Temporal trends in sports and exercise participation: a study in a population-representative sample of 96 948 European Union adults

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine temporal trends in sports and exercise participation frequency among European Union adults. Methods: We analysed Eurobarometer survey data collected among 96 948 adults from 26 European Union countries in 2009, 2013, 2017 and 2022. Self-reported frequency of sports and exercise participation was categorised as: 'never', 'less than once a month', 'monthly' (1-3 times per month) and 'weekly' (at least once a week). Multilevel ordinal logistic regression was used to analyse trends in sports and exercise participation frequency for the overall sample and by gender, age, marital status, employment, place of residence, number of household members and country. Results: The prevalence of no participation in sports and exercise increased from 41.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 40.6% to 42.7%) in 2009 to 45.8% (95% CI 44.8% to 46.8%) in 2022. The frequency of sports and exercise participation decreased from 2009 (reference year) to 2017 (adjusted odds ratio [OR] for 2013=0.96; 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99; OR for 2017=0.87; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.91) and then increased in 2022 (OR=0.92; 95% CI 0.89 to 0.95), suggesting a U-shaped trend (p<0.001). The most concerning trends were found for females, middle-aged adults, those living alone, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Portugal and Sweden. Conclusion: The persistently high prevalence of no sports participation highlights the need to strengthen the promotion of sports and exercise in the European Union. The focus should be on the population groups and countries with declining frequency of sports and exercise participation.