In 2011, Dr Rochelle Eime was appointed VicHealth’s Research Practice Fellow over 4 years (2011-2015) Partnership between VicHealth, Sport and Recreation Victoria, vicsport, University of Ballarat and Victoria University commenced in late 2011. This presentation provides an update on recent activities including the development of Sport and Recreation Spatial ICT system Available FREE to all levels of sporting industry Display of statistical data pertinent to sport and recreation Providing objective evidence to enable effective planning for sport and recreation Research tool to investigate strategic questions relating to sport management and development (trends, determinants, etc.) Research tool to investigate the ‘value of sport’ in terms of health benefits of participation

1. Growing sport participation
in Victoria
Sue McGill, Manager Healthy Environments
Victorian Health Promotion Foundation
Dr Rochelle Eime, Research Practice Fellow – Physical Activity
University of Ballarat & Victoria University

2. Overview
• Welcome and Introductions
• VicHealth’s research model
• VicHealth’s Research Practice Fellow – Physical Activity
• What is a sports growth plan?
• Benefits to sport
• Spatial mapping
• Next steps

3. VicHealth’s Research Model
• VicHealth has a tradition in public health research and
the promotion of evidence-based interventions to
promote the health and wellbeing of the Victorian
community.
• VicHealth is committed to funding research activity that
produces results which can be used to influence policy
and practice.
• Working with knowledge involves more than ‘discovery’.
It involves managing the production, synthesis,
evaluation and translation/transfer of intellectual capital
for public benefit.

4. VicHealth Research Model

5. Research Practice Fellow –
Physical Activity
• In 2011, Dr Rochelle Eime was appointed VicHealth’s
Research Practice Fellow over 4 years (2011-2015)
• Partnership between VicHealth, Sport and Recreation
Victoria, vicsport, University of Ballarat and Victoria
University.
• In partnership with selected State Sporting Associations
develop ‘sports growth plans’ to help increase sports
participation.
• Growth plans will provide robust analysis identifying
sports systems and participation gaps and will include
women, CALD, Indigenous Australians and people with a
disability.

6. Research expertise
• My research expertise in ‘Health through
Sport’
– Trends and determinants of participation
– ‘Value of Sport’: mental, social and physical health
benefits of participation
– Capacity of sport to deliver health promotion
• Industry based research

7. Sport- Health Nexus
Population Health National Pride
Source- Talent Pool
Driver- Role Model
Population Physical Activity High Performance

8. Why the research practice fellowship?
• Information and data- synthesise, analyse
• Understand participation TO increase participation
– Play your sport, membership
– Health
Participation rate Physical Activity Sport Club- based PA
2010 (ERASS) (PA)
Total 82% 49% 26%
Regular (3/wk) 48% 12% 6%
– Knowledge production, analysis, synthesis and translation TO
inform your policy and program development
– Development of Sport Growth Plans

9. A key outcome- Development of sport
growth plans
• Key components
1. Trends and determinants of participation
2. Value of sport- mental and social health benefits
3. Facilities and participation nexus
4. Population growth and relationship to participation trends
and facilities
• Methods
A. Robust analysis and spatial display of statistical data
• ERASS, ABS, membership databases
• General data analysis and sport specific data analysis- selected SSAs
B. Reviews of literature
C. Individual study results

10. 1. Trends and determinants of
participation
• General data analysis (ERASS, ASC children’s)
– What are the trends and determinants of participation?
• Types, contexts and frequency
• Gender, age
• SES, Accessibility/Remoteness Index of Aust.
• Geographical
• Other study data
– Adolescent girls, cost of sport, CALD, Disability, Indigenous,
drop-out
• Sport specific data analysis – selected SSAs
– ERASS, membership databases

11. 2. Value of sport- mental and social
health benefits
• General data analysis (ABS- multiple household
survey, national health survey, ERASS)
– What is the contribution of sport to meeting the PA
recommendations?
– What is the association between sport participation
and various health outcomes?
• Other study data
– Adolescent girls, reviews, sport and social
connectedness, potential longitudinal study

12. 3. Facility and participation nexus
• Sport specific data analysis (ERASS, Vic
Facility data, SSA membership data)
– What is the nexus between participation and
facilities?

13. 4. Population growth and participation
• Sport specific data analysis (ERASS, Vic
Facility data, SSA membership data,
population growth data)
– How to accommodate growing population in
sport through facility development?

14. What does a Growth Plan look like?
• Up to us to decide
• Translation of information to inform program and
policy
– A key output Sport and Recreation Spatial
• What are the key questions that you would like
answered relating to:
– Participation trends and determinants
– Value of Sport- health benefits
– Facility and participation nexus

15. Sport and Recreation Spatial
• Development of Sport and Recreation Spatial ICT system
• Available FREE to all levels of sporting industry
• Display of statistical data pertinent to sport and recreation
• Providing objective evidence to enable effective planning
for sport and recreation
• Research tool to investigate strategic questions relating to
sport management and development (trends,
determinants, etc.)
• Research tool to investigate the ‘value of sport’ in terms of
health benefits of participation

16. • Core team:
– Me- Project Manager
– Dr Jack Harvey- Senior statistician
– Dr Neroli Sawyer- Statistician
– Dr Helen Thompson, Paul Feely- Developer of ICT Spatial Mapping Tool
– Prof Warren Payne- Fellowship mentor
• Funding:
– Financial and in-kind support from:
• Aust. Sports Commission
• VicHealth
• Sport and Recreation Victoria
• VicSport
• University of Ballarat
• Victoria University

17. Privacy
• Privacy
– Both public domain & private data
– Data provider rights
• Data providers stipulate who can access maps based on
their data
– Data security and access controls
• Project team has experience with multi-provider
mapping systems

18. Use of data
• How will we use SSA data?
– Geographical display
• e.g. Number of members x Age category x Postcode or
LGA
– Combine with other data sources for planning and
advocating
• Population (x Age x Gender)
• Participation (ERASS)
• Population health (NHS)
• Access (Facilities)

19. Sport and Recreation Spatial website
• Disclaimer: The Sport and Recreation Spatial system is
currently a prototype under development. The numerical
values and map shadings displayed in this document are for
purposes of demonstration of planned options and
capabilities only, and may not be accurate.
• http://tism.cecc.com.au/clients/sports_spatial
_2/

21. User control options
• Select data source
• Select geographical level (Postcode, LGA, SA4, state)
• Select sport (or all sports)
• Select category (depending on data source. ERASS: Age or Gender or all)
• Select year (depending on data source. ERASS: 2001-2010)
• View selected year or change since previous year
• Zoom (Australia -> down)
• Limit to state (i.e. mask out surrounding states)
• Change base map layer
• Change sampling error mask setting
– The accuracy of estimates based on data from sample surveys such as ERASS depends
on the size of the sample in a given geographical area. The Sport and Recreation Spatial
system will include guidance as to the accuracy of maps displayed.

22. All sports by LGA- Participation rate
(ERASS)

23. Change from previous year

24. All sports by postcode- participation
rate (ERASS)

25. Change from previous year

26. ERASS individual sports- Accuracy
filter activated

27. Geographical details (State, LGA, SA4,
Postcode)

28. Netball by postcode- SSA

29. Limit display to geographical region

30. Do you want to be involved?
• What you will receive:
• Provision of tailored information and tools to develop participation,
specific to your sport
• What is not in scope:
– Implementing policy or program
– Developing or modifying products/programs
• What we will require from you:
– Preparedness of sport to engage for the life of this project
– CEO commitment
– Provision of a single point of contact
– Timely communication and decision making
– Timely access to membership data

31. Where to from here?
• Decide your SSAs involvement
• Meet in 1 month as a group to discuss
– Key questions
– Output of Growth Plans