Higher Levels of Income and Education are Associated with More Specialized Sport Participation Behaviors: Results from a Representative Sample of Youth Sport Parents from the United States

Abstract

# Background While previous studies have examined the impact of family socioeconomic characteristics on a child's sport specialization behaviors, this research has been limited to affluent communities with limited sociodemographic diversity. # Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine associations of parent income and education with child sport specialization behaviors among a nationally representative sample of youth sport parents in the United States. # Study Design Cross-sectional. # Methods Parents of youth athletes in the United States (n=236, age: 39.2±8.1 years, 57.2% female) were recruited to complete an online questionnaire by Qualtrics Online Samples (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) using a combination of actively managed, double-opt-in market research panels. The questionnaire used for this study consisted of: 1) parent demographics (including parent age, race/ethnicity, biological sex, gender identity, household income, and educational status), and 2) child sport participation characteristics and sport specialization behaviors. # Results Parents who reported an annual household income of \$75,001 or more were more likely than parents making less than \$75,000 to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR 9595%CI: 1.94 1.153.271.15-3.27), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR 9595%CI: 1.85 1.103.111.10-3.11), or specialized in a single sport (OR 9595%CI: 2.45 1.454.141.45-4.14). Parents who reported receiving a Bachelor's degree or higher were more likely than parents who did not to report that their child participated on an organized club team (OR 9595%CI: 3.04 1.785.181.78-5.18), participated on multiple organized teams at the same time (OR 9595%CI: 2.42 1.434.101.43-4.10), or specialized in a single sport (OR 9595%CI: 1.94 1.153.261.15-3.26). # Conclusions Thes results suggest that in the modern youth sport culture, family resources may serve as a major determining factor in the type of experiences available for a youth athlete. # Level of Evidence II

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