CHILDREN'S PARTICIPATION IN CULTURAL AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES
PURPOSE
To collect information about children's participation in cultural and leisure activities.
DESCRIPTION
The Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities collection covers the activities of children aged from five to fourteen. It is conducted in April every three years as part of the Monthly Population Survey (MPS) (see Labour force for more detail about methodology) which covers both urban and rural areas of all States and Territories of Australia. However, children living in remote and sparsely settled areas are excluded from the part of the survey relating to children's participation in cultural and leisure activities. This has only a minor impact on aggregate estimates produced for individual States and Territories, with the exception of the Northern Territory, where such children account for approximately 23% of the population. Although persons staying in non-private dwellings are included in the MPS, the questions relating to children's participation in cultural and leisure activities were only asked about children residing in private dwellings. In total, information was collected about the activities of 9,700 children in 2000; 8,900 children in 2003 and 8,700 children in 2006.
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Australia
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Every three years
DATA ITEMS
As this survey was conducted as part of the Monthly Population Survey all of the data items shown in the Labour force entry in this directory, with the exception of occupation and industry of employment, are available for analysis alongside the data items shown below. These data items provide information about the people aged 15 years and over in each household, while the data items below refer to the children aged 5-14 in each household. Thus, information is available about the children's parents, such as their country of birth and labour force status, and family type.
Number of children
The total number of children aged 5-14 in Australia.
Organised cultural activities
Records the categories of organised cultural activity in which a child has been involved outside of school hours during the last twelve months. The categories are:
Playing a musical instrument
Singing
Dancing
Drama
None of the above
Lessons received status
Indicates, for each cultural activity in which a child was involved, whether they received any lessons outside of school hours during the last twelve months.
Frequency of involvement
The number of times a child took part in an activity outside of school hours during the last twelve months. The numbers of times can be grouped into ranges such as:
1-13
14-26
27-52
53-104
105 and more
This data item is used to classify participants in:
Organised cultural activities
Organised sports
Duration of involvement
The number of hours a child spent taking part in an activity outside of school hours during the last two weeks. The numbers of hours can be grouped into ranges such as:
2 or less
3-4
5-9
10-19
20 and more
This data item is used to classify participants in:
Organised cultural activities
Leisure activities
Organised sport participation status
Indicates whether a child participated in organised sport outside of school hours during the last twelve months.
Organised sports
Records up to three categories of organised sport in which a child has been the most involved outside of school hours during the last twelve months. The categories include:
Swimming
Soccer (outdoor)
Netball
Tennis
Basketball
Australian Rules football
Cricket (outdoor)
Martial arts
Athletics
Rugby League
Gymnastics
Hockey
and more than 50 other categories of sport
Leisure activities
Records the categories of leisure activities in which a child was involved outside of school hours during the last two weeks. The categories are:
Skateboarding or rollerblading
Bike riding
Watching TV or videos
Reading for pleasure
Playing electronic or computer games
Art and craft activities
None of the above
Computer use status
Indicates whether a child used a computer at any time during the last twelve months.
Internet access status
Indicates whether a child accessed the Internet at any time during the last twelve months.
Location of usage
Records the types of location at which a child used a computer or accessed the Internet. The types of location are:
Home
Someone else's home
School
Public library
Other places
Activities for which computer used at home
Records the types of activity for which a child usually uses a computer at home. The types of activity are:
Internet based activities (including email)
Playing games
School or educational activities
Other activities
Usual frequency of use
Records the range into which falls the number of days per week that a child usually uses a computer or accesses the Internet at home. The ranges are:
Every day
2-6 days a week
One day a week
Less than one day a week
Don't know
Activities for which Internet accessed at home
Records the types of activity for which a child usually accesses the Internet at home. The types of activity are:
Using email or chat rooms
Playing games
School or educational activities
Browsing the Internet for leisure
Other activities
Demographic characteristics
In addition to the demographic, family and labour force characteristics of household members aged 15 and over (collected in the Labour force survey), demographic characteristics of children for which information is available are:
Age
Sex
Country of birth
HISTORICAL DATA
The collection has been conducted in 2000, 2003 and 2006.
DISSEMINATION
Publications
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006, Children's Participation in Cultural and Leisure Activities, Australia, April 2006, Cat. no. 4901.0, ABS, Canberra. Price $30.00. Also available for April 2000 and April 2003.
Cultural Ministers Council Statistical Working Group 2001, Australia's Culture No 10: Children's Participation in Culture, 2001, CMC SWG, Canberra. Available free of charge under 'Statistical information' on the CMC SWG web site at http://www.dcita.gov.au/swg.
Other
National Sport and Recreation Industry Database and Directory (NSRIDD).
CONTACT
In the first instance, refer to To obtain data or further information in the Introduction to this directory.
Manager
National Centre for Culture and Recreation Statistics
Australian Bureau of Statistics
GPO Box 2272
ADELAIDE SA 5001
Telephone: Adelaide 08 8237 7326
Facsimile: Adelaide 08 8237 7366
Email: nccrs@abs.gov.au
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