How urbanization shapes physical activity in Greenland

This study investigates leisure-time participation in sports, exercise, and traditional outdoor activities among adults in Greenland, examining differences across urbanisation levels using Antony Giddens’s structuration theory. Greenland has experienced rapid cultural and social changes, leading to shifts in physical activity patterns. This research explores how urbanisation influences participation in modern sports and exercise activities, hypothesising higher engagement in urban areas and a decline in traditional practices such as hunting and fishing.This study combined quantitative and qualitative methods, including a survey of 1,153 adults and in-depth interviews with 18 participants.The results confirmed that sports and exercise activities are more prevalent in urban areas, particularly among younger, educated adults, whereas traditional outdoor activities remain common in less urbanised areas and among older adults. Qualitative analysis found that modern sports and exercise are often conscious and deliberate choices, reflecting discursive consciousness. By contrast, traditional outdoor activities are ingrained routines that reflect practical consciousness, although they are sometimes reflectively approached in Nuuk, the capital town.These findings highlight how urbanisation shapes physical activity patterns in Greenland and underscore the importance of attending to the cultural and social contexts in which movement practices are understood and enacted.