IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i15p9373-d876678.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards More Sustainable Sports: Analyzing the Travel Behavior of Adolescent Soccer Players in Southern Norway

Author

Listed:
  • Aron Laxdal

    (Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway)

  • Bjørn Tore Johansen

    (Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway)

  • Elling Bere

    (Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway
    Department of Health and Inequality, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 0213 Oslo, Norway)

  • Bård Erlend Solstad

    (Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, University of Agder, 4604 Kristiansand, Norway
    Norwegian Research Centre for Children and Youth Sports, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, 0863 Oslo, Norway)

Abstract

Mitigating climate change is a global challenge demanding effort from all sectors, and sports are no exception. While transportation is one of the key issues regarding sustainable sports, the methods by which children and adolescents get to practice have not received much attention. The objectives of this study were, therefore, to present how adolescents in Southern Norway travel to soccer practice and assess how the mode of transportation is related to sex, socioeconomic status, age, ethnicity, and distance from home to practice. Cross-sectional data were collected from 558 adolescent soccer players (398 boys and 190 girls) representing 30 different clubs from settlements of varying rurality. While most of the participants lived within cycling distance from the field of practice, the majority opted for passive modes of transportation (55% passive vs. 45% active). A logistic regression analysis found that traveling distance and age were associated with active transportation habits, while sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status were not. Further research is needed to examine the main barriers to active travel for this already active population, as active transport represents an opportunity for sports to become more sustainable.

Suggested Citation

  • Aron Laxdal & Bjørn Tore Johansen & Elling Bere & Bård Erlend Solstad, 2022. "Towards More Sustainable Sports: Analyzing the Travel Behavior of Adolescent Soccer Players in Southern Norway," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-7, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9373-:d:876678
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9373/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9373/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Orr, Madeleine & Inoue, Yuhei, 2019. "Sport versus climate: Introducing the climate vulnerability of sport organizations framework," Sport Management Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 452-463.
    2. Pamela Wicker, 2019. "The carbon footprint of active sport participants," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 513-526, October.
    3. Duarte Henriques-Neto & Miguel Peralta & Susana Garradas & Andreia Pelegrini & André Araújo Pinto & Pedro António Sánchez-Miguel & Adilson Marques, 2020. "Active Commuting and Physical Fitness: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-15, April.
    4. Esther Salmeron-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "The Electric Bicycle: Worldwide Research Trends," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-16, July.
    5. Madeleine Orr & Yuhei Inoue, 2019. "Sport versus climate: Introducing the climate vulnerability of sport organizations framework," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 452-463, October.
    6. Fyhri, Aslak & Hjorthol, Randi, 2009. "Children’s independent mobility to school, friends and leisure activities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 377-384.
    7. Hjorthol, Randi & Fyhri, Aslak, 2009. "Do organized leisure activities for children encourage car-use?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 209-218, February.
    8. Nuria Castro-Lemus & Cristina Romero-Blanco & Virginia García-Coll & Susana Aznar, 2021. "Gender-Differentiated Analysis of the Correlation between Active Commuting to School vs. Active Commuting to Extracurricular Physical Activity Practice during Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-8, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tim F. Thormann & Pamela Wicker, 2021. "Willingness-to-Pay for Environmental Measures in Non-Profit Sport Clubs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Susilo, Yusak O. & Waygood, E. Owen D., 2012. "A long term analysis of the mechanisms underlying children’s activity-travel engagements in the Osaka metropolitan area," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 41-50.
    3. Fyhri, Aslak & Hjorthol, Randi & Mackett, Roger L. & Fotel, Trine Nordgaard & Kyttä, Marketta, 2011. "Children's active travel and independent mobility in four countries: Development, social contributing trends and measures," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 703-710, September.
    4. Ricardo Roseira Cayolla & Joana A. Quintela & Teresa Santos, 2023. "Analysis of Travel Behaviour of Professional Sports Organisation Members to the Stadium: Future Implications for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-14, April.
    5. Brian P. McCullough & Jamee A. Pelcher, 2021. "Instructor–Student Mentoring: Strengths of Transformative Sustainability Learning and Its Direct Application to Impact Industry and Curricular Refinement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-15, September.
    6. Bjerkan, Kristin Ystmark & Nordtømme, Marianne Elvsaas, 2014. "Car use in the leisure lives of adolescents. Does household structure matter?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 1-7.
    7. Leung, Kevin Y.K. & Astroza, Sebastian & Loo, Becky P.Y. & Bhat, Chandra R., 2019. "An environment-people interactions framework for analysing children's extra-curricular activities and active transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 341-358.
    8. Jessica R. Murfree, 2023. "Exploring Major League Baseball Fans’ Climate Change Risk Perceptions and Adaptation Willingness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-17, May.
    9. Christopher Hautbois & Michel Desbordes, 2023. "Sustainability in Sport: Sport, Part of the Problem … and of the Solution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-18, August.
    10. Stark, Juliane & Beyer Bartana, Ilil & Fritz, Alexander & Unbehaun, Wiebke & Hössinger, Reinhard, 2018. "The influence of external factors on children's travel mode: A comparison of school trips and non-school trips," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 55-66.
    11. Lopes, F. & Cordovil, R. & Neto, C., 2014. "Children’s independent mobility in Portugal: effects of urbanization degree and motorized modes of travel," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 210-219.
    12. Idlir Licaj & Mouloud Haddak & Pascal Pochet & Mireille Chiron, 2011. "Contextual deprivation, daily travel and road traffic injuries among the young in the Rhône Département (France)," Post-Print halshs-00579719, HAL.
    13. Sven Schneider & Alexandra von Winning & Fiona Grüger & Stefan Anderer & Robert Hoffner & Lilian Anderson, 2022. "Physical Activity, Climate Change and Health—A Conceptual Model for Planning Public Health Action at the Organizational Level," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-13, April.
    14. Susilo, Yusak O. & Waygood , E. Owen D., 2011. "A long term analysis of the mechanisms underlying children’s activity-travel engagements in the Osaka metropolitan area," Working papers in Transport Economics 2011:17, CTS - Centre for Transport Studies Stockholm (KTH and VTI).
    15. Humberto, Mateus & Moura, Filipe & Giannotti, Mariana, 2020. "Incorporating children's views and perceptions about urban mobility," OSF Preprints yjxfm, Center for Open Science.
    16. Zwerts, Enid & Allaert, Georges & Janssens, Davy & Wets, Geert & Witlox, Frank, 2010. "How children view their travel behaviour: a case study from Flanders (Belgium)," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 702-710.
    17. Buttazzoni, Adrian N. & Coen, Stephanie E. & Gilliland, Jason A., 2018. "Supporting active school travel: A qualitative analysis of implementing a regional safe routes to school program," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 181-190.
    18. Esther Salmerón-Manzano & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2018. "The Higher Education Sustainability through Virtual Laboratories: The Spanish University as Case of Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, November.
    19. Isabel Marzi & Anne Kerstin Reimers, 2018. "Children’s Independent Mobility: Current Knowledge, Future Directions, and Public Health Implications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-15, November.
    20. Raktim Mitra & Guy EJ Faulkner & Ron N Buliung & Michelle R Stone, 2014. "Do parental perceptions of the neighbourhood environment influence children’s independent mobility? Evidence from Toronto, Canada," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 51(16), pages 3401-3419, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9373-:d:876678. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.