A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR
In the January newsletter I mentioned that we had embarked upon some analytical projects, using multi-variate techniques, in order to better understand the extent to which various factors influence sport or cultural participation. The first findings from one of these projects, on children's participation in organised sport, were presented by Mike Stratton at a conference in July, and are reported on below. You may have noticed some press coverage about the paper. Later in the year, Mike will present findings about the relationship between the amount of time children spend playing organised sport and other factors, such as the amount of time spent watching TV.
In other analytical projects we're using General Social Survey data to look at factors influencing sports participation by adults and attendance at cultural venues and events by adults.
Our newsletter usually focuses on interesting outputs from ABS data collection and analysis work. However, NCCRS is also involved in the development of the classifications and questionnaires used to collect and process the data that we use. As part of our input to the development of enhancements to upcoming surveys of adult and children's participation in sport and recreational physical activities, NCCRS has prepared a literature review of methodologies for measuring barriers and motivators for adult participation in sport and recreational physical activities, and a brief report about different methodologies for measuring children's participation in sport and recreational physical activities. Drafts of these reports have been sent to members of the Standing Committee on Recreation and Sport Research Group (SRG), and will either be turned into ABS Information papers or be available from NCCRS on request.
For the last few years, the ABS and Statistics New Zealand have been working together on reviews of the standard classifications of industries - the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) - and occupations - the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). ABS Information papers on the new versions of these classifications should be released shortly, and they will begin to be used in 2006. In particular, they will be used in the 2006 Census of Population and Housing, which is an important source of data about culture and recreation employment. NCCRS has provided significant input to both of these reviews, ensuring that the new versions of the classifications will improve the availability of culture and recreation employment data, compared with the current versions of the classifications, which were developed in the early 1990s. NCCRS will also be reviewing the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications, to coincide with the release of the new ANZSIC and ANZSCO.
As always, we welcome comments and feedback on any of our publications and reports, and we are keen to hear from you about your culture and recreation research needs.
Lisa Conolly
Director
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