A WSFF Insight Factsheet
Young women and
girls’ physical activity
This factsheet summarises the recent key findings around young women and girls’ participation in sport and physical activity. It
brings together quantitative data from a number of sources including the NHS Information Centre; Department for Culture, Media
and Sport (DCMS); Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF); Youth Sport Trust (YST); Girlguiding UK; and Women’s
Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF).
Physical activity - main findings
• Just a quarter of girls meet current recommended levels of physical activity a week
• Female drop off in sport starts earlier than males’; and the drop off is also more dramatic
• Despite PE being compulsory in schools, one in five girls still does no activity in a week. This is twice the
proportion of boys
• For girls, being fit and healthy is the most popular reason for taking part in PE/sport. Other motivations
include working as a team, making friends, being considerate and helping them to think about others
• Girls think sports traditionally played by boys, such as rugby and football, are seen (by society) to be
more important that sports played by girls
Health Survey for England, 2008
Proportion of young people who take part in recommended
levels of physical activity, by gender
29%
Little or no activity
24%
47%
Some activity
44%
24%
Meets recommended levels
32%
Girls aged 2-15
Recommended levels of
physical activity
• Just a quarter of girls take part in 60
minutes of physical activity every day
compared with a third of boys
Boys aged 2-15
Meets recommended levels = at least 60 minutes every day; some activity = 30-59 minutes every day;
little or no activity = less than 30 minutes a day
• The proportion of girls taking part in
the recommended levels of activity a
week declines with age, particularly
after the age of 10
Source: NHS The Information Centre, Health Survey for England for 2008. See note 1
Due to methodological differences between the surveys and the different questions asked, it is not possible to compare the different survey results.
Further information about the surveys and respondent bases can be found at the back of the factsheet.
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
Proportion of young people who take part in recommended
levels of physical activity, by gender and age
Physical activity by age
60%
•By 15, half as many girls as
boys are doing the
recommended levels of activity.
(15% v 32% respectively)
50%
40%
Girls
Boys
30%
• Girls’ interest in informal sport
(and games) declines more
rapidly than formal sport
20%
10%
0%
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
• Girls are less likely to have low
activity levels if their parents are
active
15
Age
Source: NHS The Information Centre, Health Survey for England for 2008. Meets recommended levels = at
least 60 minutes every day
Participation in formal and informal activity
by and age
Girls’ activity levels by parents activity levels
Informal sports/exercise
35%
Formal sports/activities
100%
34%
Low activity
47%
52%
80%
Some activity
60%
49%
40%
51%
35%
20%
0%
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Age
Source: NHS The Information Centre, Health Survey for England for 2008
Participated in activity at least once a week. Informal sport/exercise includes:
cycling, hopscotch, trampolining, playing around e.g. kicking a ball around, hide
and seek, skating, dancing, skipping etc. Formal sport/activities includes:
football, rugby, hockey, lacrosse, netball, basketball, handball, cricket,
rounders, tennis, badminton, squash, running, jogging, athletics, swimming,
gymnastics, work out with gym machines, weight training and aerobics.
43%
Meets
recommended
levels
16%
13%
15%
Meets
recommended
levels
Low activity
Meets
recommended
levels
Father’s activity levels
10%
Low activity
Mother’s activity levels
Source: NHS The Information Centre, Health Survey for England for 2008
Children and Young People’s Participation Survey, 2009
Proportion of young people who achieved 2+ hours of organised sport in the last week during
the school day by gender and age
56%
53%
All 5-16
year olds
All girls (516)
59%
60%
63%
59%
71%
45%
42%
5-8 years
9-12 years
Girls
13-16
years
All boys (5- 5-8 years
16)
9-12 years
Boys
13-16
years
Source: DCSF, Children and Young People’s Participation in Organised Sport, 2009. Base: All aged 5-16 in years R-11 who attended school or college for exactly 5 days
in last week. England only. See note 2
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
Proportion of young people who took part in any organised sport in the last week, by gender and
age (in or outside school)
77%
91%
73%
89%
80%
72%
90%
91%
83%
49%
31%
All 5-19
year olds
All girls 5-8 years
(5-19)
9-12
years
13-16
years
17-19
years
All boys 5-8 years
(5-19)
Girls
9-12
years
13-16
years
17-19
years
Boys
Source: DCSF, Children and Young People’s Participation in Organised Sport Survey, 2009. Base: All respondents. Data not previously published
Organised sport
The three charts from the Children and Young People’s Participation Survey refer to organised sport (that which is lead by an
instructor/coach/teacher – see note 2)
• Girls are less likely than boys to take part in any organised sport a week – 73% compared with 80%. The
greatest differences between the sexes occurs from age 13 onwards
• Female drop off in sport starts earlier than males’ – beginning at age 9-12 compared with age 13-16
respectively. Not only does it start earlier, but it is also more dramatic, which is why the larger differences
between the sexes in the older age groups. Between the ages of 5-8 and 17-19, girls activity drops by
66% (from 91% to 31%). While male drop out is less than half (from 91% to 49%)
• With respect to regular activity one in six girls achieve 5 hours + of activity a week (inside and out of
school) compared with one in four boys
Proportion of young people who achieved 5+ hours of organised sport in the last week, by
gender and age (in or outside school)
20%
All 5-19
year olds
16%
All girls
(5-19)
22%
12%
5-8
years
9-12
years
Girls
19%
13-16
years
24%
10%
17-19
years
All boys
(5-19)
29%
34%
18%
15%
5-8
years
9-12
years
13-16
years
17-19
years
Boys
Source: DCSF, Children and Young People’s Participation in Organised Sport Survey, 2009. Base: All respondents. Data not previously published
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10
% of pupils (5-18 yrs) who take part in 3+ hours of high quality PE and out of hours school sport
in a typical week, by gender and year group
61%
57%
53% 51%
29% 28%
62%
41%
17% 15%
a
Se
c o ry
nd
ar
y
Ye
ar
Ye
ar
50%
8
Ye
ar
Ye 9
ar
1
Ye 0
ar
1
Ye 1
ar
1
Ye 2
ar
13
7
6
5
Ye
ar
Ye
ar
4
3
Ye
ar
2
Ye
ar
1
Ye
ar
66%
46%
64% 67% 68%
56% 50%
55% 60% 61%
44% 39%
33%
Ye
ar
Al
lp
up
ils
52%
67%
63% 65%
58%
Pr
im
58%
Girls
Boys
71% 73%
Source: Department for Education, PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10. England only. See note 3
School provision of physical activity
• Almost three in five boy take part in 3+ hours of high quality PE and out of schools sports in a week,
compared with just over half of girls
• The smallest differences by gender are in years 1 to 7. The gap between the sexes widens as pupils get
older, until by Year 13 the difference is 13 percentage points
• Overall 78% of girls in years 1-13 participate in at least 120 minutes of curriculum PE, compared with
80% of boys. It looks like there is very little difference overall, and this is true for every year group in
primary school However, on entry to secondary school a difference in participation levels by gender
starts, rising to a 4 or 5 percentage point differential in years 10 to 13
% of all pupils taking part in 120 minutes of PE in a a typical week by gender and age
91% 90%
80%
94%
83%
Girls
Boys
66%
53% 50%
94%
81%
62%
11% 11%
on
da
ry
7%
8
Ye
ar
9
Ye
ar
10
Ye
ar
11
Ye
ar
12
Ye
ar
13
Ye
ar
7
6
Ye
ar
5
Ye
ar
4
Ye
ar
3
Ye
ar
2
Ye
ar
1
Ye
ar
Ye
ar
Al
l
pu
pi
ls
7%
Se
c
45%
ar
y
49%
Pr
im
78%
92% 93% 95% 95% 95% 95% 89% 87%
Source: Department for Education, PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10. England only. Where information given. See note 3
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10
% of pupils (5-18 yrs) involved in inter-school competitive activities by gender and year group
38%
58%
30%
y
on
da
ry
Pr
im
ar
13
Se
c
11
10
Ye
ar
24% 24%
21% 11% 10%
Ye
ar
9
8
Ye
ar
7
Ye
ar
6
Ye
ar
5
Ye
ar
Ye
ar
Ye
ar
3
2
Ye
ar
Ye
ar
Al
l
Ye
ar
1
pu
pi
ls
44%
4
68%
57% 53% 60% 62%
48%
43% 40%
35% 28%
40%
32%
12
49% 47%
44%
Ye
ar
48%
60%
Ye
ar
50%
66%
62%
57% 54%
Girls
Boys
73%
Source: Department for Education, PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10. England only. See note 3
School provision of physical activity
• Athletics, football and dance are the three
most commonly offered sports at secondary
school for girls
• Sports more likely to be offered to girls than
boys include dance, gymnastics, rounders
netball hockey, trampolining, cheerleading, yoga
and equestrian
• Sports more likely to be offered to boys than
girls include cricket, basketball, rugby, golf,
table tennis, softball, boxing and baseball
Top 10 sports provided at secondary schools
for girls
99%
Athletics
98%
Football
97%
Dance
Fitness
97%
Rounders
97%
96%
Netball
95%
Badminton
94%
Basketball
92%
Gymnastics
Tennis
87%
Source: Department for Education, PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10
Top growth sports in schools
New sports on offer at
schools
80%
76%
71%
70%
58%
59%
46%
2009-10
Go
lf
Ba
dm
in
to
Ta
n
bl
e
te
nn
Ru
is
gb
y
Le
ag
ue
Ca
no
ei
ng
Ar
ch
er
y
m
ar
ti a
lA
rt
s
Ro
wi
ng
cl
ub
s
44% 41%
36% 35%
31%
29% 27%
26%
21%
17%
15% 12%
14%
12%
7%
4%
2%
Fi
tn
es
Or
s
ie
nt
ee
rin
g
Cy
cl
in
g
M
ul
ti
sk
ill
s
Te
nn
is
26%
2003-04
55%
• While there are some core
traditional activities on offer by
almost all schools (e.g.
football, dance and athletics)
there are a number of sports
that are growing in popularity.
In particular, multi-skills and
cycling have seen massive
increases between 2003-04
and 2009-10
Source: Department for Education, PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10. % of schools offering activities
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
Taking Part Child Survey, 2009/10
5-10 year olds
Top 10 sports and physical activities (weekly participation)
Have done any sport In last 4 weeks days
Girls
34%
Swimming
Cycling
Girls
83%
87%
2008/09
91%
81%
Boys
2009/10
20%
Boys
48%
Football
Swimming
29%
Walking
16%
Cycling
19%
Gym
15%
Walking
18%
Football
9%
Martial arts
9%
Game skills
6%
Gym
6%
Tennis
5%
Tennis
5%
Horseriding
4%
Game skills
5%
Netball
4%
Cricket
5%
Aerobics
4%
Golf
3%
Source: DCMS, Taking Part Child Survey, 2009/10. England only. ‘Football’ includes 5-aside, ‘ swimming’ includes diving or lifesaving, ‘cycling’ includes bmxing and mountain
biking, ‘walking’ is non-stop for more than 30 minutes), ‘gym’ includes gym, gymnastics, trampolining or climbing frame, and ‘’game skills’ include hoops, hopscotch, throwing
etc, ‘aerobics’ includes keep fit. See note 4
5-10 year olds
• Female participation for 5-10 year olds has declined in contrast, male participation has increased.
•Preferred sports for 5-10 year old girls include swimming (34%), cycling (20%) and walking (16%)
11-15 year olds
• There is a tiny increase in sports participation for girls and boys aged 11-15 between 2008/09 and
2009/10
•Netball, gym and walking are the top three sports for girls.
11-15 year olds
Top 10 sports and physical activities (weekly participation)
Have done any sport In last 4 weeks days
Girls
Netball
Girls
95%
97%
2008/09
96%
98%
2009/10
Boys
23%
Boys
59%
Football
Gym
19%
Basketball
21%
Walking
18%
Rugby
20%
Swimming
17%
Cycling
19%
Football
16%
Swimming
16%
Badminton
10%
Cricket
16%
Aerobics
10%
Walking
16%
Basketball
9%
Badminton
13%
Cycling
9%
Tabletennis
12%
Rounders
9%
Gym
10%
Source: DCMS, Taking Part Child Survey, 2009/10. ‘Football’ includes 5-aside, ‘ swimming’ includes diving or lifesaving, ‘cycling’ includes bmxing and mountain biking,
‘walking’ is non-stop for more than 30 minutes), ‘gym’ includes gym, gymnastics, trampolining or climbing frame, ‘aerobics’ includes keep fit.
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
Voice of the Young Survey, 2007
Top 8 reasons for taking part in PE/sport, by gender
Young women (11-18)
37%
Young men (11-18)
27%
I like to be fit
and healthy
24%
27%
It is fun
8% 8%
6% 6%
6% 7%
5% 7%
4% 8%
To develop new
skills
To achieve
something
I like winning
Favourite
lesson at
school
I like
competing
4%
4%
Great way to
make new
friends
Source: Youth Sport Trust, Voice of the Young Survey, 2007. See note 5
What do young people enjoy doing?
• Spending time with friends is the preferred activity for almost half of all girls, followed by listening to music and then
playing sport. For boys, sport is the preferred activity, and more than twice the proportion of boys as girls say this
(31% of boys and 13% of girls)
• For girls, being fit and healthy is the most popular reason for taking part in PE/sport (37%). Not as many boys are
drawn by the health benefits with just 27% giving this as their joint top reason for participation alongside it being fun
• Girls are less drawn to the competition elements of PE/sport than boys – half as many said their main reason for
taking part was because they like competing
Benefits of PE/sport: % of young people who agreed with the following
statements, by gender
94%
92%
Helps me to work as part of a team
70%
67%
Helps me to be more considerate
69%
77%
Makes me happier
Helps me develop sense of responsibility
Gives me a way of expressing myself
• Girls are less
likely than boys to
say that PE/sport
offers the benefit of
making them
happier and helps
them understand
their identity
79%
78%
Helps me to make friends
65%
67%
62%
65%
Gives me a sense of belonging
58%
63%
Makes me want to help others
58%
60%
Helps me to think about feelings of others
57%
54%
Helps me to have a voice
52%
57%
Helps me to understand my identity
50%
56%
Benefits to
taking part in
sport
Young women (11-18)
Young men (11-18)
• Girls are more
interested than boys
in the benefits of
working as a team,
making friends,
being considerate
and helping them to
think about others
Source: Youth Sport Trust, Voice of the Young, 2007
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
Girls Shout Out! 2007/Girls’ Attitudes Survey, 2010
Young women’s views on sport
10-15 year olds
The importance of sport
16-25 year olds
• A study by Girlguiding UK in 2007 found that
young women think sports traditionally played by
boys, such as rugby and football, are seen to be
more important that sports played by girls. This
pessimistic view increases with age
72%
69%
•The same study found that for seven in ten 1015 year olds, playing sport and being healthy are
very important. However this view declines with
age with less than half of 16-25 year olds
agreeing with this statement
48%
46%
Sports traditionally played by boys are
seen to be more important than sports
played by girls
Playing sport and being healthy are
very important
Source: Girlguiding UK, Girls Shout Out! Survey, 2007. UK. See note 6
What young women would like to change about how they look – top three responses given
7-11 year olds
11-16 year olds
16-21 year olds
33%
23%
21%
8%
Want to be thinner
14%
6%
9%
Body shape
14%
9%
Teeth
9%
7%
5%
Nothing
Source: Girlguiding UK, Girls’ Attitudes Survey, 2010. Respondents were asked ‘If you could change one thing about the way you look, what would you change?’UK. See
note 7
Body confidence
• A more recent study carried out by Girlguiding UK in 2010, found a significant proportion of young
women could identify at least one thing they would like to change about their appearance – with being
thinner, body shape and teeth the three top answers given
• The proportion of young women wanting to change how they look increases considerably with age – at
age 7-11 23% would change nothing, but by the time they reach 16-21, just 5% are confident enough to
say the same thing
• Even as young as 7-11, girls are already worrying about their weight – with 8% of them wanting to be
thinner. Unfortunately, the number of young women thinking this increases sizably with age. By the time
they reach 16-21 – one in three young women wants to be thinner
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
WSFF/BMRB - Omnibus Survey 2008
The top 5 items that young women consider ‘essential to have’ at sports facilities
91%
80%
Privacy e.g. cubicles
62%
Hair dryers
Full-length mirrors
Free towels
Music
40%
31%
36%
29%
18%
10-15 year olds
16-20 year olds
25%
25%
Source: WSFF, BMRB Omnibus Survey, 2008.. Great Britain only. See note 8
How can sports facilities be improved to encourage more young women to get involved?
• Privacy and hair styling is a particular issue for school-age girls – 91% said changing cubicles were
essential, 62% said hair dryers and 31% said full length mirrors
• When WSFF asked young women to consider how sports facilities could learn from shops, providing clean
changing rooms was the most popular answer given
• For 10-15 year olds friendlier helpful staff and hair styling facilities were also high on their list, while for
older girls having a range of things to do in one place and the ability to try before you buy were popular
responses
Learning from the shopping experience – what would encourage more girls to take part in sport?
Top 5 answers for young women
10-15 year olds
16-20 year olds
57%62%
Clean changing
rooms
43%43%
Friendlier
helpful staff
43%
29%
Hair styling
facilities
36%34%
47%
31%
Better areas to
Range of
socialise
things to do in
one place
29%
44%
Discounts
45%
27%
The ability to
try before you
buy
41%
24%
Longer/better
opening hours
14%19%
Shuttle buses
12%15%
Celebrities
advertise
services
Source: WSFF, BMRB Omnibus Survey, 2008. Question asked ‘If sport facilities were to learn from shops, which of the following do you think would encourage more women
and girls to take part in sport?’
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010
Notes
1 Data taken from NHS Information Centre Health Survey for England (HSE) 2008. Children aged 13-15 were asked questions directly about their
physical activity, while the parents of children aged 2-12 were asked the questions on the child’s behalf. Existing literature suggests that children are
less likely that adults to accurately report physical activities. A total of 7,521 young people aged 2-15 were interviewed in 2008. England only.
2 Data taken from the DCSF Children and Young People’s Participation in Organised Sport Omnibus Survey, 2009. ‘Organised Sport’ is defined as
‘sport, dance or other physical activity which is organised and led by an instructor like a coach, teacher, sports leader or someone else, including any
training for events or competitions’. ‘Outside the school day’ is defined as ‘either before school starts or after lesson ends including the weekend’. ‘In
and out of school’ is defined as ‘both during the school day i.e. during lesson time, including PE lessons, lunchtime, or break times and outside the
school day’ as described above. Respondents are asked to recall the previous seven days of activity not including the day on which the interview took
place. See table below for bases. England
All respondents = 11,821
Male
Age 5-8
Age 9-12
Age 13-16
Age 17-19
5,878
1,714
1,581
1,544
1,039
Female
Age 5-8
Age 9-12
Age 13-16
Age 17-19
5,943
1,438
1,567
1,815
1,123
Those aged 5 to 16 in years R-11 who attended school or college for exactly 5 days in last
week = 6,267
Male
Age 5-8
Age 9-12
Age 13-16
3,177
1,222
1,150
805
Female
Age 5-8
Age 9-12
Age 13-16
3,090
1,027
1,113
950
3 Data taken from the Department for Education (formerly DCSF) PE and Sport Survey, 2009/10. All partnership schools in England were surveyed with
responses from 21,436 schools (99.8%) and 357 FE colleges (99.4%). ‘PE’ is the planned teaching and learning programme in curriculum time that
meets the requirements of the national curriculum for physical education. ‘High quality’ is defined as ‘producing young people with the skills,
understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities, in line with
their abilities’. ‘School sport’ includes any activity that requires physical skilfulness and is part of the school’s planned formal, semi-formal, supervised or
led provision. School sport typically takes place out of school hours. England
4 Data taken from the DCMS Taking Part Child Survey 2009/10. Boys, and girls age 5-15 were asked about their engagement and non-engagement in
sport activities during the four weeks prior to interview. To count, the respondent must have participated in the activity for at least 30 minutes. England
5 Data from the Youth Sport Trust’s Voice of the Young Survey, 2007. Base = 1,122 young people aged from under 11 to 18; 524 boys and 598 girls.
Great Britain
6 Data taken from Girlguiding UK Girls Shout Out! Survey, 2007. Bases: girls aged 10-15 =1,039; girls aged 16-25 =581. UK
7 Data taken from Girlguiding UK Girls’ Attitudes Survey, 2010. Around 1,200 girls aged 7-21 were asked their attitudes to key social, political and
economic issues. UK
8 Data taken from the WSFF’s BMRB Omnibus Survey, November 2008. Bases: girls aged 10-15 =56; young women aged 16-20 = 62. Great Britain
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
3rd Floor, Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square, London WC1B 4SE Tel: 020 7273 1740 Email: [email protected] www.wsff.org.uk
Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
Young women and girls’ physical activity: December 2010