Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States
# Background While previous studies have examined the impact of family socioeconomic characteristics on a child's sport specialization behaviors, this research has been limited to affluent communities with limited sociodemographic diversity. # Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this study was...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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North American Sports Medicine Institute
2023-10-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.86127 |
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| _version_ | 1825197025947287552 |
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| author | Eric G Post Matthew J. Rivera Darleesa Doss Lindsey E. Eberman |
| author_facet | Eric G Post Matthew J. Rivera Darleesa Doss Lindsey E. Eberman |
| author_sort | Eric G Post |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | # Background
While previous studies have examined the impact of family socioeconomic characteristics on a child's sport specialization behaviors, this research has been limited to affluent communities with limited sociodemographic diversity.
# Hypothesis/Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine associations of parent income and education with child sport specialization behaviors among a nationally representative sample of youth sport parents in the United States.
# Study Design
Cross-sectional.
# Methods
Parents of youth athletes in the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire used for this study consisted of: 1) parent demographics (including parent age, race/ethnicity, biological sex, gender identity, household income, and educational status), and 2) child sport participation characteristics and sport specialization behaviors.
# Results
Parents who reported an annual household income of \$75,001 or more were more likely than parents making less than \$75,000 to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR \[95%CI\]: 1.94 \[1.15-3.27\]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR \[95%CI\]: 1.85 \[1.10-3.11\]), or specialized in a single sport (OR \[95%CI\]: 2.45 \[1.45-4.14\]). Parents who reported receiving a Bachelor's degree or higher were more likely than parents who did not to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR \[95%CI\]: 3.04 \[1.78-5.18\]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR \[95%CI\]: 2.42 \[1.43-4.10\]), or specialized in a single sport (OR \[95%CI\]: 1.94 \[1.15-3.26\]).
# Conclusions
Thes results suggest that in the modern youth sport culture, family resources may serve as a major determining factor in the type of experiences available for a youth athlete.
# Level of Evidence
III |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-93714e8499784fc2a1537f5703e1eff1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2159-2896 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | North American Sports Medicine Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| spelling | doaj-art-93714e8499784fc2a1537f5703e1eff12025-02-11T20:28:01ZengNorth American Sports Medicine InstituteInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy2159-28962023-10-01185Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United StatesEric G PostMatthew J. RiveraDarleesa DossLindsey E. Eberman# Background While previous studies have examined the impact of family socioeconomic characteristics on a child's sport specialization behaviors, this research has been limited to affluent communities with limited sociodemographic diversity. # Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine associations of parent income and education with child sport specialization behaviors among a nationally representative sample of youth sport parents in the United States. # Study Design Cross-sectional. # Methods Parents of youth athletes in the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire used for this study consisted of: 1) parent demographics (including parent age, race/ethnicity, biological sex, gender identity, household income, and educational status), and 2) child sport participation characteristics and sport specialization behaviors. # Results Parents who reported an annual household income of \$75,001 or more were more likely than parents making less than \$75,000 to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR \[95%CI\]: 1.94 \[1.15-3.27\]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR \[95%CI\]: 1.85 \[1.10-3.11\]), or specialized in a single sport (OR \[95%CI\]: 2.45 \[1.45-4.14\]). Parents who reported receiving a Bachelor's degree or higher were more likely than parents who did not to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR \[95%CI\]: 3.04 \[1.78-5.18\]), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR \[95%CI\]: 2.42 \[1.43-4.10\]), or specialized in a single sport (OR \[95%CI\]: 1.94 \[1.15-3.26\]). # Conclusions Thes results suggest that in the modern youth sport culture, family resources may serve as a major determining factor in the type of experiences available for a youth athlete. # Level of Evidence IIIhttps://doi.org/10.26603/001c.86127 |
| spellingShingle | Eric G Post Matthew J. Rivera Darleesa Doss Lindsey E. Eberman Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| title | Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States |
| title_full | Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States |
| title_fullStr | Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States |
| title_short | Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States |
| title_sort | higher levels of income and education are associated with more specialized sport participation behaviors results from a representative sample of youth sport parents from the united states |
| url | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.86127 |
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