gronbeak, M. and Schurmann-Tolstrup, J. 2010. Time trends in physical activity in leisure time in the Danish population from 1987 to 2005. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 38, 2, 121–8.Google Scholar
Pettee, K. K., Brach, J., Boudreau, R., Colbert, L. H., Harris, T. B., Visser, M., Richardson, C. and Newman, A. B. 2006. Influence of marital status on physical activity levels among older adults. Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise, 38, 3, 541–6.Google Scholar
Putnam, R. D. 2000. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. Simon and Schuster, New York.Google Scholar
Rosenkoetter, M. M., Garris, J. M. and Engdahl, R. A. 2001. Postretirement use of time: implications for preretirement planning and postretirement management. Activities, Adaptation and Ageing, 25, 3, 1–18.Google Scholar
Schneider, S. and Becker, S. 2005. Prevalence of physical activity among the working population and correlation with work-related factors: results from the first German National Health Survey. Journal of Occupational Health, 47, 5, 414–23.Google Scholar
Slingerland, A. S., Van Lenthe, F. J., Jukema, J. W., Kamphuis, C. B. M., Looman, C., Giskes, K., Huisman, M., Narayan, K. M. V., Mackenbach, J. P. and Brug, J. 2007. Aging, retirement, and changes in physical activity: prospective cohort findings from the GLOBE study. American Journal of Epidemiology, 165, 12, 1356–63.Google Scholar
Sport England 2006. Understanding Participation in Sport: What Determines Sports Participation Among Recently Retired People? Sport England, London.Google Scholar
Statistics Netherlands 2001. Standaard beroepenclassificatie 1992: Editie 2001 [Standard Classification of Occupations 1992: Edition 2001]. Statistics Netherlands, The Hague.Google Scholar
Strobl, H., Brehm, W. and Tittlbach, S. 2010. Körperlich-sportliche aktivität in der Übergangsphase vom Berfuf in den Ruhestand [Physical-sports activity during the transition from work to retirement]. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 43, 5, 297–302.Google Scholar
Sutherland, V. J. and Cooper, C. L. 1990. Exercise and stress management: fit employees – healthy organizations. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 21, 3, 202–17.Google Scholar
Taylor, A. H., Cable, N. T., Faulkner, G., Hillsdon, M., Narcici, M. and Van Der Bij, A. K. 2004. Physical activity and older adults: a review of health benefits and the effectiveness of interventions. Journal of Sports Sciences, 22, 8, 703–25.Google Scholar
Tiessen-Raaphorst, A. 2010. Sport deelname [Sport participation]. In Tiessen-Raaphorst, A., Verbeek, D., De Haan, J. and Breedveld, K. (eds), Sport een leven lang: Rapportage Sport 2010. Netherlands Institute for Social Research, The Hague, 47–68.Google Scholar
Touvier, M., Bertrais, S., Charreire, H., Vergnaud, A.-C., Hercberg, S. and Oppert, J.-M. 2010. Changes in leisure-time physical activity and sedentary behaviour at retirement: a prospective study in middle-aged French subjects. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7, Article 14.Google Scholar
Van Lindert, C. (ed.) 2009. Fit for Life: (on)bereikbaar doel? Quick scan sport, bewegen en ouderen 2009 [Fit for Life: (Un)reachable Goal? Quick Scan Sport, Physical Activity and Older Adults 2009]. W. J. H. Mulier Instituut, 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands.Google Scholar
Verbrugge, L. M., Gruber-Baldini, A. L. and Fozard, J. L. 1996. Age differences and age changes in activities: Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences, 51, 1, S30–41.Google Scholar
Visser, M., Pluijm, S. M. F., Van der Horst, M. H. L., Poppelaars, J. L., Deeg, D. J. H. 2005. Leefstijl van 55–64-jarige Nederlanders in 2002/'03 minder gezond dan in 1992/'93 [Life style of Dutch men and women aged 55–64 less healthy in 2002/'03 compared to 1992/'93]. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, 149, 52, 2973–8.Google Scholar