Gender Differences in Sports Participation: A Multi-Level Analysis

Regular sports participation and physical activities are associated with benefits for individual well-being. This study investigates gender differences in sports participation in Europe. Employing Eurobarometer (88.4) survey data, this study estimates multi-level logistic regression models for sports participation. Empirical findings indicate that females are less likely to participate in sports compared to males. Sports participation is also associated with various individual-level factors such as age, education level and health status and country-level factors such as unemployment rates and geographical location. Policy makers should avoid one-fit-all frameworks and develop heterogeneous programs, especially with respect to gender, to increase sports participation.