- Increase sports; save $80 billion
- Obesity rates surge among youth
- Pandemic impacts youth sports participation
A report claims that increasing minors’ sports participation by 25 percent by 2030 could save the nation tens of billions of dollars in medical expenses.
A declining percentage of American children aged six to seventeen follow the daily physical activity recommendation of one hour, while the prevalence of adolescent obesity has surged, affecting one in every five children.
Increasing children’s sports participation by 25 percent in the next five and a half years could result in $80 billion in savings, 1.71 million fewer cases of overweight/obesity, and 352,000 fewer cases of weight-related diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to a study led by researchers at the City University of New York (CUNY).
Schools and after-school sports programmes cancelled events in March 2020, citing health concerns. However, the number of children rejoining teams after four years has fallen short of expectations.
Remarkably, researchers estimate that increasing participation to pre-Covid levels could save $29.17 billion.
The Healthy People initiative, started by the government in 1979, sets national health and well-being goals for a ten-year period, including the 2030 goal.
Researchers from CUNY, using a computer simulation of American children aged six to seventeen, demonstrated the long-term benefits of increasing sports participation.
Quantifying Health Benefits of Youth Sports
Marie Martinez, a CUNY authority and the study’s author, stated their research quantifies the long-term physical and mental health effects of youth sports participation, aiding decision-makers in resource allocation.
The model simulated childhood sports participation and monitored weight-related health concerns, showing a potential 3.37 percent reduction in overweight and obesity incidence, equivalent to 1.71 million fewer cases, and over 1.8 million years of improved health.
Increased youth sports engagement could prevent about 352,000 cases of weight-related diseases, leading to $22 billion in healthcare savings and over $25 billion in productivity losses.
Furthermore, more children participating in sports could reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, saving $3.61 billion in medical expenses and reducing productivity losses by $28.38 billion.
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Tom Farrey, co-author of the study, highlighted the urgent need for public health, education, government, and philanthropy sectors to help retain and attract more children to sports, emphasising the significant cost savings and benefits.
The report was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, motivated by the high obesity rates among young Americans, with 21.5% of those aged two to nineteen obese in 2020, a 17 percent increase from 2016 data.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed youth sports participation, with indications of a gradual resumption of activities.
According to Project Play’s 2022 report, children’s playtime has returned to pre-pandemic levels, with children aged 5 to 18 spending an average of 16.6 hours per week on athletics, up from 13.6 percent before the pandemic and 7.2 percent in June 2020.
However, an increasing number of children show no interest in sports, with 19 percent of parents in May and June 2020 concerned about their child’s decreased enthusiasm, a figure that rose to 28% in autumn 2021 and remained at 27% in autumn 2022.
