Female sport participation linked to educational achievement

Women who are tertiary educated are more likely to participate in sport or physical recreation than those who did not complete school, according to just released data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

Explaining the ABS' latest 'Perspectives in Sport' data, ABS Assistant Director of the National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics, Paul Pamment states "80% of females with postgraduate degrees had participated in sport or physical recreation in the past 12 months.

"This compares with just 62% of females whose highest educational attainment was Year 11."

Females living in low income households also had lower participation rates in sport and physical activity than those in higher income households, with Pamment adding "for those females in the lowest income bracket of household income, the participation rate was 46% compared to 80% in the highest bracket."

The publication also showed that more women are employed in sports and physical recreation occupations than ever before with Pamment reporting "the number of females employed in sport and physical recreation occupations in 2011 has increased 31% since 2006."

The most common sport or recreation occupations for women were Fitness Instructor and Swimming Coach.

Further information is available in Perspectives on Sport (cat no 4156.0.55.001), available for free download at

http://bit.ly/12d9qvg