Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland

Physical activity (PA) in childhood is important, and while efforts are made to promote children’s PA, inequality still exists. Ethnic minorities, in particular, are often in a more disadvantaged position and tend to engage in physical activities less than the majority population. With increased imm...

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Main Author: Tiermas, Aada
Other Authors: Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu, Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics, Jyväskylän yliopisto, University of Jyväskylä
Format: Master's thesis
Language:eng
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access: https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/101678
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author Tiermas, Aada
author2 Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_facet Tiermas, Aada Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä Tiermas, Aada Jyväskylän yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulu Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics Jyväskylän yliopisto University of Jyväskylä
author_sort Tiermas, Aada
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description Physical activity (PA) in childhood is important, and while efforts are made to promote children’s PA, inequality still exists. Ethnic minorities, in particular, are often in a more disadvantaged position and tend to engage in physical activities less than the majority population. With increased immigration multiculturalism has increased, and simultaneously decreased PA of children is a concern globally. This thesis explores recreational outdoor PA and sport participation of ethnic minority children in Finland. It examines how much children engage in PA outside of day care and examines differences across ethnic minority groups as well as between native majority and ethnic minority children. Lack of research exists in Finnish context as well as research on differences across ethnic minority groups and preschool aged children is scarce. This thesis is conducted in collaboration with Diginatiivit-project at the University of Jyväskylä, which is a part of an international research project International ipreschooler Surveillance Study Among Asians and OtheRs (IISSAAR). The IISSAAR research focused on studying digital and non-digital behaviours of preschool children and their adherence to WHO movement guidelines. As a part of IISSAAR, SMALLQ® survey was developed, and the data collected through the questionnaire in Finland is used in this thesis. This thesis is a quantitative study, and the data was collected through day care centres in 56 municipalities between 2019 and 2021. A total of 9126 responses were included in the thesis, out of which 545 belonged to the ethnic minority group. Ethnicity was defined by child’s native language and seven ethnic minority groups were formed. The data was analysed in SPSS program, and the level of statistical significance was set to p < 0.05. As the data did not follow normal distribution, non-parametric statistical tests were used, including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Kruskal–Wallis test. Additionally, categorical variables were analysed using the Chi-square test. Ethnic minority children spent significantly more time outdoors during days off. Boys were more active than girls, but participation in sports was fairly equal across genders. Age did not affect outdoor PA, however, sport participation increased with age. The most popular sports were swimming and gymnastics. A trend towards higher outdoor PA time among sport participants was identified. Western minority children were generally more active than other, with significant differences in sport participation. Native and ethnic minority children engaged in outdoor PA a similar amount, but for sport participation there were significant differences. Native children were more likely to participate in organised sports, however, once ethnic minority children participated in sports they spent more time on it. Additionally, ethnic minority girls spent significantly more time on sports than native girls as well as significant differences were identified across age groups. The results provide novel information on PA of ethnic minority children. Overall, ethnic minority background plays a significant role in shaping children's participation in organised sports, nevertheless, it does not seem to affect the overall PA levels. Keywords: physical activity, ethnic minority, children, organised sport, sport participation Lapsuuden aikainen fyysinen aktiivisuus on tärkeää ja vaikka lasten liikuntaa ja urheilua pyritään edistämää monin tavoin, eriarvoisuutta silti esiintyy. Etenkin etniset vähemmistöt ovat useasti epäedullisemmassa asemassa ja harrastavat vähemmän liikuntaa kuin valtaväestö. Lisääntyneen maahanmuuton myötä monikulttuurisuus on kasvanut ja samalla lasten vähentynyt fyysinen aktiivisuus huolestuttaa kansainvälisesti. Tämä pro gradu -tutkielma tarkastelee etniseen vähemmistöön kuuluvien lasten vapaa-ajan ulkoliikuntaa ja osallistumista urheiluharrastuksiin Suomessa. Se tutkii lasten liikuntaa ja urheilua päiväkodin ulkopuolella sekä aktiivisuuden eroavaisuuksia eri vähemmistöryhmien välillä ja valtaväestöön. Suomessa aiheesta tehdyt tutkimukset ovat vähäisiä. Tämä tutkielma tehdään yhteistyössä Diginatiivit projektin kanssa, joka kuuluu kansainväliseen International ipreschooler Surveillance Study Among Asians and OtheRs (IISSAAR) tutkimusprojektiin. IISSAAR projekti tutki alle kouluikäisten lasten digitaalista ja ei-digitaalista käyttäytymistä ja liikuntasuosituksien noudattamista. Osana projektia kehitettiin SMALLQ® kyselylomake, johon tämän tutkielman aineisto perustuu. Tämä tutkielma on määrällinen tutkimus ja aineisto analysoitiin tilastollisin menetelmin. Aineisto on kerätty päiväkotien kautta 56 eri kunnassa vuosien 2019–2021 välillä. Tutkielmaan otettiin mukaan yhteensä 9126 vastausta, joista 545 lukeutui vähemmistöryhmään. Etnisyys määräytyi lapsen äidinkielen mukaan, jonka perusteella seitsemän eri vähemmistöryhmää muodostettiin. Aineisto analysoitiin SPSS ohjelmalla, ja p-arvo < 0.05 asetettiin merkitsemään tilastollista merkittävyyttä. Tilastollisina menetelminä käytettiin ei-parametrisia testejä, koska aineisto ei noudattanut normaalijakaumaa. Testeihin lukeutui Wilcoxonin rank-summatesti, Mann–Whitneyn ja Kruskal–Wallisin testit sekä Khiin neliö -testi kategoristen muuttujien analysoinnissa. Etniseen vähemmistöön kuuluvat lapset viettivät vapaapäivinään merkittävästi enemmän aikaa ulkona kuin arkipäivinä. Pojat olivat aktiivisempia kuin tytöt, mutta molemmat osallistuivat samoissa määrin ohjattuun urheiluun. Ikä ei vaikuttanut ulkoliikunnan määrään, mutta urheiluharrastuneisuus lisääntyi vanhemmiten. Uinti ja jumppa/voimistelu olivat suosituimpia harrastuksia. Urheilua harrastavien keskuudessa oli havaittavissa suurempi ulkoliikunnan määrä. Länsimaalaistaustaiset lapset olivat yleisesti aktiivisempia kuin muut sekä osallistuivat ohjattuun urheiluun merkittävästi enemmän. Ulkoliikunnan määrässä ei ollut eroavaisuuksia vähemmistön ja valtaväestön välillä. Valtaväestöön kuuluvat lapset harrastivat todennäköisemmin urheilua, kuitenkin urheilua harrastavat vähemmistöön kuuluvat lapset viettivät enemmän aikaa harrastamiseen. Etniseen vähemmistöön kuuluvat tytöt viettivät merkittävästi enemmän aikaa urheiluun kuin valtaväestön tytöt sekä eroavaisuuksia ikäryhmien välillä oli havaittavissa. Tulokset antavat uutta tietoa etniseen vähemmistöön kuuluvien lasten liikunnasta ja urheilusta. Etnisellä taustalla on vaikutus lapsien osallistumiseen ohjattuun urheiluun, vaikka se ei kuitenkaan näyttäisi vaikuttavan heidän aktiivisuutensa kokonaismäärään. Asiasanat: fyysinen aktiivisuus, etniset vähemmistöt, lapset, ohjattu urheiluharrastaminen
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Lis\u00e4\u00e4ntyneen maahanmuuton my\u00f6t\u00e4 monikulttuurisuus on kasvanut ja samalla lasten v\u00e4hentynyt fyysinen aktiivisuus huolestuttaa kansainv\u00e4lisesti. T\u00e4m\u00e4 pro gradu -tutkielma tarkastelee etniseen v\u00e4hemmist\u00f6\u00f6n kuuluvien lasten vapaa-ajan ulkoliikuntaa ja osallistumista urheiluharrastuksiin Suomessa. Se tutkii lasten liikuntaa ja urheilua p\u00e4iv\u00e4kodin ulkopuolella sek\u00e4 aktiivisuuden eroavaisuuksia eri v\u00e4hemmist\u00f6ryhmien v\u00e4lill\u00e4 ja valtav\u00e4est\u00f6\u00f6n. Suomessa aiheesta tehdyt tutkimukset ovat v\u00e4h\u00e4isi\u00e4. T\u00e4m\u00e4 tutkielma tehd\u00e4\u00e4n yhteisty\u00f6ss\u00e4 Diginatiivit projektin kanssa, joka kuuluu kansainv\u00e4liseen International ipreschooler Surveillance Study Among Asians and OtheRs (IISSAAR) tutkimusprojektiin. IISSAAR projekti tutki alle kouluik\u00e4isten lasten digitaalista ja ei-digitaalista k\u00e4ytt\u00e4ytymist\u00e4 ja liikuntasuosituksien noudattamista. Osana projektia kehitettiin SMALLQ\u00ae kyselylomake, johon t\u00e4m\u00e4n tutkielman aineisto perustuu.\n\nT\u00e4m\u00e4 tutkielma on m\u00e4\u00e4r\u00e4llinen tutkimus ja aineisto analysoitiin tilastollisin menetelmin. Aineisto on ker\u00e4tty p\u00e4iv\u00e4kotien kautta 56 eri kunnassa vuosien 2019\u20132021 v\u00e4lill\u00e4. Tutkielmaan otettiin mukaan yhteens\u00e4 9126 vastausta, joista 545 lukeutui v\u00e4hemmist\u00f6ryhm\u00e4\u00e4n. Etnisyys m\u00e4\u00e4r\u00e4ytyi lapsen \u00e4idinkielen mukaan, jonka perusteella seitsem\u00e4n eri v\u00e4hemmist\u00f6ryhm\u00e4\u00e4 muodostettiin. Aineisto analysoitiin SPSS ohjelmalla, ja p-arvo < 0.05 asetettiin merkitsem\u00e4\u00e4n tilastollista merkitt\u00e4vyytt\u00e4. Tilastollisina menetelmin\u00e4 k\u00e4ytettiin ei-parametrisia testej\u00e4, koska aineisto ei noudattanut normaalijakaumaa. 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spellingShingle Tiermas, Aada Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland Specialisation in Social Sciences of Sport
title Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland
title_full Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland
title_fullStr Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland
title_full_unstemmed Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland
title_short Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland
title_sort recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in finland
title_txtP Recreational outdoor physical activity and sport participation among ethnic minority children in Finland
topic Specialisation in Social Sciences of Sport
topic_facet Specialisation in Social Sciences of Sport
url https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/101678 http://www.urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:jyu-202504293556
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