A framework for analysing the role of environmental constraints to sport participation

Abstract

It is evident that the national priorities of countries of promoting sport participation and environmental sustainability interfere, since sport participation has an inherent travel component. Previous research has looked at individual and supply-side determinants of sportparticipation, neglecting environmental factors such as transport behaviour and environmental parameters of the region the individual lives in. Based on the leisure constraints theory, a conceptual framework is developed that models the role of different types of environmental constraints to sport participation, both on an individual and regional level. On the individual level, structural (e.g., environmental costs), intrapersonal (e.g., environmental attitudes and values), and interpersonal constraints (e.g., environmental attitudes of peers) influence the individual’s decision to participate in sport. The regional level includes structural constraints such as availability of transport and sport facilities, and environmental constraints (e.g., thermal power plants). When applied in future research, the suggested multi-level framework can inform policy makers about how to align the national priorities of promoting health through sport participation and environmental sustainability.