Sport participation analysis: an empirical study on an academic community

Information about Sport Participation Index (SPI) is a critical factor in the sport development process. Socio-demographic data can be a cost effective instrument to increase efficiency of local policies that promote sport participation (SP). Although bibliography about SP is vast, the analysis and comparison of previous works is complex due to heterogeneity in methodologies. There is an enormous disparity in SP results in Portugal: Marivoet (2001) refers that SPI in Portugal is 27%, Almeida, & Graça (1998) refer that the non participation percentage in Portugal is 60%, and according to the Eurobarometer report (2004) Portugal presents the lowest figure of SPI, 22%, followed by Greece 26%, while the European average is 38%. This study is part of an ongoing longitudinal study that intends to monitor SP in a local community using a stable methodology that allows time frame contrasts. There is a limited availability of data about SP academic communities. The presented study intended to: a) characterize SP in an academic community, b) identify target groups in order to increase the efficiency local authority efforts’, c) identify SP main constraints