Health promoting sports club : youth sports clubs' health promotion profiles, guidance, and associated coaching practice, in Finland
Year: 2010
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study was composed in two stages. The purpose of the first stage was to create the frame of reference and to determine the most relevant standards for the health promoting sports club (HPSC). The second stage was aimed at reviewing youth sports clubs health promotion profiles, and clubs guidance and coaches implementation activity in health promotion. Also, differences between separate informants and club-based background variables, as well as associations between the clubs health promotion profile, guidance activity and coaches' activity were examined Initially, a literature review was executed, followed by a Delphi Study. During three rounds of the Delphi, 27 specialists (health promotion [n = 11) and sports club activity [n = 16]) evaluated a total of 8i standard proposals. At the second stage, a questionnaire-based Sports Club Survey was conducted. A total of 97 out of 120 (81%) sports clubs from four predominant youth sports in Finland participated. The data consists of the answers of 273 sports club officials, 646 male athletes (14 to 16 years old) and 240 coaches. Basic statistical methods such as cross tabulation, Spearman correlation coefficient, and Chi-square test were used. Also, more sophisticated methods, such as factor analysis and logistic regression were used. As a result of the Delphi Study, the 15 most relevant standards for the HPSC were identified. When comparing these 15 standards with the Ottawa Charter's five key strategic areas, some important goals of health promotion were missing. Hence, the researcher added seven more standards resulting in the presentation of a tentative typology of 22 standards. The results from the Sports Club Survey indicated that Finnish youth sports clubs were fairly health promoting by their orientations, measured by the Health Promoting Sports Club Index (HPSC Index). They fulfilled an average of 12 standards out of 22. However, variation between clubs was wide; every fourth club was classified as "higher health promoting" and every third as "lower". Of the background variables, the clubs that held the certification by the Young Finland Association were almost two and a half times more likely to recognize health promotion at a higher level than the other clubs. Regarding guidance activity, the clubs were rather active considering sports performance, but less active, even passive, concerning non-performance time and various health topics. Some important health behaviour-related issues like nutrition, substance use and doping prevention were extraordinarily infrequently addressed. An association was evident between the club's health promotion profile and guidance activity: the clubs that were categorized as higher health promoting were about three and a half times more likely to guide their coaches in active ways on health promotion concerning sports performance, and six and a half times more likely concerning nonperformance time and health topics, than other clubs. The coaches' health promotion activity was rather high when evaluated by the coaches themselves. Young athletes perceived the coaches activity much more passive; e.g., when almost half of the coaches stated that they had been active concerning tobacco and snuff, only about 15% of the youths agreed. Previous research has shown that youth sports club activities have both positive and negative effects on the health of children and adolescents, but positive contributions are not automatic. This study demonstrated that clubs' health promotion orientations and guidance activity are focal elements to improve health promotion activities within youth sports clubs. Thus, it can be recommended that to reach wide-ranging, active and systematic health promotion at both policy and practice levels, club-level setting-based development is needed first.
Author: Sami Kokko
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1032161078