Nation-wide cross-sectional study of participation and predictors of enjoyment among Australian adult walking sport participants

Abstract

This study examined participation and predictors of walking sports enjoyment among Australian adult walking sport participants. An online cross-sectional survey assessed walking sport participation, enjoyment, and barriers and motives to participation. Physical activity behavior and motivations were also assessed. The sample comprised 294 walking sport participants (M_age = 62.9 ± 10.5 years). Participants engaged in a variety of walking sports (e.g., football, netball, and basketball) and largely did so one occasion per week (for ≤3 h). Our findings suggest that typically walking sport participants are female (60.1%), aged ≥60 years (54.7%), in married/de facto relationships (73.4%), reside in higher socioeconomic status areas, and are sufficiently active (i.e., ≥150 min of activity per week; 91.0%). The most endorsed barrier to walking sport participation was physical health (19.7%), while fun/enjoyment (90.5%) was the most endorsed motive. The regression analyses showed that gender (being female; β = 0.17), older age (≥60 years; β = −0.21), and intrinsic motivation for physical activity (β = 0.23) were significant predictors of walking sport enjoyment. Ongoing efforts to ensure that walking sports are a positive experience for all are necessary. The provision of walking sport offerings that integrate elements (e.g., social connectedness) known to be of value to specific subpopulations may be important to fostering enjoyment.