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Latest Research
Research Details
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| Research Title: |
Prevalence of health promotion policies in sports clubs in Victoria, Australia. |
| Type of Research: |
Media Releases |
| Category: |
Policy
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| Keywords: |
Policy, sports club, health promotion, sponsorship
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| Author(s): |
Suzanne Dobbinson, Jane Hayman, Patricia Livingston |
| Author(s) Bio Box: |
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| Release Date: |
25 June 2009 |
| Research Summary/Text: |
Sporting clubs in Victoria have been encouraged to develop health promoting policies through sponsorship contracts with health agencies. Five key health areas in which policy has been developed at the club level are: smoke-free facilities, sun protection, healthy food choices, responsible service of alcohol and sports injury prevention. In 2001, 640 club representatives from both metropolitan and regional areas participated in a study involving a 20-minute interview regarding policy development and club practices in these five key health areas
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| Research Objectives: |
The aim of this study was to quantify policies and practices at the club level in the 11 state sports associations assisted by SunSmart and Quit (programs of the Cancer Council Victoria and funded by VicHealth). These included Australian Rules football, men’s and women’s cricket, tennis, canoeing, diving, life-saving and surfing.
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| Research Outcomes: |
While the prevalence of policy varied considerably by health issue and by state association, policy on responsible serving of alcohol was consistently high across all sports and policy on healthy catering was consistently low. The survey was undertaken before State legislation banning smoking in a range of public dining areas was introduced. Injury prevention has not been the focus of any of the sponsorship contracts, and where injury prevention policy exists it is likely to have been due to the influence of injury concerns within the sport itself.
The pattern of uptake of health promotion policies is consistent with the duration for which health agencies have supported each state association to facilitate this. Effective communication between state associations and clubs is crucial to the strategies used to promote policy development at the club level. Where one person was designated as being responsible, the development of policy is more likely.
There exists a significant association between the existence of policy and healthy practices at the club level.
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| Research Implications: |
Policy development for health promotion can be achieved in sports clubs when it is well supported by health agencies, with effective communication by sports associations and where consideration is given to the appropriateness of the specific behaviours to be encouraged for a given sport (e.g. sun protection for outdoor summer sports).
Within a sports club one person should assume responsibility for ensuring development of health promoting policy. A written policy is likely to encourage health-related practices at the club level.
Where legislation governs practices (such as service of alcohol and smoking in public places) it is likely to override the need for local policy in that health area.
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