Youth from lower socioeconomic status and ethnic minority backgrounds face pervasive disparities in sports participation and injury management due to financial, resource, and support barriers.
This review highlights pervasive disparities in youth sports participation and injury management, emphasizing the need for a framework to make sports more equitable.
ABSTRACT: Participation in youth sports can have a positive, lasting impact on a child's general health and physical well-being. Unfortunately, some youth populations are unable to participate and/or reap the benefits of sports because of existing inequities. Youth from lower socioeconomic status and ethnic minority children have been found to participate in sports less. These disparities are unfortunately pervasive and likely the result of multiple barriers, including financial and time constraints, limited resources and the inability to access facilities both in and out of school, and lack of familial support. There also exist inequities with regard to sports injury management, including knowledge, access to athletic trainers, and care. This article provides a review of the numerous disparities and inequities in youth sports. Compiling and understanding these data may help develop a framework to make youth sports more equitable and beneficial for all.
Kuhn et al. (Wed,) conducted a review in Disparities and inequities in youth sports. Lower socioeconomic status and ethnic minority background was evaluated. Youth from lower socioeconomic status and ethnic minority backgrounds face pervasive disparities in sports participation and injury management due to financial, resource, and support barriers.