Interdependency of sport supply and sport demand in German metropolitan and medium-sized municipalities – findings from multi-level analyses

One main reason for promoting sports participation is the assumption that sports participation creates several positive effects for society. If so, the question arises how sports participation can be promoted effectively. Research has shown that the quantity and quality of the sport infrastructure has an impact on the sports participation of residents. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding different sizes of municipalities. This paper analyses whether there are differences in metropolitan and medium-sized municipalities using multi-level analyses. On the individual level, data from population surveys in metropolitan (n=11,715) and medium-sized municipalities (n=9,302) is used. On the infrastructure, data about sport supply was provided by the municipalities and segmented into urban districts (n=25 for the metropolis and n=53 for the medium-sized municipalities). The results show that the supply of swimming pools is of importance in metropolitan areas whereas a good supply of sports fields has a significant impact on sports participation in medium-sized municipalities. This leads to the conclusion that different types of municipalities can increase sports participation by offering a good supply of particular sports facilities to all groups of the population. These differences must be considered by policy makers.