Comparing the Use of a Leisure Center Among Men and Women

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Comparing the Use of a Leisure Center Among Men and Women

A researcher is interested in surveying the proportion of male and

female users of a leisure centre. He is able to sample 50 users of the

leisure centre and records their gender with a 1 (males) and a 2

(females). He hypothesises that there is a greater proportion of males

than females amongst all the users of the leisure centre.

Introduction

The research question is interested in determining whether there’s a

higher proportion of male leisure centre users compared to females,

using a sample of 50 individuals. The data collected should provide a

reliable insight into gender differences concerning leisure centre

usage. Organisations such as Sport England would be interested in the

findings, as the data can be used for decision making purposes. For

example, if the study finds that female leisure centre usage is lower

than males, Sport England can use this information to promote their

schemes with women in mind. This could have a direct impact on

initiatives such as ‘step into sport,’ which encourages young and

older individuals to become more active.

The findings can also be used in leisure centre management to

accommodate any difference in usage, for example, the space allocated

for changing facilities. Provision needs to be made if there’s more of

one sex. Leisure centres may also use the information for marketing

purposes. Promotion of activities and events might be aimed

specifically at one gender to increase their participation. The

leisure centre could also consider other methods of altering the

balance between male and female users, such as adjusting price

structures.

The General Household Survey (1996) shows that participation levels

are significantly divided according to gender, with 87% of males

taking part in sport at least once a year compared to 77% of women.

However, “women’s participation in sport has risen since 1987 whilst

men’s participation has fallen.” (http://www.sportengland.org/womens_participation_factsheet.pdf).

A recent popularity in keep fit style activities is the most likely

cause to the rise in female participation.

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