No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Social return on investment (SROI) in sport: a model for measuring the value of participation in England
Abstract
Recent and historical evidence suggests that sport creates societal benefits in terms of improved health, reduced crime, improved education and enhanced subjective well-being. However, there is limited empirical research on the monetary value of these non-market outcomes for society. The original research presented in this paper aims to calculate the social impact of sport in England, using a Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework. It is the first time an SROI framework has been used to value the sports sector at the national level. According to our study, in 2013/14 the social value of sports participation in England was £44.8 billion and the total financial and non-financial inputs to sport were £23.5 billion, giving an SROI ratio of 1.91. This means that for every £1 invested in sport, £1.91 worth of social benefit was generated. The research has several implications for policymakers. First, it shows it is possible to use an SROI framework to measure and value the wider benefits of sport to society, which provides a useful benchmarking tool for gathering evidence on the social impact of sport. Second, the research demonstrates that the return on investment in sport in England is positive and substantial, providing policymakers with evidence-based research upon which to better articulate the case for investment in sport. Third, it provides evidence that sport creates value to society across multiple social outcomes, potentially making it a cost-effective investment for addressing social issues across multiple public policy areas.
... Moreover, the pure economic benefits of the PAS activities were also out of the scope of the present research, focused on social impact defined as "both social benefits and costs, and specifically those which are nontraded, ie, not part of the market system." 12 Finally, outcomes related to the change in mental health and subjective well-being can be difficult to differentiate in some cases. The present research used the following criterion for their classification: Outcomes indicating the decrement of psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress : : : ) were categorized as "mental health" outcomes, whereas those indicating the increment of positive emotions or feelings (self-reported subjective well-being, feeling better, more positive, well-being scales : : : ) were classified as "subjective well-being" outcomes. ...
... Forty-six studies measured "physical health," but only 25 specified the conditions that were improved by PAS participation, that is, reduction of CVD/stroke, breast/colon cancer and type II diabetes (4,11,12,13,14,15,17,39, and 48-56), reduction of dementia (11,12,13,14,15,17,39,(48)(49)(50)(51)53, 54, and 56), reduction of hip fracture and back pain (14, 15, and 39), reduction of osteoporosis (4, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, and 56), reduced obesity/ weight (4, 24, 29, and 51), fewer bike accidents/injuries (9 and 10), decreased drownings and near drownings (21), reduced consumption of alcohol and drugs (22), balance and mobility (26), and reduced use of wheelchair-accessible taxis (37). The rest of the physical health outcomes were defined as improved physical fitness (8 and 33), better physical health (19), fewer illnesses (36), or reduced mortality (47), among others. ...
... Forty-six studies measured "physical health," but only 25 specified the conditions that were improved by PAS participation, that is, reduction of CVD/stroke, breast/colon cancer and type II diabetes (4,11,12,13,14,15,17,39, and 48-56), reduction of dementia (11,12,13,14,15,17,39,(48)(49)(50)(51)53, 54, and 56), reduction of hip fracture and back pain (14, 15, and 39), reduction of osteoporosis (4, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, and 56), reduced obesity/ weight (4, 24, 29, and 51), fewer bike accidents/injuries (9 and 10), decreased drownings and near drownings (21), reduced consumption of alcohol and drugs (22), balance and mobility (26), and reduced use of wheelchair-accessible taxis (37). The rest of the physical health outcomes were defined as improved physical fitness (8 and 33), better physical health (19), fewer illnesses (36), or reduced mortality (47), among others. ...
Background: Physical activity and sport (PAS) have been related to health and social benefits, but their monetary value remains unclear. This systematic review on the social return on investment of PAS aimed to find what are the social outcomes measured in previous PAS literature and how are these measured and valued. Methods: A systematic search was conducted on WoS, PubMed, and EconLit. Articles in English, measuring the social value of any type of PAS in monetary terms and utilizing a social return on investment framework, were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Drummond checklist. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Results: Fifty-five documents (2010–2022), from all continents except America, were included; only 8 were published in peer-reviewed journals, whereas 47 were reports. Most studies evaluated the benefits of specific programs, and 6 measured the engagement in PAS at the population level based on national or community surveys. The social outcomes identified were health (94.5%), crime (50.9%), education (83.6%), subjective well-being (89.1%), social capital (60%), and other (3.6%–23.6%). The valuation methods included willingness to pay, well-being valuation, the cost of an activity that could result in the same outcome, and cost databases associating outcomes with a monetary value. Conclusions: This study updates a previous review and widens the scope by answering the question of how social outcomes are measured and valued in previous PAS literature. Given the heterogeneity found in the application of the method, this review will inform a Delphi study to reach a Global Consensus Statement on the measurement of social value and PAS.
... Moreover, the pure economic benefits of the PAS activities were also out of the scope of the present research, focused on social impact defined as "both social benefits and costs, and specifically those which are nontraded, ie, not part of the market system." 12 Finally, outcomes related to the change in mental health and subjective well-being can be difficult to differentiate in some cases. The present research used the following criterion for their classification: Outcomes indicating the decrement of psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress : : : ) were categorized as "mental health" outcomes, whereas those indicating the increment of positive emotions or feelings (self-reported subjective well-being, feeling better, more positive, well-being scales : : : ) were classified as "subjective well-being" outcomes. ...
... Forty-six studies measured "physical health," but only 25 specified the conditions that were improved by PAS participation, that is, reduction of CVD/stroke, breast/colon cancer and type II diabetes (4,11,12,13,14,15,17,39, and 48-56), reduction of dementia (11,12,13,14,15,17,39,(48)(49)(50)(51)53, 54, and 56), reduction of hip fracture and back pain (14, 15, and 39), reduction of osteoporosis (4, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, and 56), reduced obesity/ weight (4, 24, 29, and 51), fewer bike accidents/injuries (9 and 10), decreased drownings and near drownings (21), reduced consumption of alcohol and drugs (22), balance and mobility (26), and reduced use of wheelchair-accessible taxis (37). The rest of the physical health outcomes were defined as improved physical fitness (8 and 33), better physical health (19), fewer illnesses (36), or reduced mortality (47), among others. ...
... Forty-six studies measured "physical health," but only 25 specified the conditions that were improved by PAS participation, that is, reduction of CVD/stroke, breast/colon cancer and type II diabetes (4,11,12,13,14,15,17,39, and 48-56), reduction of dementia (11,12,13,14,15,17,39,(48)(49)(50)(51)53, 54, and 56), reduction of hip fracture and back pain (14, 15, and 39), reduction of osteoporosis (4, 48, 49, 50, 53, 54, and 56), reduced obesity/ weight (4, 24, 29, and 51), fewer bike accidents/injuries (9 and 10), decreased drownings and near drownings (21), reduced consumption of alcohol and drugs (22), balance and mobility (26), and reduced use of wheelchair-accessible taxis (37). The rest of the physical health outcomes were defined as improved physical fitness (8 and 33), better physical health (19), fewer illnesses (36), or reduced mortality (47), among others. ...
Background : Physical activity and sport (PAS) have been related to health and social benefits, but their monetary value remains unclear. This systematic review on the social return on investment of PAS aimed to find what are the social outcomes measured in previous PAS literature and how are these measured and valued. Methods : A systematic search was conducted on WoS, PubMed, and EconLit. Articles in English, measuring the social value of any type of PAS in monetary terms and utilizing a social return on investment framework, were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Drummond checklist. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Results : Fifty-five documents (2010–2022), from all continents except America, were included; only 8 were published in peer-reviewed journals, whereas 47 were reports. Most studies evaluated the benefits of specific programs, and 6 measured the engagement in PAS at the population level based on national or community surveys. The social outcomes identified were health (94.5%), crime (50.9%), education (83.6%), subjective well-being (89.1%), social capital (60%), and other (3.6%–23.6%). The valuation methods included willingness to pay, well-being valuation, the cost of an activity that could result in the same outcome, and cost databases associating outcomes with a monetary value. Conclusions : This study updates a previous review and widens the scope by answering the question of how social outcomes are measured and valued in previous PAS literature. Given the heterogeneity found in the application of the method, this review will inform a Delphi study to reach a Global Consensus Statement on the measurement of social value and PAS.
... The SROI framework is built on a theory of change model and a commitment to valuing and monetizing outcomes (Davies et al., 2019). SROI measures change in ways that are relevant to the people or organizations that experience or contribute to it (Nicholls et al., 2012). ...
... More recently, an eighth principle focusing on the management of social value has been added: be responsive (Social Value International, n.d.). These principles lead to six stages in SROI (Davies et al., 2019: identifying stakeholders; mapping inputs, outputs, and outcomes; measuring and valuing outcomes; establishing impact; calculating SROI; and reporting. ...
... These include the difficulty of comparing studies and different interventions due to the use of a range of valuation methods (Arvidson et al., 2013); difficulty of attaching monetary values to non-market goods and establishing the counterfactual, that is, what would have happened without the intervention (Banke- Thomas et al., 2015); and lack of guidance on how the opinions and values of individuals should be aggregated (Fujiwara, 2014). However, these issues are not unique to SROI, and its merits exceed the issues as Davies et al. (2019) state: "On balance, SROI offers a practical and transparent framework, which can be used to capture the social value of different activities for diverse audiences" (p. 591). ...
This study addresses the growing interest in the social impact assessment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Using the benefit (value) transfer approach, this study seeks to demonstrate how the social return on investment (SROI) of a CSR inclusion initiative promoting disability sport participation can be assessed. Literature on CSR inclusion initiatives, social impact measurement, disability sport participation and disability interventions/organizations was reviewed and compared. This helped identify the stakeholders and social outcomes to include, and the assumptions for the financial proxies and beneficiary percentages. Based on data provided by the Rugby Football League in England, an application to Inclusion Rugby League— a CSR inclusion initiative promoting disability sport participation—was then conducted. The SROI of Inclusion Rugby League is 3.39:1—a social return of £3.39 for £1 invested. Our research quantifies the positive social impact of a CSR inclusion initiative in monetary terms, providing insights for assessing SROI. This study informs future research on the social impact assessment of CSR initiatives, offering valuable guidance for organizations and their managers in making a case for further investments in CSR. Moreover, it encourages potential funders to engage in CSR initiatives.
... SROI benefits management (e.g., policymakers and project managers) in four ways: (1) it improves resource optimization by calculating costeffectiveness, [27]; (2) it strengthens accountability and communication with numerous stakeholders; (3) it raises community awareness of an organization's profile; and (4) it develops organizational (or program) sustainability, [13]. Even though SROI has several drawbacks, such as the absence of recommendations for calculating long-term effects, [28], the potential for over-or under-claiming, or the propensity to emphasize the positive effects, [29], these problems are not specific to SROI, unlike CBA, [30]. The validity of the estimate could be protected by ensuring transparency when computing SROI. ...
... Defining the scope of the assessment considering the analysis's goal, the activity it was meant to look at, the content (including whether it was worth looking at or not), the time frame for the analysis, and the content itself. Next, we determined which stakeholders are involved in the program using, the [30], approach, which defines stakeholders as individuals or groups that have an impact on or undergo change as a result of the program. Interviews and discussions have been conducted at this stage to gather information regarding the scope of the analysis and important stakeholders. ...
... This impact is isolated by the activities measured. The four measures for impact isolation determination are deadweight, displacement, attribution, and drop-off, [30]. ...
The measure of the company’s success is now shifting to maximizing profits and contributing to the achievement of environmental and community development by the triple bottom line concept. The purpose of this study is to analyze the social impact of the Bunda Koja CSR program during the period 2018 to 2021. The case study approach, which is ideal for thoroughly examining complicated social phenomena using the SROI method, which is carried out through some activities in the CSR Program (i.e. digital marketing training, BPOM technical support, food handler training, financial governance training, Pertamina Sehati School of Nutrition, etc.) is assessed its impact on the community through SROI method. The stages of the SROI method are carried out by defining the scope and identifying stakeholders, mapping impact, proving impact and giving it value, establishing impact, establishing the value of the investment, and calculating the SROI ratio. The results of this study indicate that the SROI ratio is 1.89 showing that every rupiah spent to be invested to support the program will gain an impact value IDR 1.89. The result indicates that such a program is considered to be favorable to continue to support community development.
... In addition, in sports settings [23,25,30], all the other benefits related to the social impact of sports have also been considered, while in childhood programs [26,31,32] educational outcomes have been emphasized. Other relevant outcomes considered volunteers and families. ...
... No consensus has been reached on the definition of the financial proxies used to monetize the above-mentioned outcomes. The studies' durations have been set between six months and two years for the majority of them [25][26][27]29,[31][32][33][34], but information about the deadweight, attribution, displacement, drop-off, and discount rate has not always been available or detailed. ...
... • Sports interventions have ranged between 2:1 and 5:1 [23,25,30]; • Healthcare interventions have ranged between 3:1 and 13:1 [24,28,29,33]; • Disability interventions have ranged between 1:1 and 15:1 [27,34]. ...
Hemiplegia is a form of disability that affects one side of the body and has a prevalence of 0.5–0.7 per 1000 live births. It has consequences not only at the medical level but also on psychological, cognitive, and social aspects, and it prevents children from social participation, especially in sports settings. The studies demonstrating the social impact of sports on the hemiplegic population and, in particular, children, are limited. In addition, previous evaluations of healthcare sports initiatives in the hemiplegic population are not available, and traditional methods of evaluation, which are mostly focused on economic outcomes, are not applicable. Thus, this article employs the social return on investment (SROI) methodology, which is able to determine the socio-economic impacts of an initiative, to evaluate the impact of an innovative ankle–foot orthosis (AFO) for hemiplegic children that was created to promote the possibility of “sports for all”. The model was designed with the involvement of stakeholders in all the phases and with mixed methods to assess the input, outcomes, and impact indicators. The final SROI, computed for a time horizon of three years and with a focus on the Lombardy Region, was equal to 3.265:1. Based on this result, the initiative turned out to be worthy of investment.
... Academic interest and research has grown into the social impact of sport along with the growing recognition and use of sport as a political tool for achieving broad social outcomes. Recent and historical evidence suggests that sport provides social benefits in terms of improving health, reducing crime, improving education, and increasing mental well-being [10]. Huang and Humphreys found a positive relationship between happiness and sports participation. ...
... Both men and women enjoy sports participation and men benefit more. Also, Davies, Taylor [10] In a study on the Social return on investment through sports participation in the UK concluded that for every £1 invested in sports, £1.91 of social benefits are generated. Hoye, Nicholson [11] Described how sport and its social benefits have increased dramatically around the world and it is evident in the sports policies of various countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. ...
... Canada's sports policy recognizes the positive effects of sport on individuals and communities. This policy argues that sport is potentially a powerful factor in social change [10]. These examples show that the importance of sports and sports participation goes beyond its role in physical strength and emphasizes the role of sports in the social development of countries. ...
Sport in all societies’ leads to a return on social capital. Many politicians use sports-based programs to reduce crime in society because sport plays an important role in the social development of societies. On the other hand, crime causes insecurity in the neighborhood, and when people realize their fear of crime, they reduce their social activities, such as sports participation. Therefore, this study determines the interaction effect between crime and sport participation and we test an econometric model with simultaneous equations approach using the two-stage least squares method (2SLS). We used panel data of all provinces of Iran from 2004 – 2017. The results showed that a significant and negative interaction effect exists between crime and sport participation. Also, the number of coaches, sport facilities, and, sport budget have a significant and positive effect on sport participation. Per capita GDP has a significant and negative effect on crime and per capita GDP”×”sport participation has a significant and positive effect on crime. Finally, drugs have a significant and positive effect on crime.
... Simultaneously, there was growing interest from international institutions in demonstrating that PAS is beneficial for the population beyond the economic gains, that is, "social value." [1][2][3][4] Moreover, the first population-level SROI model of PAS emerged, 5 and there was a need to start building consistent, scientific-based tools. ...
... The SROI has been most commonly calculated in specific programs, 7 but population-level models are arising. 5 ...
Background: The Social Return on Investment (SROI) model has been applied to physical activity and sports (PAS) inconsistently in the past. In order to demonstrate that PAS creates social value for society, consistent, scientific-based tools must be developed. Methods: In 2022, a group of interdisciplinary researchers started a project to standardize the application of SROI to global PAS activities. A Delphi study, informed by a systematic review on this topic, was used and the present commentary exposes the main conclusions. Results: Six main lessons can be drawn from the process of building a global SROI applied to PAS: the methodology to measure the impact of PAS at the population level is different from the methodology applied to specific interventions; there is consensus on the impact in health; there is knowledge, but also unanswered questions on the impact of PAS in education; the impact of PAS in population well-being as a promising area; the of impact on crime and social capital requires more research; and there is controversy in the relationship between PAS, and environment, and climate change. Conclusions: A global SROI applied to PAS is a powerful tool to demonstrate how an active population can bring value to society. For this purpose, researchers and policymakers are called to action to fill in the gaps that remain open in order to build a robust model.
... Historical and recent evidence suggests that sport generates social and educational benefits in a number of areas, such as improved health, reduced crime, educational advancement and increased subjective well-being (Davies et al., 2019). These positive impacts are closely linked to the planning and objectives set prior to organising a sporting event. ...
... The resources used to run these events can be harnessed to improve the provision of sport, health and wellbeing in communities. Indeed, sport events act as catalysts to increase participation in sport activities, inspiring both individuals and organisations, which directly contributes to the creation of social value through sport (Davies et al., 2019). This makes sport a strategic investment to address social and educational issues, as detailed in recent studies (Sanatkhah, 2021). ...
This manuscript examines the gap in the literature on the planning and evaluation of socio-educational impact and legacy through volunteering at sport events. The existing scientific literature on impact and legacy planning of sport events focuses on economic impact. Sport events not only have an economic impact, but are also a key tool for fostering social cohesion, inclusion and the development of personal and professional skills in volunteers. The literature review for this study included eleven articles focusing on the impact of sport events of different dimensions on the socio-educational area through volunteering. Through rigorous planning and proper impact assessment, it is possible to maximize these benefits and ensure a lasting legacy in host communities. The study proposes the creation of BEAT, Badminton Events Assessment Tool, a comprehensive tool to plan and measure socio-educational impact in a structured way, facilitating the collection of key indicators before, during and after the event.
... In addition, and beyond the profit or loss it generates in economic terms, the social return on investment in sports is unquestionable [5]. From this perspective, the organisation of events has proven to be a strategic option for the promotion and development of many sports [6], especially those that are less visible due to their amateur practice and little or no professionalisation, and which are additionally overshadowed by other sports that are culturally most popular and more visible and promoted. ...
... Future studies could also incorporate a review of the social return on investment in sports [5]. Although it is an unquestionable fact, few instruments allow us to quantify what investment in sports represents in terms of savings in other areas such as health, education, and social integration, among others. ...
Sporting events are drivers of urban life and have the potential to bring substantial short-term economic benefits to the host region by attracting visitor spending. This study has analyzed the impact generated by the 2021 Senior and Elite Badminton World Championships that took place in Huelva, Spain. The objectives are (i) determine the economic impact and determining factors; and (ii) the impact on the development of badminton in the region. For this purpose, the study used the Cost-Benefit Analysis approach to estimate the cashflows through a survey applied to both events. The results reflect a direct positive impact on the region’s economy, although the results are not as satisfactory at the sporting level. The article contributes to the few mid-range event studies on a minority sport in a city with a highly developed tourism sector.
... First, scholars examining the monetary value of major sport events have exclusively focused on event microcosms like event volunteers (e.g., Downward and Dawson, 2016), sport outcomes (e.g., Mutter and Pawlowski, 2014;Humphreys et al., 2018), recreation facilities (e.g., Davies et al., 2021), and recreation programs (e.g., Davies et al., 2019). Although these were good initial steps, a monetary valuation of residents' major sport event social perspectives (i.e., experiences, perceptions, and insights) is noticeably missing (Keane et al., 2019;Gosselin et al., 2020). ...
... Although close, this change suggests that hosting a major sport event may receive less support when residents are presented with alternative options or more information about the choices at hand (Johnston et al., 2021b). This finding reveals the importance of providing transparency to help residents make informed decisions regarding the use of their taxpayer contributions (Davies et al., 2019(Davies et al., , 2021; it also illustrates that the way in which a survey is framed affects the results (Lumsdaine and Exterkate, 2013). Ultimately, applying this opportunity cost approach revealed the usefulness of this method to garner a macro-level perspective of residents' social value. ...
Measuring residents' social value from hosting major sport events has become a popular practitioner and researcher focus. However, researchers have used a plethora of monetary valuation methods to measure social value on an equally diverse set of events. Rather than being applied to major sport events, the use of these methods in sport research has been limited to smaller events, programs, or facilities. Consequently, investigating monetary valuation methods for major sport events is necessary to inform practitioners and researchers of these types of events as to which tool(s) to use. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate various monetary valuation methods to determine which method(s) is(are) best to examine residents' social value in a post-event context and test the selected method(s) for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. After reviewing monetary valuation methods found in the sport management literature, two methods were deemed suitable avenues to pursue: the reverse contingent valuation method and the opportunity cost approach. This study employed an exploratory sequential mixed methods design to derive a conceptual and empirical analysis. Interviews were conducted with 14 Vancouver residents and supplemented with document analysis; as well, 525 Vancouver residents completed a self-administered online survey. Findings highlighted the importance of using both the reverse contingent valuation method and opportunity cost approach given their complementary nature. The reverse contingent valuation method allowed residents to select how much they valued their experience. This individual or micro-economic perspective is a necessary prerequisite for residents to adequately determine their value of hosting in relation to other options (e.g., building hospitals, having professional sport teams) when applying the opportunity cost approach, which asks residents to reflect at societal or macro-economic level. This synergistic approach demonstrates the importance of addressing both perspectives: the micro (i.e., individual exchange) and the macro (i.e., event exchange) aspect. In doing so, this approach offers researchers and practitioners avenues forward to examine the social value of publicly-funded major sport events exclusively through a direct, an indirect, and a synergistic method to advance the examination of major sport events' social value.
... In recent years, the focus of sport policy and research has shifted from the mere assessment of tangible, economic impacts of sport to a broader assessment of impacts including intangible and non-economic impacts (Orlowski & Wicker, 2019). Social return on investment (SROI) analyses have emerged which consider social and health effects of sport participation and volunteering in addition to economic and consumption-related effects (Davies et al., 2019). ...
... The wellbeing valuation method addresses this shortcoming as it focuses on one possible outcome which is SWB. The wellbeing valuation method has been used to assign monetary values to volunteering in the UK (Davies et al., 2019); however, hourly values were not reported. ...
This study applies the wellbeing valuation approach to sport participation and volunteering using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. Linear regression results show that sport and volunteering hours increase satisfaction with life, health, work, income, and leisure, but with diminishing returns in most models. In a seemingly unrelated regression, some of these effects turn insignificant. The instrumental variable estimates show causal impacts of sporting hours on all wellbeing measures, while volunteering only impacts health satisfaction. The monetary values vary depending on the type of wellbeing measure and estimator, indicating that future studies should consider the employed measures and estimators.
... ). Furthermore,Davies et al. (2019) emphasized that clear communication strengthens the coach-athlete relationship, ultimately fostering discipline. ...
Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of participative coaching style on the self-confidence and self-efficacy of student-athletes, with the aim of understanding how involving athletes in decision-making, goal-setting, and collaborative practices contributes to their belief in their abilities and overall performance. Theoretical Framework: The research builds on Self-Determination Theory to examine how a participative coaching style influence self-confidence and self-efficacy in student-athletes. Method: the study used descriptive-correlational design to describe the student-athletes perception on participative coaching style, self-confidence and self-efficacy, while Pearson correlation was utilized to test the relationship among variables. Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that participative coaching is widely embraced by student-athletes, contributing to high levels of self-confidence and self-efficacy. Significant correlations were found between participative coaching and key components of selfconfidence and Self-Efficacy. Research Implications: The results emphasize how participative coaching effectively promotes both mental and emotional growth, alongside enhancing athletic performance. Additionally, it underscores the importance of a comprehensive coaching approach that nurtures both the personal and athletic development of student-athletes. Originality/Value: This study offers new insights into how participative coaching influence student-athletes' self-confidence and self-efficacy, areas that are not well-studied. It shows that involving athletes in coaching not only enhances their skills but also supports their mental growth, leading to more well-rounded development.
... By providing a broader perspective on value creation, SROI helps policymakers prioritize projects that generate holistic benefits rather than just immediate financial returns. While the application of SROI in slow tourism is spreading in many areas [11,12] and analysis is promising [13][14][15][16], there are several challenges (as remarked also in [17]): • Complex Valuation. Monetizing intangible outcomes (e.g., cultural preservation, social cohesion) is complex and may involve subjective judgments. ...
p>The increasing demand for slow tourism in rural regions is leading many organizations to reorganize events by planning new strategies able to predict the impact of incoming visitors and new stakeholders. Typical economic benefit-cost analysis often cannot be used in such contexts in which it is hard to predict socio-economic impacts that are the most relevant. In this way, a methodology like the SROI Method, based on a wide set of indicators and a flexible analytical method, could give a prediction estimation useful to predict socio-economic impacts and tailored for a wide set of people. In this paper we consider three examples taken from small villages around Rome for which a set of events has been analyzed through a revised SROI Method in which we calculate the corresponding SROI value and compare it under a set of revised stages named as—SMARTOUR SROI focused on Slow Tourism Planning. The proposed evaluation methodology obtained by the application of the SROI Method to smart tourism stages is a first example of new sustainable analysis for slow tourism. The result shows that the methodology always gives a positive evaluation by highlighting the main issues related to the impact of slow tourism in such emerging scenarios. Moreover, in the discussion we can show that the case of the historical train example gives the best result due to the particular impact of such a typical scenario.</p
... Sport participation can have positive personal, social and economic outcomes for individuals (Coalter 2007, Taylor et al. 2015, Sport England 2017, with the value of these estimated to lie between £45 billion and £85 billion in England (Davies et al. 2019, Sport England 2020. Harnessing these benefits through policy has consequently been central to the successive national sport strategies of the Blair (Strategy Unit/Cabinet Office 2002), Cameron-Clegg coalition (Cabinet Office 2015) and Sunak (DCMS 2023) governments, albeit separated by substantial periods of time and location on the political spectrum (Downward 2011, Stenling 2014, Kumar et al. 2019. 1 Four features of the most recent strategy, 'Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity' (DCMS 2023), are worth noting. ...
... Economically, the challenges of organizing events, determining the return on investment, navigating economic barriers, and addressing the high costs of sports services demonstrate the intricate financial considerations in creating impactful sports events. According to Davies et al. (2019), every £1 invested in sports generates £1.91 worth of social benefit in England. However, the impact of sports investment varies across countries due to different barriers. ...
Objective of the Study: This research aims to examine the impact of hosting sports events on Iranian society, seeking to establish a correlation between event hosting and sports participation across diverse demographic segments. Methodology: Employing a qualitative approach, this study conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 experts. The interview questions were meticulously designed to address the central research question comprehensively. Grounded theory analysis, involving open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, was applied to the collected data, ensuring a thorough exploration of emerging concepts and themes. Originality/Relevance: This research is distinctive in its approach by not delineating boundaries, instead aiming to comprehensively explore the effects of hosting sports events on all segments of the Iranian population. Despite recent political constraints limiting Iran's ability to host major international events, the study critically evaluates the significance of such occurrences and elucidates missed opportunities for societal advancement. The study's focus on diverse demographic segments and its exploration of causal, contextual, and intervening factors contribute to its originality and relevance. Main Results: The study unfolds a nuanced interplay of social, cultural, techno-managerial, legal, economical, and socio-cultural factors, shedding light on the multifaceted relationship between event hosting and sports participation. While recognizing the significance of regular physical activity in promoting overall health, the main results highlight the motivational impact of sports events on individuals' increased physical engagement. Theoretical/Methodological Contributions: The research makes theoretical contributions by developing a coherent framework grounded in the qualitative data, explaining the complex relationship between sports events and sports engagement.
... econometric modelling, cost-benefit analysis, return on investment assessment, computable general equilibrium models, contingent valuation, and life-cycle assessment, including carbon footprint analysis) to measure specific events' impacts. Some recent examples of value assessment studies are Bronzini et al. (2020), who studied the short and long-term economic impact of Rome's 2000 Great Jubilee via econometric modelling; Fourie and Santana-Gallego (2011), who used a standard gravity model to study the impact of several mega-event on tourism flows; Cavallin Toscani et al. (2022), who focused on the environmental impact of four events using life-cycle assessment; Zhong et al. (2021), who relied on contingent analysis offered an estimated of the traffic-related social cost of 2018 Canton Fair; or, finally, Davies et al. (2019), who used the social return on investment framework to evaluate the participation in sports in England in the 2013-2014 period. ...
Purpose
This paper looks at how stakeholders co-create value at mega-events from a service ecosystem perspective. Despite the growing interest, little is known about how value is co-created through such initiatives for individual stakeholders and the community.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on institutional and stakeholder theory, the study focuses on Cortina 2021, the World Ski Championships held in Italy in February 2021. It investigates how multiple actors co-create value within a service ecosystem through qualitative interviews with key stakeholders combined with the analysis of official documents and reports.
Findings
The research established that key stakeholders were willing to get involved with Cortina 2021 if they recognised the value which could be co-created. Such an ecosystem requires a focal organisation with a clear regulative and normative framework and a common cultural basis. The latter helped resilience in the extraordinary circumstances of Cortina 2021 and safeguarded long-term impacts, even though the expected short-term ones were compromised.
Practical implications
From a managerial point of view, the evidence from Cortina 2021 shows how a clear strategy with well-defined stakeholder engagement mechanisms can facilitate value co-creation in service ecosystems. Moreover, when regulative and normative elements are blurred because of an extraordinary circumstance, resource integration and value creation processes need to be entrusted to those cultural elements that characterise an ecosystem.
Originality/value
The study takes an ecosystemic approach to mega-events to explore value creation for the whole community at the macro level, not only at the individual or organisational level, even during a crisis, which greatly impaired the preparation and running of the event.
... The Social Return on Investment (SROI) quantifies these aspired societal benefits of sports sector investments. For instance, in England, the SROI ratio was calculated to be 1.91, indicating that every pound invested in sport yielded £1.91 in social benefits [7]. Similarly, in Flanders (Belgium), the SROI ratio in sports is estimated at around 3.5, underscoring the societal value linked to sports participation [8]. ...
Background
The lack of knowledge regarding urban sports poses pressing challenges for governments and sports organisations to deal with in light of its increasing popularity. To develop targeted policy strategies, more insight is needed into the features of urban sports. Therefore, this research aims to establish a profile of urban sports participants in terms of characteristics, behaviours in sports participation, and motives for sports participation.
Methods
Data was gathered during a large-scale research project on sports participation in the Belgian city of Bruges. A total of 3,951 residents between 6 and 75 years old participated in an online survey. Descriptive statistics and binomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine the differences between urban and traditional sports participants.
Results
Based on a binomial regression model, the sports level and location significantly predict urban sports participation. The physical motives for sports participation are significantly less important for urban sports participants compared to the group of traditional sports participants. Urban sports participants value the fun and relaxation motives for sports participation significantly more than traditional sports participants.
Conclusions
This paper aimed to establish a comprehensive profile of urban sports participants and juxtaposed it to that of traditional sports participants. While existing literature often portrays urban sports participants as a relatively homogeneous group, our findings reveal a surprising heterogeneity. Consequently, given its increasing popularity, urban sports present a valuable avenue for governments and sports organisations to engage with a diverse range of sports participants.
... Social value research began in the 1960s due to increasing interest in the impacts of PA beyond health, including both direct impacts on individuals and positive externalities for wider society (30,31). A contemporary review by Taylor et al. (32) identified five domains of impact of PA: health, crime, education, social capital, and subjective wellbeing. ...
Background: Engagement in physical activity (PA) benefits physical and mental health as well as many other areas of society. In Europe however, 1/3 adults do not meet minimum PA recommendations. Social value, and its quantification through social return on investment (SROI) evidence, may be a useful framing to enhance PA promotion. This study aimed to assess the current use of social value framing of PA in European Union (EU) policies.
Methods: Content analysis of 45 EU member state policies which contain reference to PA was conducted to evaluate the presence of five social value domains and SROI evidence. Data was analysed using manual inductive coding, supported by DeepL translation and NVivo tools.
Results: Social value framing was present to a certain extent in existing policies, with improved health being the most commonly referenced benefit of PA, followed by reference to social and community and then environmental benefits. Acknowledgement of the positive impacts of PA on wellbeing and education was the least present. Reference to SROI evidence was also limited. Generally, policies lacked holistic recognition of the social value of PA. Policies from the health sector were particularly limited in recognising the wider benefits of PA, whilst those from the environmental sector acknowledged the widest range of co-benefits.
Conclusion: Adopting social value framing could be a useful approach for enhancing PA promotion. Whilst it is present to a certain extent in existing policy, this could be increased in terms of comprehensiveness to increase issue salience and multisectoral policy action.
... Further, as quality of life is multidimensional, sports participation, through its contribution to the acquisition of social capital through trust, contributes to one's quality of life through social engagement. This is the logic behind attempts to monetize a range of intangible outcomes in existing SROI evaluations (Davies et al., 2019). ...
This study examines the well-being and social value of playing different forms of soccer for men and women by employing the compensating variation approach to survey data from eight European countries. Framed by the desired objective of Title IX, this research assesses possible gender differences in the social benefits of sport. Social values are higher than the well-being derived from playing soccer, with the values of both being greater for women. Less formal forms of soccer yield generally higher monetary values than the competitive 11-a-side format. As the marginal returns are greater, investment should promote women's engagement and more informal playing opportunities.
... It seeks to apply existing approaches to social impact measurement in the context of a new sector, with the aim of achieving more robust results. The impact of such research can be provided to stakeholders (Davies et al. 2019) as input for policymakers. ...
Social values are views/rules adopted in human life that are considered good or bad, right or wrong, and beautiful or not beautiful. Social values are used as a way to be able to respect yourself and also other people around you. The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in the results of developing social values through sports activities. The sports activities in question are individual sports (athletics) and team sports (football). The method used in this research is an experiment with a multiple treatment and control design with pretest-posttest. Researchers made an instrument called the social values scale for sport. This study took a sample of students who were carrying out athletic and football learning. There are 4 groups, each group consisting of 30 students. The sample was divided into four groups consisting of 1) intentionally structuring athletics, 2) non-intentionally structuring athletics, 3) intentionally structuring football, and 4) non-intentionally structuring football. In this study, it was found that there was a significant difference in results between the learning groups (athletics and football) intentionally structuring on improving social values or by obtaining a p-value <0.001, which means that there really is a significant difference in the group compared to the learning group (athletics and football) non-intentionally structuring. So, it can be concluded that athletic and football sports activities are a good means to shape social values through intentional structuring. This has an influence on improving outcomes since they not only gain strong talents, but they also ideally develop social values as a provision for our young generation to continue to participate in this globalized competition. Keywords: Integration; social values; sports individual; sports team.
... Social benefits include improved health, reduced crime, improved education and enhanced subjective well-being. It has recently been estimated that for every £1 invested in sport, which includes the time of volunteers, £1.91 worth of social benefit is generated (Davies et al, 2019). ...
This paper considers the role and limitations of mutual aid associations in meeting society’s needs. It does this by examining responses of community sports clubs (CSCs) in the UK to COVID-19 restrictions. We firstly make the case that CSCs typify mutual aid associations. Using two qualitative research studies we show how the clubs’ responses focused on meeting the needs of their own members, expressing bonding rather than bridging social capital. Clubs’ resilience was facilitated by the commitment of key volunteers, understood as serious leisure, and the complete overlap of governance and delivery in club management. These insights allow us to discuss the potential and limitations of this particular type of mutual aid association in meeting society’s needs, and qualify general assertions that the voluntary sector would respond to the COVID-19 crisis by developing social capital. It reinforces the need for a typology of the voluntary sector to inform understanding and research.
... It enables the calculation of the benefits-to-costs ratio. For instance, a ratio of 3:1 indicates that a 1 million investment generates a social value of 3 million (Davies et al., 2019). ...
Empowering the community is an endeavor to prepare society for achieving progress, independence, and well-being within a sustainable social justice environment. Effective community empowerment must be tailored to the specific conditions of the target. Correspondingly, the objective of this program was to construct and empower an educational ecotourism village by implementing a hybrid method combining Sisdamas (Community Empowerment System) and Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD). This hybrid approach was expected to facilitate the identification of existing community assets and enhance synergy among stakeholders in creating an educational ecotourism village. Moreover, integrating these two methods could result in an effective, efficient, and sustainable coaching process. Cigugurgirang village possesses several assets that can be developed into an agricultural educational tourism area, including orange gardens, grape vineyards, and ornamental plant areas. They serve as the initial foundation for asset identification. The evaluation of the coaching process incorporated the Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework analysis, yielding a value of 10.16:1. Thus, every investment of 1 million rupiahs would generate a social value of 10.16 million rupiahs. In summary, the present community empowerment program had a multi-faceted impact, encompassing economic, educational, and social benefits. Its primary focus was establishing a sustainable and socially just environment, utilizing a combination of methods to maximize effectiveness. Furthermore, SROI analysis underscored the significant social value generated by the program's investments.
... Economically, the challenges of organizing events, determining the return on investment, navigating economic barriers, and addressing the high costs of sports services demonstrate the intricate financial considerations in creating impactful sports events. According to Davies et al. (2019), every £1 invested in sports generates £1.91 worth of social benefit in England. However, the impact of sports investment varies across countries due to different barriers. ...
Full Article Figures & data References Citations Metrics Reprints & Permissions Read this article
Abstract
Because sport is one of the most common leisure activities, it would be interesting to study the relationship between leisure and work among elite athletes who chose sport as their profession. Hence, this study aimed to learn about the leisure styles of elite Iranian athletes and map the relationship between work and leisure. The study was conducted with a qualitative approach, and 44 Iranian athletes at the national level participated in the interview voluntarily. A thematic approach was used to analyze data. There are four leisure styles among elite Iranian athletes based on the results: virtual, distinctive, closed, and family-oriented. The mean age of athletes was the lowest in the virtual leisure style and the highest in the family-oriented style. In addition, sport as a leisure activity was more important to virtual-style athletes than to the other three styles.
Le sport étant l’une des activités de loisirs les plus courantes, il serait intéressant d’étudier la relation entre les loisirs et le travail chez les athlètes d’élite qui ont choisi le sport comme profession. Cette étude a donc été réalisée pour connaître les styles de loisirs des athlètes d’élite iraniens et cartographier la relation entre le travail et les loisirs. L’étude a été menée selon une approche qualitative et 44 athlètes iraniens de niveau national ont participé volontairement à l’entretien. Une approche thématique a été utilisée pour analyser les données. D’après les résultats, il existe quatre styles de loisirs chez les athlètes d’élite iraniens : virtuel, distinctif, fermé et familial. L’âge moyen des athlètes était le plus bas dans le style de loisir virtuel et le plus élevé dans le style orienté vers la famille. En outre, le sport en tant qu’activité de loisir était plus important pour les athlètes du style virtuel que pour ceux des trois autres styles.
... Metode SROI digunakan untuk dapat mengetahui sejauh mana dampak program Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) yang sudah berjalan, kepada siapa saja dampak itu terjadi, berapa besarnya, siapa yang menerima dampak paling besar/ siapa yang menerima dampak paling kecil. Metode ini banyak digunakan untuk menganalisis benefit dan biaya kegiatan sosial, pemerintah dan Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat (LSM) (Basset, 2023;Cordes, 2017;Davies et al., 2019;Davies et al., 2020;Drabo et al., 2021;Laing dan Moules, 2017;Saenz, 2020;Then et al., 2017;Vluggen et al., 2020) Dengan melakukan pengukuran dampak program, maka keuntungan yang didapatkan adalah dapat mengetahui pencapaian program dalam setiap proses/tahapan; untuk memastikan bahwa program sudah on the track; untuk mengefektifkan dan mengefisienkan pemakaian sumberdaya di dalam perusahaan. Kemudian, juga sebagai masukan untuk komunikasi kepada seluruh pemangku kepentingan serta merupakan pembuktian komitmen dan sekaligus wujud transparansi dan akuntabilitas ke publik (Merino et al., 2020;Nielsen et al., 2020;Watson dan Whitley, 2017;Yates dan Marra, 2017) Prinsip SROI ada tujuh, yakni: (1) pelibatan pemangku kepentingan (2) memahami perubahan positif atau negatif (3) berikan nilai hal-hal yang terjadi/ relevan (4) hanya memasukkan yang material ke dalam perhitungan (5) hindari klaim yang berlebihan (6) transparan dan (7) verifikasi hasil (Watson et al., 2016 (Davies et al., 2020;Hamelmann et al., 2017;Jones et al., 2020;Leck et al., 2016;Merino et al., 2020;Willis et al., 2016). ...
Kegiatan utama yang dilakukan dalam bidang pendidikan antara lain adalah pembanguan gedung Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini (PAUD), penyediaan sarana maupun kelas e-learning, pelatihan guru, pengembangan kurikulum pendidikan, pelatihan keterampilan bagi anak anak yang lulus maupun putus sekolah. Dalam bidang kesehatan, Yayasan Gugah Nurani Indonesia (GNI) melakukan intervensi untuk mendukungan pembangunan sarana air bersih, pembangunan toilet yg ramah anak dan perempuan, mencegah dan mengurangi angka stunting anak-anak, pengembangan program sanitasi berbasis masyarakat. Sementara itu di bidang ekonomi, GNI mendukung pendirian dan pengembangan koperasi, menyediakan dana bergulir untuk simpan pinjam, mendukungan pengembangan usaha koperasi dan kelompok, memfasilitasi penguatan sumber daya manusia di koperasi. GNI melakukan monitoring untuk memastikan tahapan implementasi program berjalan dengan baik dan sesuai dengan timeline yang dibuat. Di sisi yang lain, GNI juga melakukan evaluasi terhadap seluruh rangkaian input-proses-hasil untuk mendapatkan gambaran terhadap setiap program yang dilakukan bersama-sama dan di tengah-tengah masyarakat. Untuk itu GNI bekerja sama dengan Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya untuk mengadakan pelatihan mengenai metode SROI (Social Return On Investment) untuk mengukur dampak program pemberdayaan. Pelatihan ditujukan kepada tim manajemen GNI yang tersebar di berbagai kota di Indonesia, sebanyak 30 orang dan dilaksanakan dalam bentuk webinar online. Hasil pelatihan membukakan wawasan baru bagi tim GNI tentang cara pengukuran baru SROI. Mereka akan mencoba untuk menerapkan SROI dalam kegiatan mereka selanjutnya.
... The role of the government in building sports through socio-culture has positive values that can change the nation's character [20]. Sports can create social benefits, improve health, reduce crime, and improve the quality of education and welfare [21]. ...
... The economic sustainability of firms contributes to the long-term effective returns on corporate capital (Xie et al., 2019). This is because, an economically stable enterprise can meet its capital liquidity requirements, as well as provide shareholders with healthy returns on investment (Davies et al., 2019). The return on a firm's funds is determined by its financial performance; where solvency ensures the safety of assets, hence, the growth and sustenance of an enterprise. ...
Purpose
With the recent increasing relevance of sustainability, multinational enterprises are faced with divergent stakeholder demands and persistently shifting priorities. This study aims to examine stakeholders’ perceptions of the sustainability performance of a gold mining subsidiary in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a purposive sampling technique, the authors interviewed managers and employees of the case enterprise, officials of regulatory institutions and host community members on their perceptions of the case enterprise’s sustainability performance. The authors triangulated the opinions expressed by these stakeholders with data from annual reports. The data were analysed through the lens of stakeholder theory.
Findings
The authors found that while members of the host community and the regulatory institutions were keenly interested in the case enterprise’s social and environmental activities, they perceived their performance as unimpressive, considering the economic benefits derived from the mining operations. On the contrary, the managers and employees of the case enterprise were satisfied with their environmental compliance and social intervention programmes, even though the company’s economic position had declined. The authors submit that the variations in the sustainability performance perceptions among the stakeholders are due to the lack of a deeper understanding of the other stakeholders’ expectations.
Practical implications
To equitably satisfy diverse stakeholder expectations, the study highlights the role of stakeholder collaborations in understanding the expectations of more salient stakeholder groups such as community members and employees, as well as the lesser salient groups such as academics. It also demonstrates the fluidity of sustainability and its benefits in designing a consensual sustainable management strategy. This implies that managers of the case mining enterprise make the necessary efforts to meet the diverse stakeholder needs while attaining their primary objective of creating wealth for shareholders.
Originality/value
Compared to advanced economies, studies on sustainability performance in emerging economies are limited. Nonetheless, these limited studies leave out stakeholder perceptions, focusing more on quantitative performance indicators. Using thematic and content analyses, the authors investigate stakeholder perceptions on the sustainability performance of a case mining subsidiary operating in Ghana. The study focused on Ghana because it is ranked with South Africa as the top two producers of gold in Africa. Nonetheless, unlike South Africa, Ghana faces more sustainability challenges from the mining sector due to weak institutions in enforcing sustainability standards.
... Other models which might achieve similar outcomes should be considered. For instance, the work of Davies et al. (2019) on the application of the Social Return on Investment (SROI) model should prove illuminating. All in all, the concept of territorial capital may serve as a new strategy path for future research with respect to the four capital elements, but also within the dimension of the five remaining squares in the innovative cross of the model. ...
Due to the challenges associated with measurement, studies attempting to evaluate the effects of mega and non-mega sports events from a broader, more comprehensive perspective are rare. This paper relies on Camagni’s concept of territorial capital, which is often used to evaluate policy actions in regional studies but represents a new concept in sport. The study investigates the option of employing this concept to evaluate international sports events. It is thus the first to involve the concept in the area of sports events and, indeed, in sport generally. After introducing the concept, its four traditional subdimensions are addressed (‘public goods and resources’, ‘private fixed capital stock’, ‘social capital’ and ‘human capital’) and implemented in aspects of sports events. We found that the content of Camagni’s model creates a potential base for a more wide-ranging methodology to assess the impacts and legacies of sports events.
... When analysing the recent literature, we observe the use of SROI in areas such as health care (Banke-Thomas et al., 2015;Merino et al., 2020;Moral Torres et al., 2020), sport (Davies et al., 2019) or the evaluation of the functioning of public institutions (Purwohedi & Gurd, 2019;Vluggen et al., 2020). However, looking at the practical dimension of SROI, the implementation potential of this tool may reflect the popularity of "social return on investment" on Google. ...
Background: This text was created as a consequence of reading the article entitled "Using the social return on investment (SROI) as a measure of the effectiveness of social innovation projects implemented under public policies" published in the Social Enterprise Journal. Research objectives: This article aims to contribute to the ongoing debate about the best way to measure the economic effectiveness of public policies, as well to explore the possibility of using the SROI method as one of the indicators. Research design and methods: The paper is based on Google Trends analysis and previous project results.
... Such monetary values can also be integrated into Social Return on Investment analyses of football. This type of analysis is increasingly conducted to quantify the social value of sports and leisure activities (Davies et al., 2019). ...
Research question
Drawing on different theoretical views of subjective well-being (SWB), this study examines the associations between football volunteering in general, volunteering in specific roles, and different SWB measures. It also assigns monetary values to volunteering using the well-being valuation approach.
Research methods
The analysis uses survey data of adult football club members and volunteers in seven European countries (n = 19,939). Volunteering is measured by the number of monthly volunteering hours in total and in administrative, sport-related, and operational roles. SWB is captured by life satisfaction, happiness, and a multi-item scale. Linear and instrumental variable (IV) regression models are estimated.
Results and findings
The number of volunteering hours has no significant association in the linear models, but a significant positive association with all three SWB measures in the IV estimations. Differences in volunteering hours between during and before the pandemic are positively associated with differences in SWB. Administrative and sport-related hours are negatively associated with some SWB measures in the linear models, while the IV models reveal a positive association for sport-related roles. Operational roles tend to be positively related to SWB independent of estimator and SWB measure. The monetary values of the IV estimations are higher than those of the linear models. The values from the happiness models exceed those of the life satisfaction models. One hour of volunteering in an operational role is valued higher than one hour in a sport-related role.
Implications
For scholars, it is more important to distinguish between different voluntary roles than between different SWB measures. For practitioners, the results imply that support should be targeted particularly at volunteers in administrative and sport-related roles.
... Smart, accessible and affordable infrastructure and facilities engage people in leisure activities and through that enhance the quality of life [18]. Because infrastructure depends a lot on public investment, the benefits of engagement in sports, culture and leisure are used to justify government spending [17,19,20]. Surprisingly, only a few attempts have been made to assign a monetary value to these benefits [21]. ...
It is widely acknowledged that engagement in sports, as well as in cultural and leisure activities benefits people’s well-being. However, what remains unclear is the monetary value of this contribution. For creating sustainable policies that withstand austerity measures, it is crucial to have a better understanding of the value of these activities. This scoping review provides the first overview of studies that estimate the value of leisure activities by using the compensating variation approach exclusively. The purpose of the review is to identify methodological issues to detect knowledge gaps and to investigate the conduct of research. Records were retrieved from several scientific databases and Google Scholar. To analyze the results, all studies were summarized for country, scope, source, database, sample, measures, control variables, design, common bias and outcomes. The search resulted in eleven original studies of which five were commissioned reports delivered by academics. Important methodological issues were the diverse use of control and well-being variables and the endogeneity and selection biases that contributed to a wide range of monetary values. Because of the variability in their conduct, methodological standardization is required to reach a consensus on the contribution of sports and cultural and leisure activities to society.
... Globally, there is growing interest in measuring the wider contribution of sport and physical activity to society across the academic community, government, and industry [1,2]. This is reflected in the growth in evidence on the contribution of sport and physical activity to social outcomes, including improved health, life satisfaction, better social connections, higher levels of social inclusion and trust, and better community engagement [3,4]. ...
Internationally, there is rising interest in measuring the value of sport and physical activity to society. A critical step in valuing the sector is first establishing the relationship between engagement in sport and physical activity and the societal outcomes that ensue. This paper summarises the findings of a literature review carried out as part of a larger study on the Social Return on Investment (SROI) of recreational physical activity in Aotearoa New Zealand. The review aimed to synthesise existing evidence on the relationship between recreational physical activity and wellbeing outcomes for all New Zealanders, including tangata whenua (Māori, who are Aotearoa New Zealand’s Indigenous population). The methodology took the format of a scoping review and included a series of searches for academic and grey literature, including literature concerning Māori that might have been overlooked in a traditional academic search. The findings are grouped into five outcome areas: physical health; subjective wellbeing; individual development; personal behaviour; and social and community development. The review found some compelling evidence which shows examples of the links between sport and physical activity and outcomes in each of these areas for specific population sub-groups. In particular, for Māori, the findings demonstrate a strong impact on social and community development through building social capital and enhancing cultural identity. However, in all outcome areas, there is mixed quality evidence, a small amount of evidence on which to base definitive conclusions, and limited evidence relating to the monetary value of outcomes. The review concludes that there is a need for further research to strengthen the evidence base for social impact measurement, particularly around the impact of sport and physical activity for Indigenous populations.
... It should be noted that SROI does not evaluate money, but it measures the creation of value by using money as a unit of measure. In this way, SROI is described as an instrument towards identifying and appreciating value created based on a set of principles: (1) to involve stakeholders in the process of understanding their real needs, expectations and perceptions; (2) to measure negative and/or positive effects that can be derived by intervention; (3) measuring internal and external impacts (such as cultural, those of employees), identifying the time horizon (short or long) within which the impact is made; (4) to include only the impacts that can be realistically attributed to the intervention or organisation or project; (5) to avoid overstating impacts without including the same indicator in both the social and financial evaluations; (6) to compare the social performance with the next best alternative, focusing on the benefits generated for all stakeholders; (7) to also consider the risks that can impede the project; and (8) to constantly monitor the results to avoid discrepancy and evaluate the improvement (Davies et al., 2019;Grieco, 2015). ...
Our paper explores whether social crowdfunding triggers the success of social projects by focusing on the role of the Italian platform Meridonare. By examining 140 projects between 2016 and 2018, our study analyzes how the platform acts in facilitating the interaction between non-profit organizations and private investors willing to participate in the financing of social projects. Our results support the relevant role a social crowdfunding platform has on the success of a campaign. The involvement of the population through actions that leverage the human-touch relationship, and the social nature of the project increases the propensity to achieve the funding objectives.
... It can also be a basis for community development, through the practice and realization of social changes that contribute to the "betterment" of a community (Doherty and Rich, 2015). Such positive changes in the context of sport include generating social capital through relationships and networks, fostering social inclusion of marginalized groups, and promoting a sense of community identity and citizenship (Tonts, 2005;Spaaij, 2009;Doherty and Rich, 2015;Davies et al., 2019). ...
This study presents the landscape of private community sport organizations in the City of London, Ontario, Canada based on a profile of organizational features that align conceptually with critical aspects of community development. Features representing the scope—variety of sports offered, program age targets, and other offerings—and operations—nonprofit/commercial sector, open/closed program type, independent/affiliated/franchise status, and shared/exclusive facility use—of community sport organizations were captured from publicly available information about the population of 218 organizations. The location of sport delivery points for each organization was also mapped. The landscape is characterized by a balance of nonprofit and commercial organizations, offering a wide variety of sports, across all ages and City districts, but predominantly offered through closed programming that typically requires an extended financial commitment. Community sport organizations in this city are also most likely to operate independently, and share facilities. These features, and the landscape, are conceptualized as having implications for access, social inclusion, engagement and citizenship, and social capital that are fundamental to community development. Mapping the landscape in this community provides a valuable resource for understanding that potential.
في ظل التحولات الاقتصادية التي تشهدها المملكة العربية السعودية، أصبح الاستثمار الرياضي أداة استراتيجية لتحقيق التنمية المستدامة، خاصة في ضوء رؤية المملكة 2030 التي تسعى إلى تنويع مصادر الدخل وتعزيز مكانة القطاع الرياضي كمحرك اقتصادي رئيسي. ويعد صندوق الاستثمارات العامة (PIF) أحد أبرز الجهات الاستثمارية التي تلعب دورًا محوريًا في تطوير القطاع الرياضي من خلال دعم وتمويل الأندية لتعزيز قدرتها التنافسية، وتقليل اعتمادها على التمويل الحكومي، وتحقيق الاستدامة المالية طويلة الأمد. يهدف هذا البحث إلى تحليل أثر استثمارات صندوق الاستثمارات العامة في تحقيق الاستدامة المالية للأندية الرياضية في مدينة جدة، من خلال تقييم تحسين الإيرادات، تقليل المخاطر المالية، وزيادة الكفاءة التشغيلية. كما يسعى إلى تحديد التحديات التي تواجه الأندية في تحقيق الاستدامة المالية، واستكشاف أفضل الممارسات العالمية التي يمكن تبنيها لتعظيم العوائد الاستثمارية لهذه الأندية. توصلت الدراسة إلى عدة نتائج رئيسية، أبرزها أن استثمارات صندوق الاستثمارات العامة ساهمت في تعزيز كفاءة الإنفاق المالي للأندية، وزيادة إيراداتها من مصادر غير تقليدية مثل الرعاية التجارية وحقوق البث، مما أدى إلى تحسن ملحوظ في استدامتها المالية. كما كشفت النتائج أن الأندية المدعومة استثماريًا كانت أكثر قدرة على تحقيق الاستقرار المالي مقارنة بتلك التي لا تزال تعتمد بشكل أساسي على الدعم الحكومي. ومع ذلك، أظهرت الدراسة أن تحقيق الاستدامة المالية الفعلية يتطلب تحسين الحوكمة المالية وتعزيز الإدارة الاحترافية داخل الأندية لضمان الاستخدام الأمثل لهذه الاستثمارات. تبرز أهمية هذه الدراسة في تقديم توصيات استراتيجية تدعم صناعة الرياضة في المملكة، وتعزز من فاعلية استثمارات صندوق الاستثمارات العامة لتحقيق أقصى استفادة ممكنة، مما ينعكس إيجابيًا على النمو الاقتصادي والاجتماعي ويدعم المملكة في مساعيها لجعل القطاع الرياضي ركيزة أساسية في الاقتصاد الوطني.
Since 2018, the J. League has actively promoted “SHAREN” as an initiative to address social issues through collaboration and cooperation with various stakeholders.The purpose of this study is to visualize the social impact of “SHAREN” and accumulate knowledge to increase its social impact. This study aimed to visualize the social impact of the “Future Challenge Project 2022,” implemented in conjunction with the home games of the J. League club “Zweigen Kanazawa” in 2022, by calculating the Social Return on Investment (SROI) value. The SROI value was calculated through a series of steps: 1) selecting stakeholders, 2) validating inputs and calculating costs, 3) confirming outputs and outcomes, 4) converting outcomes into monetary values, 5) calculating SROI values. Data was collected from telephone and email interviews with stakeholders, content on various media such as websites, SNS and newspapers where initiatives were published, and participant observation. Validation was ensured through triangulation by co-researchers. As a result, SROI values were calculated in two patterns: ‘4.93’ and ‘2.36’. This study suggests that the way in which stakeholders interact with J. League clubs may impact the social outcomes of community contribution activities conducted by J. League clubs. The SROI calculation process yielded the following three new findings: 1) Social impact was generated not only on the event day but also during the preparation process； 2) It was possible to confirm outcomes and impacts (creation of common value = CSV) that can be shared by multiple stakeholders； and 3) Multiple simulation patterns allowed to investigate the factors causing fluctuations in SROI values.
Health economics of prevention is fundamental to improving our health and well-being. In this book we advocate the concept of ‘well-becoming’. This is how we create life-course health and well-being opportunity architecture in society. Fifty percent of mental health problems emerge before the age of fourteen years and 75 per cent by age twenty-four. Likewise, the lifestyle choices we make in our fifties determine how we age. In this book, we ask the reader to think about the life-course and where we should be investing in cost-effective interventions to support the prevention of chronic disease, disability, and premature death.
Life expectancy in the United Kingdom has fallen due to over a decade of austerity prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brexit and the war in Ukraine have contributed to the current cost of living crisis, adversely affecting the worst off in society. In this book we draw on the work of Professor Sir Michael Marmot on the widening inequalities in healthy life expectancy. This is set to persist in an increasingly unequal society. The economic and health economics evidence we present, drawing on systematic review evidence where possible, provokes discussion of the tension between prevention and cure in our health and social care systems.
We introduce our new infographic called the ‘Well-being and well-becoming wheel’. We set out an agenda for health economics research and policy support in the field of public health and prevention economics relating to well-being and well-becoming. We close the book with consideration of global priorities for health economics research with an increased emphasis on sustainability and climate change as a fundamental basis for future human well-being and well-becoming. We hope this book will be of interest to health economists working in public health and prevention, social care economics, public health and local authority decision-makers, and students in health economics, public health, public policy, and medicine.
Responding to the lack of evidence for visualizing the monetary value of professional sport teams’ socioeconomic and environmental impact, this study aimed to calculate the socio-economic and environmental impact of a Japanese professional soccer team’s social business activity (i.e., lawn production business) using a Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework. We conducted nine interview investigations with each stakeholder related to this activity and the results showed that the socio-economic value of the targeted activity was JPY 33,422,183, while the inputs were JPY 29,449,784, suggesting an SROI ratio of 1.13. Therefore, for every JPY 100 invested in a lawn production business, socio-economic and environmental benefit worth JPY 113 was generated. This study contributes to advancing impact research in sport by shedding light on the monetary value of the socio-economic and environmental impacts of professional sport teams’ activities. Additionally, this framework provides practical implications for team managers looking to utilize activities as a management strategy through cost-effective investment and resource optimization.
In today's restricted environment, sport continues to face a lack of funding and to be perceived as an industry that can survive without support. Meanwhile, numerous studies have proven that sport is not about significant investments only, but also creates an economic impact. The aim of this work is to consider such a specific driver of economic impact as tournament design and evaluate the corresponding impact through the example of the Russian Premier League (RPL). The research hypothesis states that changing the design of the RPL tournament will lead to an increase in the total revenue of participating teams, in consumption in the host cities and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which together will lay the foundation for an economic impact at the country level and for individual regions. The paper examines three reform scenarios, which differ in the assumptions made. The authors have developed a calculation model that quantifies the economic impact of these reforms. The main triggers are the attendance at RPL matches and its derivatives (the number of away fans, the distance traveled by away fans), as well as monetary metrics: ticket & travel costs, carbon unit costs. The impact is calculated as the difference between the results achieved in the current tournament design and in potential scenarios. The study showed that the current RPL design has significant potential for economic impact. Thus, the implementation of the Optimum scenario, which does not require additional calendar reserves, will create a positive economic impact in the amount of 479 million rubles. With additional calendar opportunities and implementing the “Maximum” scenario, the effect will be 932 million rubles. This study may be useful for managers of sports competitions, heads of regional and municipal authorities, as well as sports leagues and federations.
Introduction
Volunteering is a prominent and integral aspect of the activities undertaken by sports clubs in Europe. However, even with its growing importance, quantifying the monetary worth of this nonmarket activity, in terms of wellbeing, can present certain difficulties. Traditional approaches to valuing volunteering (i.e., replacement and opportunity cost approaches) do not fully capture the value of volunteering to individuals, as they do not consider the intangible benefits that individuals may derive from their participation.
Methods
This research provides added value to the monetisation of volunteering in sport by applying the wellbeing valuation approach (WVA) for the first time to a cross-sectional data in eight European countries. A double instrumental variable approach was developed to correct for unobservable variables that may influence the pairs: income and subjective wellbeing (SWB), and volunteering and SWB. This allows to estimate the causal impact of volunteering and income on SWB more accurately and assign a reasonable monetary value to this non-market activity.
Results
The results, based on a sample size of 1,091, show an income compensation for a volunteer, devoting on average 8.7 hours during a four-week period of €16 to €50 per hour, equivalent to between € 1,700 and € 5,200 per year, depending on the nationality of the volunteer.
Discussion
With these estimations insights into the value of volunteering in sports are provided, contributing to a better understanding of how this activity can be valued and supported. By recognising and accurately valuing the contributions of volunteers, sport organizations and policymakers can develop more effective strategies for promoting and supporting volunteering in sports.
The present paper is designed to promote awareness of DCD outside the academic world. With a prevalence of 5–6% it is one of the most common disorders of child development. It is therefore surprising that so little is known about it among professionals in child healthcare and education. Parents have expressed frustration about this lack of awareness, including the general public. The general aim of this paper was to describe those critical aspects of DCD that will promote awareness.
Introduction
Scarcity of resources and mounting pressures on health systems make it critical to evaluate new and existing public health interventions related to physical activity and nutrition. The Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework has gained prominence for capturing traditional variables such as economic costs and returns, as well as wider beneficial social and environmental outcomes. A scoping review was conducted to present the existing evidence on the SROI of physical activity and nutrition interventions, demonstrating the wider benefits of these interventions.
Methodology
Existing peer-reviewed evidence and grey literature was collated to identify physical activity and nutrition interventions that were evaluated using the SROI framework between January 1996 up until February 2022. Only literature published in the English language, interventions that were conducted in high-income countries were considered for inclusion. Study information and economic data was entered into a pre-prepared data extraction sheet and eligible studies were quality assessed using a 12-point quality assessment framework for SROI studies.
Results
This review identified a total of 21 SROI studies, with only four deriving from peer-reviewed literature sources. In total, 18 studies evaluated physical activity interventions, one study was purely focused on nutrition, whereas the two remaining studies presented a mix of physical activity and nutrition. The majority of studies derived from the United Kingdom (n = 16) with very few of the studies published prior to 2010 (n = 1). In total, four studies were classified as low quality based on the 12-point quality assessment framework used for this review. Outcomes of the relevant studies show that the benefits of these interventions have added value to families, communities and the wider environments of the target groups.
Conclusion
This scoping review is adding to research conducted to understand the wider value of public health interventions such as physical activity and nutrition interventions using the SROI framework. This is important so that the development and implementation of public health interventions have the greatest value to people and society, which also benefits decision-makers to effectively and sustainably allocate scarce resources.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has received great attention from companies, academics, researchers, and policy makers over the past few years. Companies should maximize the implementation of CSR to create value for the company, society, government, and stakeholders. In its implementation, CSR does not only focus on community development and involvement, but also implementation that is aligned and relevant to company policies, so CSR measurement is important and measurable so that companies have guidelines in CSR program policies. The idea of CSR is an important element for both companies and society, and the literature shows that the concept is gaining popularity. However, the current understanding is still limited to planning and evaluation for successful CSR implementation. This paper systematically reviews 268 articles published between 2017 and 2022 to bridge the existing knowledge in the field of CSR. This is achieved by mapping CSR implementation in companies. Finding that many studies are not aligned with companies' CSR objectives, this paper suggests the need for developmental research related to frameworks to analyze CSR implementation in general.
The purpose of this study is to visualize the social impact of community contribution activities conducted by J-League clubs and to obtain suggestions for maximizing the visualized social impact. To achieve the objectives, this study visualized the social impact of the Kids Caravan implemented by the J-League club Zweigen Kanazawa in 2019 by calculating the value of SROI (Social Return on Investment). In calculating the value of SROI we followed the steps of 1) Identification of stakeholders, 2) Establishment of inputs and calculation of costs, 3) Establishment of outputs and outcomes, 4) Conversion of outcomes into monetary values, and 5) Calculation of SROI. In order to identify stakeholders, relevant materials on the Kids Caravan were reviewed and examined by the co-researchers. As a result of the review, the following groups were identified as stakeholders: those involved with the Kids Caravan participants (participating preschool children, parents, and caregivers), those involved with the J-League clubs that implement the Kids Caravan (school coaches and staff in charge of home towns), the companies that sponsor the Kids Caravan, and the Ishikawa Prefecture Soccer Association. The stakeholders were identified. An impact map was then created and SROI values were calculated based on Kids Caravan related materials, information posted on the website, and the results of interviews with stakeholders. As a result, the SROI value was calculated to be 5.60. This study suggests that the way in which stakeholders are involved may influence the social impact of community contribution activities conducted by J-League clubs.
Intentionality and measurable impact are the key characteristics that allow the differentiation of impact investing from conventional forms of investment. Over the past decade, impact measurement has become a common method for evaluating the financial and social return generated by impact investments, and it is relevant for all impact stakeholders, such as impact investors and intermediaries, investees and social enterprises, public administrations and governments. This study was performed to provide an empirical analysis of some practices useful for improving the consistency, effectiveness and applicability of impact measurement. Using a qualitative approach based on a case study analysis, the paper investigates two measurement tools: Social Return on Investment (SROI) and balanced scorecard (BSC). The analysis performed uses various perspectives and concepts, and based on the evidence found, it opens interesting future research directions into the impact measurement field. The findings of this study add to the existing body of knowledge with “insights” for bridging the gap between theory and practice.
This book considers the ability of individuals and communities to maintain healthy relationships with their surroundings—before, during and after catastrophic events—through physical activity and sporting practices.
Broad and ambitious in scope, this book uses sport and physical activity as a lens through which to examine our catastrophic societies and spaces. Acknowledging that catastrophes are complex, overlapping phenomena in need of sophisticated, interdisciplinary solutions, this book explores the social, economic, ecological and moral injustices that determine the personal and emotional impact of catastrophe. Drawing from international case studies, this book uniquely explores the different landscapes and contexts of catastrophe as well as the affective qualities of sporting practices. This includes topics such as DIY skateparks in Jamaica; former child soldiers in Africa; the funding of sport, recreation and cultural activities by extractive industries in northern Canada; mountain biking in the UK; and urban exploration in New Zealand. Featuring the work of ex-professional athletes, artists, anthropologists, sociologists, political ecologists, community development workers and philosophers, this book offers new perspectives on capitalism, nature, sociality, morality and identity.
This is essential reading for academics and practitioners in sociology, disaster studies, sport-for-development and political ecology.
Purpose
Social return on investment (SROI) has received increasing attention, both academically and professionally, since it was initially developed by the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund in the USA in the mid-1990s. Based on a systematic review of the literature that highlights the potential and limitations related to the academic and professional development of the SROI model, the purpose of this study is to systematize the academic debate and contribute to the future research agenda of blended value accounting.
Design/methodology/approach
Relying on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses approach, this study endeavors to provide reliable academic insights into the factors driving the usage of the SROI model and its further development.
Findings
A systematic literature review produced a final data set of 284 studies. The results reveal that despite the procedural accuracy characterizing the description of the model, bias-driven methodological implications, availability of resources and sector specificities can influence the type of approach taken by scholars and practitioners.
Research limitations/implications
To dispel the conceptual and practical haze, this study discusses the results found, especially regarding the potential solutions offered to overcome the SROI limitations presented, as well as offers suggestions for future research.
Originality/value
This study aims to fill a gap in the literature and enhance a conceptual debate on the future of accounting when it concerns a blended value proposition.
What do we want to know? What impact does young people's participation in the arts have on their learning, achievement and skills? / Who wants to know and why? It is widely believed that participation in the arts has a range of benefits for young people. Policy-makers wish to understand more about the nature and quantity of such benefits in order to make better decisions about how to make further investment in the arts. / What did we find? When compared to non-participation in structured arts activities, participation in structured arts activities improves: / secondary school students' academic attainment / pre-school and primary students' early literacy skills / young people's cognitive abilities (based on various measures of intelligence) / young people's transferable skills. / There is promising, yet insufficient, evidence that participation in arts activities improves primary school aged children's academic attainment. These findings are based on 24 'high quality' studies conducted in North America, Europe or Asia. Study populations included young people within the age range of 3-16 years. / What are the implications? In most instances, the number of studies that addressed each of the specific sub-questions was small. Any consideration of policy responses will need to take into account a wide range of other knowledge about policy and practice, other benefits that might be obtained from participation in arts, and the potential for other mechanisms to deliver these outcomes and costs. The size of the impacts identified could be interpreted as follows: The participation of young people of secondary school age in structured arts activities could increase their academic attainment scores by 1% to 2%, on average, above that of non-participants (all other things being equal). / The participation of young people in structured arts activities could increase their cognitive abilities test scores by 16% to 19%, on average, above that of non-participants (all other things being equal). / The participation of young people in structured arts activities could increase their transferable skills test scores by 10% to 17%, on average, above that of non-participants (all other things being equal). / How did we get these results? We carried out a systematic review of empirical research on engagement, impact and value in culture and sport published in English since 1997. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify studies and a combination of manual and automated screening was used to select studies for inclusion based on pre-specified inclusion criteria. To be included in this indepth review, studies had to focus on arts participation by young people, use a high quality experimental research design and have quantitative outcome measures. Results from the individual studies were transformed into a standardised effect size and, where appropriate, meta-analysis was used to combine the results from individual studies. Implications about the interpretation of the results of the synthesis were derived using a standardised framework.
Modern western lifestyle is characterized by a low level of physical activity. To reduce risk of breast and colorectal cancer as well as other chronic diseases the WHO recommends an increase in physical activity starting in children and adolescents. Physical activity not only reduces breast cancer incidence and the rate of relapse by approx. 25 %, it also reduces side effects of antineoplastic chemotherapeutic agents and fatigue in breast cancer survivors. At the molecular level, physical activity modulates neoangiogenesis and inflammatory processes. However, not only lack of exercise but also junk food and obesity may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer this way. Moreover, evidence suggests that even in women with a genetic predisposition physical activity and normal body weight might result in a reduction of cancer risk. The LIBRE study is the first prospective-randomized lifestyle intervention study for carriers of a pathogenic mutation in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2. Targeted prevention and additional treatment choices for hereditary and sporadic breast cancer are the main future objectives of the international research which is described in this work.
Increased scarcity of public resources has led to a concomitant drive to account for value-for-money of interventions. Traditionally, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost-benefit analyses have been used to assess value-for-money of public health interventions. The social return on investment (SROI) methodology has capacity to measure broader socio-economic outcomes, analysing and computing views of multiple stakeholders in a singular monetary ratio. This review provides an overview of SROI application in public health, explores lessons learnt from previous studies and makes recommendations for future SROI application in public health.
A systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature to identify SROI studies published between January 1996 and December 2014 was conducted. All articles describing conduct of public health SROI studies and which reported a SROI ratio were included. An existing 12-point framework was used to assess study quality. Data were extracted using pre-developed codes: SROI type, type of commissioning organisation, study country, public health area in which SROI was conducted, stakeholders included in study, discount rate used, SROI ratio obtained, time horizon of analysis and reported lessons learnt.
40 SROI studies, of varying quality, including 33 from high-income countries and 7 from low middle-income countries, met the inclusion criteria. SROI application increased since its first use in 2005 until 2011, declining afterwards. SROI has been applied across different public health areas including health promotion (12 studies), mental health (11), sexual and reproductive health (6), child health (4), nutrition (3), healthcare management (2), health education and environmental health (1 each). Qualitative and quantitative methods have been used to gather information for public health SROI studies. However, there remains a lack of consensus on who to include as beneficiaries, how to account for counterfactual and appropriate study-time horizon. Reported SROI ratios vary widely (1.1:1 to 65:1).
SROI can be applied across healthcare settings. Best practices such as analysis involving only beneficiaries (not all stakeholders), providing justification for discount rates used in models, using purchasing power parity equivalents for monetary valuations and incorporating objective designs such as case-control or before-and-after designs for accounting for outcomes will improve robustness of public health SROI studies.
The Culture and Sport Evidence (CASE) programme was set up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) in 2008, in collaboration with the sector-leading non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs): Arts Council England (ACE), English Heritage (EH), Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) and Sport England (SE). The programme aims to generate strategic evidence that will be used to inform the deployment of public funds to maximise engagement in sport and culture, and the value citizens in England receive from that engagement. / As part of the CASE programme, the EPPI-Centre (Institute of Education, University of London) and Matrix Knowledge Group were commissioned to undertake a research project to investigate the drivers, impact and value of engagement in culture and sport. The project used systematic review, analytical and statistical modelling techniques to begin to understand why people engage, or do not engage, in cultural and sporting activities, the benefits they obtain from that engagement, and the potential value to them, and to society as a whole. An overview of the approach and methods of this project can be found in ‘Understanding the drivers, impact and value of engagement in culture and sport: Technical Report for the Systematic Review’ published alongside this report on the CASE website.
This work established for the first time estimates for the full impact of crime on society, setting out methodology for valuing each of the main categories of crime. It has become a standard text for researchers and criminal justice agencies around the world.
It estimated that in 1999-2000 the cost of all crime in England and Wales was around £60bn. On average, a serious violent crime is estimated to cost society £19,000, compared to £4,800 for a vehicle theft or a robbery, and £510 for criminal damage. The average impact of a homicide is estimated at £1.1 million. Violent crimes represent around 40% of the overall cost of crime, compared with only 3% of the number of crimes.
The estimates were prepared to provide an indicator to show how well the criminal justice system is performing in tackling the wider impacts of crime on society - such as victim trauma, damage to and loss of property, and time spent responding to crime and dealing with its consequences. They can help us prioritise, focusing resources on policies that have the biggest impact on the harm and victim trauma caused by crime, rather than simply the number of crimes.
This article considers the methodological challenge of quantifying the social value generated through social enterprise activity. It argues that in the context of increasing enthusiasm for social enterprise as a mechanism for delivering social services and for tackling social exclusion, it is increasingly necessary to be able to value social impacts. Further it will be necessary to be able to assess the potential creation of social value from different investments in social enterprise. Specifically, this article considers methodology of social return on investment (SROI). SROI has become increasingly promoted in both policy and practice in the United States and the United Kingdom. This article considers the development of this methodology and draws on lessons from international development to highlight the limitations of the current use of SROI.
Purpose
To examine the relationship between vigorous physical activity and dementia risk.
Design
Prospective study design utilizing physical activity data from the Health and Retirement Study and cognitive outcome data from the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study.
Setting
Community-based.
Subjects
Adults age 71 and over (N = 808) with 3 to 7 years of physical activity information prior to dementia/no dementia diagnosis.
Measures
Physical activity was measured by participation in vigorous activities such as aerobics, sports, running, bicycling, and heavy housework three or more times per week (yes/no). Dementia diagnosis was based on an expert panel (e.g., neuropsychologists, neurologists, geropsychiatrists) who performed and reviewed a battery of neuropsychological tests.
Analysis
Binary logistic regression models were used to account for demographic characteristics, genetic risk factors (one or two apolipoprotein E ε4 alleles), health behaviors (e.g., smoking, drinking alcohol), health indicators (body mass index), and health conditions (e.g., diabetes, heart disease) in a sequential model-building process.
Results
The relationship between vigorous physical activity and dementia risk remained robust across models. In the final model, older adults who were physically active were 21% (p ≤ .05) less likely than their counterparts to be diagnosed with dementia.
Conclusion
Vigorous physical activity may reduce the risk for dementia independently of the factors examined here. This study's findings are important given that few preventative strategies for dementia have been explored beyond hormonal therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs.
This paper examines the impact of sports participation upon the subjective well‐being of individuals. Encouraging participation in sports activity is now an important public policy issue, as it is argued that there are benefits in terms of health and well‐being to individuals as well as to society through externalities. Controlling for personal and socio‐demographic characteristics affecting well‐being, this paper examines if participation in, and the frequency and duration of, 67 sports activities affects well‐being. The form in which sports participation takes place is also investigated by examining if social‐interaction sports produce more well‐being. This paper demonstrates that sports participation has a positive affect upon the subjective well‐being of the population and, moreover, estimates its monetary value. The effects are larger if one allows for social interactions.
To evaluate the association between occupational and leisure-time physical activity (PA), ownership of goods promoting sedentary behaviour, and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in different socio-economic populations of the world. Studies in developed countries have found low PA as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, the protective effect of occupational PA is less certain. Moreover, ownership of goods promoting sedentary behaviour may be associated with an increased risk.
In INTERHEART, a case-control study of 10 043 cases of first MI and 14 217 controls who did not report previous angina or physical disability completed a questionnaire on work and leisure-time PA.
Subjects whose occupation involved either light [multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.78, confidence interval (CI) 0.71-0.86] or moderate (OR 0.89, CI 0.80-0.99) PA were at a lower risk of MI, whereas those who did heavy physical labour were not (OR 1.02, CI 0.88-1.19), compared with sedentary subjects. Mild exercise (OR 0.87, CI 0.81-0.93) as well as moderate or strenuous exercise (OR 0.76, CI 0.69-0.82) was protective. The effect of PA was observed across countries with low, middle, and high income. Subjects who owned both a car and a television (TV) (multivariable-adjusted OR 1.27, CI 1.05-1.54) were at higher risk of MI compared with those who owned neither.
Leisure-time PA and mild-to-moderate occupational PA, but not heavy physical labour, were associated with a reduced risk, while ownership of a car and TV was associated with an increased risk of MI across all economic regions.
To the Editor
Increased levels of exercise are currently recommended to improve health and increase longevity, but gaps in our knowledge impede the formulation of evidence-based recommendations particularly in older individuals.1 In particular, most studies of physical activity in old age have focused on self-reported physical activity measures which are affected by recall bias. Moreover, few studies have examined the contribution of non-exercise physical activity to survival in old age.2–4 We tested the hypothesis that an objective measure of total daily activity, including both exercise and non-exercise physical activity, is associated with longevity in community-dwelling older persons.
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed invasive malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. This chapter considers epidemiologic evidence regarding the association between physical activity and breast cancer risk from 73 studies conducted around the world. Across these studies there was a 25% average risk reduction amongst physically active women as compared to the least active women. The associations were strongest for recreational activity, for activity sustained over the lifetime or done after menopause, and for activity that is of moderate to vigorous intensity and performed regularly. There is also some evidence for a stronger effect of physical activity amongst postmenopausal women, women who are normal weight, have no family history of breast cancer, and are parous. It is likely that physical activity is associated with decreased breast cancer risk via multiple interrelated biologic pathways that may involve adiposity, sex hormones, insulin resistance, adipokines, and chronic inflammation. Future research should include prospective observational epidemiologic studies relating proposed biomarkers to breast cancer risk and also randomized controlled trials to examine how physical activity influences the proposed biomarkers. Exercise trials will provide more clarity regarding the appropriate type, dose, and timing of activity that relate to breast cancer risk reduction.
Although an inverse association between physical activity and risk of colon cancer is well established, a formal estimate of the magnitude of this risk reduction that includes recent studies is not available. This analysis examines the association by sex and study design, restricting analyses to studies where data for colon cancer alone were available. The authors reviewed published studies through June 2008 examining the association between physical activity and risk of colon cancer. Heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated and random effects models used to estimate relative risks (RR). Differences by sex and study design were evaluated. A total of 52 studies were included. An inverse association between physical activity and colon cancer was found with an overall relative risk (RR) of 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.72, 0.81). For men, the RR was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.71, 0.82); for women, this was little different, (RR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.71, 0.88). The findings from case-control studies were stronger (RR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.74) than for cohort studies (RR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.88). This study confirms previous studies reporting an inverse association between physical activity and colon cancer in both men and women, and provides quantitative estimates of the inverse association.
Although physical activity has been associated with reduced breast cancer risk, whether this association varies across breast cancer subtypes or is modified by reproductive and lifestyle factors is unclear.
We examined physical activity in relation to postmenopausal breast cancer risk in 182,862 U.S. women in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Physical activity was assessed by self-report at baseline (1995-1996), and 6,609 incident breast cancers were identified through December 31, 2003. Cox regression was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of postmenopausal breast cancer overall and by tumor characteristics. Effect modification by select reproductive and lifestyle factors was also explored.
In multivariate models, the most active women experienced a 13% lower breast cancer risk versus inactive women (RR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.81-0.95). This inverse relation was not modified by tumor stage or histology but was suggestively stronger for estrogen receptor (ER)-negative (RR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.54-1.04) than ER-positive (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.84-1.12) breast tumors and was suggestively stronger for overweight/obese (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77-0.96) than lean (RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.87-1.05) women. The inverse relation with physical activity was also more pronounced among women who had never used menopausal hormone therapy and those with a positive family history of breast cancer than their respective counterparts.
Physical activity was associated with reduced postmenopausal breast cancer risk, particular to ER-negative tumors. These results, along with heterogeneity in the physical activity-breast cancer relation for subgroups of menopausal hormone therapy use and adiposity, indicate that physical activity likely influences breast cancer risk via both estrogenic and estrogen-independent mechanisms.
To prospectively examine the relation of total, vigorous and non-vigorous physical activity to postmenopausal breast cancer risk.
We studied 32,269 women enrolled in the Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study. Usual physical activity (including household, occupational and leisure activities) throughout the previous year was assessed at baseline using a self-administered questionnaire. Postmenopausal breast cancer cases were identified through self-reports, death certificates and linkage to state cancer registries. A Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the relative risk and 95% confidence intervals of postmenopausal breast cancer associated with physical activity.
During 269,792 person-years of follow-up from 1987 to 1998, 1506 new incident cases of postmenopausal breast cancer were ascertained. After adjusting for potential risk factors of breast cancer, a weak inverse association between total physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer was suggested (relative risk comparing extreme quintiles = 0.87; 95% confidence interval = 0.74 to 1.02; p for trend = 0.21). That relation was almost entirely contributed by vigorous activity (relative risk comparing extreme categories = 0.87; 95% confidence interval = 0.74 to 1.02; p for trend = 0.08). The inverse association with vigorous activity was limited to women who were lean (ie, body mass index <25.0 kg/m2: relative risk = 0.68; 95% confidence interval = 0.54 to 0.85). In contrast, no association with vigorous activity was noted among women who were overweight or obese (ie, body mass index > or = 25.0 kg/m2: relative risk = 1.18; 95% confidence interval = 0.93 to 1.49; p for interaction = 0.008). Non-vigorous activity showed no relation to breast cancer (relative risk comparing extreme quintiles = 1.02; 95% confidence interval = 0.87 to 1.19; p for trend = 0.86). The physical activity and breast cancer relation was not specific to a certain hormone receptor subtype.
In this cohort of postmenopausal women, breast cancer risk reduction appeared to be limited to vigorous forms of activity; it was apparent among normal weight women but not overweight women, and the relation did not vary by hormone receptor status. Our findings suggest that physical activity acts through underlying biological mechanisms that are independent of body weight control.
The primary purpose of this narrative review was to evaluate the current literature and to provide further insight into the role physical inactivity plays in the development of chronic disease and premature death. We confirm that there is irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of several chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, depression and osteoporosis) and premature death. We also reveal that the current Health Canada physical activity guidelines are sufficient to elicit health benefits, especially in previously sedentary people. There appears to be a linear relation between physical activity and health status, such that a further increase in physical activity and fitness will lead to additional improvements in health status.
It's about integrating individual clinical expertise and the best external evidenceEvidence based medicine, whose philosophical origins extend back to mid-19th century Paris and earlier, remains a hot topic for clinicians, public health practitioners, purchasers, planners, and the public. There are now frequent workshops in how to practice and teach it (one sponsored by the BMJ will be held in London on 24 April); undergraduate1 and postgraduate2 training programmes are incorporating it3 (or pondering how to do so); British centres for evidence based practice have been established or planned in adult medicine, child health, surgery, pathology, pharmacotherapy, nursing, general practice, and dentistry; the Cochrane Collaboration and Britain's Centre for Review and Dissemination in York are providing systematic reviews of the effects of health care; new evidence based practice journals are being launched; and it has become a common topic in the lay media. But enthusiasm has been mixed with some negative reaction.4 5 6 Criticism has ranged from evidence based medicine being old hat to it being a dangerous innovation, perpetrated by the arrogant to serve cost cutters and suppress clinical freedom. As evidence based medicine continues to evolve and adapt, now is a useful time to refine the discussion of what it is and what it is not.Evidence based medicine is the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. The …
This review of the literature provides an update on the scientific biological and psychosocial bases for Canadas physical activity guide for healthy active living, with particular reference to the effect of physical activity on the health of adults aged 2055years. Existing physical activity guidelines for adults from around the world are summarized briefly and compared with the Canadian guidelines. The descriptive epidemiology of physical activity and inactivity in Canada is presented, and the strength of the relationship between physical activity and specific health outcomes is evaluated, with particular emphasis on minimal and optimal physical activity requirements. Finally, areas requiring further investigation are highlighted. Summarizing the findings, Canadian and most international physical activity guidelines advocate moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week. Physical activity appears to reduce the risk for over 25 chronic conditions, in particular coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, breast cancer, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. Current literature suggests that if the entire Canadian population followed current physical activity guidelines, approximately one third of deaths related to coronary heart disease, one quarter of deaths related to stroke and osteoporosis, 20% of deaths related to colon cancer, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, and 14% of deaths related to breast cancer could be prevented. It also appears that the prevention of weight gain and the maintenance of weight loss require greater physical activity levels than current recommendations.
This paper analyses the impact of engagement in sport on graduate employability using a triangulation of views from three key stakeholder groups. Primary research was conducted with 5838 graduates, 112 employers and 13 university senior executives as part of a mixed-methods approach. The research found that engagement in sport was viewed as a sound investment from the perspectives of all three groups, with examples highlighting how sport provided ‘added value’ beyond subject-specific qualifications. This finding was particularly prominent where graduates demonstrated experience of voluntary roles through the leadership and management of sport and could articulate how this had a positive impact on the development of additional employability attributes. We argue that there are important implications for higher education policy, sports policy, universities, employers and students. For students, employability can be enhanced through participation and volunteering in sport, which is shown to be a good investment in terms of both skill development and future earnings. For employers, when recruiting graduates, a history of sport participation (inclusive of voluntary experience) may be a good indicator of candidates with desirable traits for employment. For universities, meeting their customers’ demand for sport with sufficient supply through strategic investment is an important consideration of their offer.
Expectations about the contribution that volunteering can make are at a new high. This book aims to meet this interest by bringing together in one volume what is known about the phenomenon of volunteering; the principles and practice of involving volunteers, and the enduring challenges for volunteering in today's world. © Colin Rochester, Angela Ellis Paine and Steven Howlett 2010. All rights reserved.
All cultures have played games or sports, although the forms and formats have undoubtedly changed over time. Today, for many people sport is about exercise, leisure, and doing things for fun, but clearly it is also much more than that. At an institutionalized level sport is an activity that is both strenuous and involves competition, sometimes intense competition. Yet it should also be enjoyable for both players and spectators. According to one nineteenth century etymologist, sport means “mirth”, being derived form the medieval English word “disporten”, to amuse (Tomlinson 1999, p. 5).
In recent years, there has been a favourable shift in UK urban policy towards the use of
sport as a tool for regenerating declining areas. Sporting infrastructure has been
constructed in various British cities with a view to addressing the dual aims of sporting
need and urban regeneration. However, evidence to support the notion that sport can
underpin regeneration goals is highly variable. This paper will explore the growth of
sport-related regeneration in the UK and examine the evidence base for this. In
particular, it will focus on the economic literature and evaluate the strengths and
weaknesses of emerging evidence. It will suggest that with investment in sport likely to
increase as a consequence of the London 2012 Olympic Games, there is a need to
develop a greater understanding of the role of sport in the regeneration process, to
maximize the potential benefits and to justify public expenditure on sport in the future.
Sport and Policy is the first book of its kind to critically analyse the regulatory role of the state and its impact on sport and the intersections of sport with other areas of government policy. Offering a unique and comprehensive examination of how sport is affected by a range of government policy, each chapter uses an international comparative approach in order to facilitate a broad understanding of sport and policy in a global context. This book is essential reading for any student or practitioner studying or working in policy today, and is: The first book to examine the intersection of sport with other (non-sport) policies from an international perspective including topics such as gambling, the media, social inclusion and economic development Far-reaching in scope encompassing government regulation and sport's intersections with other government policies This challenging text provides an accessible critical analysis of the intersections of sport with government policy. © 2010, Russell Hoye, Matthew Nicholson and Barrie Houlihan, Published by Elsevier Ltd, All rights reserved.
Sport Policy and Governance: Local Perspectives is the first detailed study of the politics of sport policy at the local authority level of governance. In focusing on the local level, the book recognises that the extent to which we benefit from public policy is a result of where we live. Taking the city of Liverpool as its core case study, the author investigates the changing contours of sport policy from the inception of the service area in the 1970s through the economic and political turbulence of the 1980s to the year of European Capital of Culture 2008. As the book gives centre stage to the period since 1997, the changing parameters of local sport policy are located within New Labour priorities around elite sport development and the instrumental uses of sport to deliver social policy goals. Written in a clear and accessible style, this book: Traces the evolution of the relationship between central government policy priorities and local sport policy and practice. Provides a political analysis of sport policy that foregrounds competition between differing interests in a context of scarce resources. Explores relationships between local authority policy for sport and policy relating to education, health, land-use planning and community regeneration. Investigates the organisational and funding contexts in which sport policy actors formulate and implement policy. Assesses the strategies utilised by sport policy actors in pursuing their interests. Theorises contemporary sport policy processes and establishes parameters for future research. Sport Policy and Governance: Local Perspectives is essential reading for anyone who is studying or teaching sport-related degree programmes, researching public policy, or who is a practitioner or policy-maker in the sport sector. © 2009, Dr. Neil King. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
BACKGROUND: Many epidemiologic studies have found an association between physical activity and breast cancer risk, although this has not been a consistent finding. METHODS: Studies were identified through a systematic review of literature available on PubMed through February 2006. We included all cohort and case-control studies that assessed total or leisure time activities in relation to occurrence or mortality of breast cancer. The fully adjusted risk estimates and 95% confidence intervals for the highest versus lowest level of activity were documented for each study as well as evidence for a dose-response relationship. Methodologic quality was also assessed. Due to statistical and methodologic heterogeneity among studies, we did not carry out statistical pooling. To draw conclusions, we performed a best-evidence synthesis taking study quality into account. RESULTS: Nineteen cohort studies and 29 case-control studies were evaluated. There was strong evidence for an inverse association between physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer with risk reductions ranging from 20% to 80%. For premenopausal breast cancer, however, the evidence was much weaker. For pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer combined, physical activity was associated with a modest (15-20%) decreased risk. Evidence for a dose-response relationship was observed in approximately half of the higher-quality studies that reported a decreased risk. A trend analysis indicated a 6% (95% confidence interval = 3% to 8%) decrease in breast cancer risk for each additional hour of physical activity per week assuming that the level of activity would be sustained. CONCLUSIONS: There is evidence for an inverse association between physical activity and breast cancer risk. The evidence is stronger for postmenopausal breast cancer than for premenopausal breast cancer
The concept of 'social return on investment' (SROI) has come to play an important role in debates about how social enterprises and charities conceptualise, measure and communicate their achievements. In this paper we analyse the nature and role of SROI as used in the United Kingdom
for impact assessment of such organisations. The paper offers insight into methodological and procedural aspects of the framework. Key issues explored include the quantification of benefits, the valuing of volunteering and the ways in which judgement and discretion are exercised. There is
a particular tension between the participatory element in the design of each SROI exercise and its use for the purpose of competition. The paper concludes by proposing a research agenda that includes an examination of the context in which discretion and judgement are applied and the use and
usefulness of SROI in the new policy and funding environment in which third sector organisations currently find themselves.
In 2008, 2·45 million people were diagnosed with cancer and 1·23 million died because of cancer in the 27 countries of the European Union (EU). We aimed to estimate the economic burden of cancer in the EU.
In a population-based cost analysis, we evaluated the cost of all cancers and also those associated with breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. We obtained country-specific aggregate data for morbidity, mortality, and health-care resource use from international and national sources. We estimated health-care costs from expenditure on care in the primary, outpatient, emergency, and inpatient settings, and also drugs. Additionally, we estimated the costs of unpaid care provided by relatives or friends of patients (ie, informal care), lost earnings after premature death, and costs associated with individuals who temporarily or permanently left employment because of illness.
Cancer cost the EU €126 billion in 2009, with health care accounting for €51·0 billion (40%). Across the EU, the health-care costs of cancer were equivalent to €102 per citizen, but varied substantially from €16 per person in Bulgaria to €184 per person in Luxembourg. Productivity losses because of early death cost €42·6 billion and lost working days €9·43 billion. Informal care cost €23·2 billion. Lung cancer had the highest economic cost (€18·8 billion, 15% of overall cancer costs), followed by breast cancer (€15·0 billion, 12%), colorectal cancer (€13·1 billion, 10%), and prostate cancer (€8·43 billion, 7%).
Our results show wide differences between countries, the reasons for which need further investigation. These data contribute to public health and policy intelligence, which is required to deliver affordable cancer care systems and inform effective public research funds allocation.
Pfizer.
Social enterprises are being promoted as responsive and innovative way to deliver public services. As part of this promotion, these organizations are being required to demonstrate the social and economic value they generate. Social return on investment (SROI) is a performance measurement tool currently being encouraged to capture this impact. This paper draws on survey and interview data to analyse how SROI is used and understood in health and social care settings. It indicates that despite being accepted as an internationally recognized measurement tool for social enterprise, SROI is underused and undervalued due to practical and ideological barriers.
This article uses social control and cultural spillover theories to frame how sports programs might impact the school environment. Using a nationally representative sample of roughly 1,200 public high schools, the relationship between school sports participation rates and in-school delinquent behaviors are examined. Results indicate that schools with higher proportions of sports participants report significantly fewer serious crimes (i.e., violent crimes) and suspensions occurring on school grounds. However, the incidence of minor crimes is unrelated to the proportion of students engaging in school sports. The results of this study support social control theory and suggest that one way to reduce violence and delinquency in schools is through encouraging participation in sports programs.
THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE of applied health research is to improve health care. Summarizing the literature to adduce recommendations for clinical practice is an important part of the process. Recently, the health sciences community has reduced the bias and imprecision of traditional literature summaries and their associated recommendations through the development of rigorous criteria for both literature overviews1-3 and practice guidelines.4,5 Even when recommendations come from such rigorous approaches, however, it is important to differentiate between those based on weak vs strong evidence. Recommendations based on inadequate evidence often require reversal when sufficient data become available,6 while timely implementation of recommendations based on strong evidence can save lives.6 In this article, we suggest an approach to classifying strength of recommendations. We direct our discussion primarily at clinicians who make treatment recommendations that they hope their colleagues will follow. However, we believe that any clinician who attends to
Evaluations of wilderness challenge programs were meta-analyzed to assess the impact on delinquent behavior. The overall mean effect size for delinquency outcomes was 0.18 (N=22), equivalent to a recidivism rate of 29% for program participants vs 37% for comparison subjects. Program length was not related to outcome among short-term programs (up to 6 weeks) but extended programs (over 10 weeks) showed smaller effects overall. However, the most influential program characteristics were the intensity of the physical activities and whether the program included a distinct therapeutic component. Programs involving relatively intense activities or with therapeutic enhancements produced the greatest reductions in delinquent behavior.
No reviews have quantified the specific amounts of physical activity required for lower risks of coronary heart disease when assessing the dose-response relation. Instead, previous reviews have used qualitative estimates such as low, moderate, and high physical activity.
We performed an aggregate data meta-analysis of epidemiological studies investigating physical activity and primary prevention of CHD. We included prospective cohort studies published in English since 1995. After reviewing 3194 abstracts, we included 33 studies. We used random-effects generalized least squares spline models for trend estimation to derive pooled dose-response estimates. Among the 33 studies, 9 allowed quantitative estimates of leisure-time physical activity. Individuals who engaged in the equivalent of 150 min/wk of moderate-intensity leisure-time physical activity (minimum amount, 2008 U.S. federal guidelines) had a 14% lower coronary heart disease risk (relative risk, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.77 to 0.96) compared with those reporting no leisure-time physical activity. Those engaging in the equivalent of 300 min/wk of moderate-intensity leisure-time physical activity (2008 U.S. federal guidelines for additional benefits) had a 20% (relative risk, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.74 to 0.88) lower risk. At higher levels of physical activity, relative risks were modestly lower. People who were physically active at levels lower than the minimum recommended amount also had significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease. There was a significant interaction by sex (P=0.03); the association was stronger among women than men.
These findings provide quantitative data supporting US physical activity guidelines that stipulate that "some physical activity is better than none" and "additional benefits occur with more physical activity."
Physical activity has many health benefits. Although greater activity has been related to lower postmenopausal breast cancer risk, important details remain unclear, including type, intensity, and timing of activity and whether the association varies by subgroups.
Within the prospective Nurses' Health Study, we assessed the associations of specific and total activity, queried every 2 to 4 years since 1986, with breast cancer risk. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Activity was measured as hours of metabolic equivalent task values (MET-h).
During 20 years of follow-up (1986-2006), 4782 invasive breast cancer cases were documented among 95 396 postmenopausal women. Compared with less than 3 MET-h/wk (<1 h/wk walking), women engaged in higher amounts of recent total physical activity were at lower breast cancer risk (≥27 MET-h/wk [approximately 1 h/d of brisk walking]: HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78-0.93; P < .001 for trend). Compared with women who were least active at menopause and through follow-up (<9 MET-h/wk [approximately 30 minutes of walking at an average pace on most days of the week]), women who increased activity were at lower risk (<9 MET-h/wk at menopause and ≥9 MET-h/wk during follow-up: HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.98). Among specific activities modeled simultaneously, brisk walking was associated with lower risk (per 20 MET-h/wk [5 h/wk]: HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.84-0.98). The association with total activity did not differ significantly between estrogen and progesterone receptor-positive and -negative tumors (P = .65 for heterogeneity).
Our findings suggest that moderate physical activity, including brisk walking, may reduce postmenopausal breast cancer risk and that increases in activity after menopause may be beneficial.
In 1953, Morris et al1,2 published the findings from a study showing that bus conductors in London, who spent their working hours walking the length of the buses as well as climbing up and down the stairs of the English double-decker buses to collect fares, experienced half the coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates of their driver counterparts, who spent their day sitting behind the wheel. Investigators hypothesized that it was the physical activity of work that protected the conductors from developing CHD, at the same time realizing that other factors may also play a role because the conductors were smaller in size, as evidenced by their smaller uniform sizes. Thus was born the field of “physical activity epidemiology”: formal epidemiological investigations into the associations of physical activity with many health outcomes.4
Since the initial observations of Morris et al, many other studies have been conducted, yielding similar results: Active people have lower rates of CHD and cardiovascular disease (CVD) than inactive ones.5–7 These findings have been supported by plausible biological mechanisms, which are detailed in other articles in this review series. The collective body of evidence led the American Heart Association in 1992 to recognize physical inactivity as a risk factor for CHD and CVD8 and led the Surgeon General in 1996 to conclude that “regular physical activity or cardiorespiratory fitness decreases the risk of CVD … and CHD.”9 The basis for these conclusions was derived primarily from studies in men and in white populations; for example, in a 1990 meta-analysis of physical activity in the prevention of CHD10 that included 33 studies, women were subjects in 5 studies, and racial/ethnic minorities were the focus of 2 studies.
In 2008, the federal government issued its first-ever physical activity guidelines for Americans11 based …
To prospectively investigate the relationship between physical activity and Parkinson disease (PD).
We evaluated physical activity in relation to PD among 213,701 participants of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort. Physical activities over 4 periods (ages 15-18, 19-29, and 35-39, and in the past 10 years) were noted in 1996-1997, and physician-diagnosed PD was reported on the 2004-2006 follow-up questionnaire. Only cases diagnosed after 2000 (n = 767) were included in the analyses.
Higher levels of moderate to vigorous activities at ages 35-39 or in the past 10 years as reported in 1996-1997 were associated with lower PD occurrence after 2000 with significant dose-response relationships. The multivariate odds ratios (OR) between the highest vs the lowest levels were 0.62 (95% CI confidence interval [CI] 0.48-0.81, p for trend 0.005) for ages 35-39 and 0.65 (95% CI 0.51-0.83, p for trend 0.0001) for in the past 10 years. Further analyses showed that individuals with consistent and frequent participation in moderate to vigorous activities in both periods had approximately a 40% lower risk than those who were inactive in both periods. Moderate to vigorous activities at earlier ages or light activities were not associated with PD. Finally, the association between higher moderate to vigorous physical activities and lower PD risk was demonstrated in a metaanalysis of prospective studies.
Although we cannot exclude the possibility that less participation in physical activity is an early marker of PD, epidemiologic evidence suggests that moderate to vigorous exercise may protect against PD.
Leisure-time physical activity protects from stroke. It is insufficiently established whether early lifetime physical activity is independently protective and whether some etiologic stroke subgroups particularly benefit from physical activity. We tested the hypothesis that both recent and early-adulthood sports activities are associated with reduced odds of stroke and analyzed their effects in stroke subtypes.
We performed a case-control study of 370 patients with acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) and 370 age- and sex-matched control subjects randomly selected from the population and assessed recent and young adulthood sports activities and their weekly duration in standardized interviews.
Recent regular sports activities were less often reported by patients (94/370, 25.4%) than by control subjects (162/370, 43.8%; P<0.0001). After adjustment for vascular risk factors, education, and other factors, recent participation in sports was significantly associated with reduced odds of stroke/TIA (odds ratio=0.64; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.96). Both groups did not differ with regard to sports activities in young adulthood. More control subjects (69/365, 18.9%) than patients (25/361, 6.9%) participated in sports recently after not having been active in young adulthood, and such a pattern was associated with reduced odds of stroke/TIA in multivariable analysis (odds ratio=0.37; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.85).
Our study supports previous results that have shown stroke protection by physical activity. Results suggest that continuous lifetime activity or starting activities during later adulthood is required to reduce stroke risk.
For physical activity to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, it must be sustained throughout life. We sought to determine the relation between the ability of young adults in different sports and their continued physical activity in midlife, and subsequent cardiovascular disease.
Baseline self-reported ability in tennis, golf, football, baseball, and basketball was assessed in a cohort study involving 1019 male medical students (median age, 22 years). Physical activity and sports participation were assessed 22 years later. The incidence of cardiovascular disease was assessed during a median follow-up of 40 years, using annual questionnaires, medical records, and death certificates.
Subjects with high ability in tennis as young adults had the highest participation in the sport in midlife (median age, 48 years). In the midlife questionnaire administered in 1978, 33% reported playing tennis within the past week and 51% within the past year. Tennis was the only sport in which a higher ability during medical school was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. After adjustment for father's occupation, parental incidence of cardiovascular disease, serum cholesterol level, cigarette smoking, body mass index, and hypertension during follow-up, the relative hazard of developing cardiovascular disease was 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35 to 0.89) in the high-ability group and 0.67 (95% CI: 0.47 to 0.96) in the low-ability group, compared with the no-ability group.
Our results support the association between sustained activity in aerobic sports and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Sustainability of activity should be considered when developing physical education programs for young adults.
Many epidemiologic studies have found an association between physical activity and breast cancer risk, although this has not been a consistent finding.
Studies were identified through a systematic review of literature available on PubMed through February 2006. We included all cohort and case-control studies that assessed total or leisure time activities in relation to occurrence or mortality of breast cancer. The fully adjusted risk estimates and 95% confidence intervals for the highest versus lowest level of activity were documented for each study as well as evidence for a dose-response relationship. Methodologic quality was also assessed. Due to statistical and methodologic heterogeneity among studies, we did not carry out statistical pooling. To draw conclusions, we performed a best-evidence synthesis taking study quality into account.
Nineteen cohort studies and 29 case-control studies were evaluated. There was strong evidence for an inverse association between physical activity and postmenopausal breast cancer with risk reductions ranging from 20% to 80%. For premenopausal breast cancer, however, the evidence was much weaker. For pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer combined, physical activity was associated with a modest (15-20%) decreased risk. Evidence for a dose-response relationship was observed in approximately half of the higher-quality studies that reported a decreased risk. A trend analysis indicated a 6% (95% confidence interval = 3% to 8%) decrease in breast cancer risk for each additional hour of physical activity per week assuming that the level of activity would be sustained.
There is evidence for an inverse association between physical activity and breast cancer risk. The evidence is stronger for postmenopausal breast cancer than for premenopausal breast cancer.
The ambitions and challenges of SROI
- M Arvidson
Arvidson, M., et al., 2010. The ambitions and challenges of SROI. Available from: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/
generic/tsrc/documents/tsrc/working-papers/working-paper-49.pdf [Accessed 8 May 2018]
Play.sport.australia: the Australian sports commission's participation game plan. Australian government
Australian Sports Commission, 2015. Play.sport.australia: the Australian sports commission's participation game plan.
Australian government. Available from: https://www.ausport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/625902/
PlaySportAustralia_brochure_MARCH_15_web.pdf [Accessed 8 May 2018]
Social impact evaluation. North Lanarkshire Leisure
- Tilly Baker
Baker Tilly, 2010. Social impact evaluation. North Lanarkshire Leisure. Available from: https://www.nlleisure.co.uk/
images/PDFs/Annual-Reports/SROI-Report.pdf [Accessed 8 May 2018]
Edinburgh leisure: social impact evaluation. The City of Edinburgh Council
- Tilly Baker
Baker Tilly, 2012. Edinburgh leisure: social impact evaluation. The City of Edinburgh Council. Available from: http://
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/36153/item_5b_edinburgh_leisure_social_impact_evaluation
[Accessed 8 May 2018]
Telling the story of our actions using social return on investment. Manchester Sport and Leisure Trust
- Tilly Baker
Baker Tilly, 2013. Telling the story of our actions using social return on investment. Manchester Sport and Leisure
Trust. Available from: http://www.manchestersportandleisure.org/sites/default/files/MSLT%20SROI%20Full%
20Report%20Dec%202013_0.pdf [Accessed 8 May 2018]
A social return on investment evaluation of three ‘sport for social change network’ programmes in London. Active Communities Network
- W Butler
- K Leathem
Butler, W. and Leathem, K., 2014. A social return on investment evaluation of three 'sport for social change network'
programmes in London. Active Communities Network. Available from: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/
5733282860b5e9509bc9c4db/t/573de713c2ea51d5e4d8e5c5/1463674646108/Active-Communities-Network-Social
-Return-on-Investment-Report.pdf [Accessed 8 May 2018]