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Digital inclusion and physical activity

We've worked with Good Things Foundation to understand the connection between digital inclusion and participation in sport and physical activity.

Millions of people experience barriers when it comes to leading an active lifestyle, and there are also millions who face exclusion when accessing and using digital technology.

The digital inclusion movement and our own Uniting the Movement strategy are looking to address these barriers, but what about the people who experience both? 

In order to learn more about the relationship between digital inclusion and participation in physical activity, we worked with Good Things Foundation to carry out some desk research.

A young girl with a dog on a leash, an old lady, a middle-age man and one-legged young man on a wheelchair are centred over a purple background with the silhouettes of a city and the Sport England logo on the top-left. Around them we see a laptop screen, the YouTube logo, a wifi signal and a bell all inside red circles that are crossed with a line. In white copy under the people we read: "Sections of the population who are digitally excluded are very similar to those with the lowest activity levels".

Our objective was to see what we can do to support digital inclusion across the sector, particularly amongst those who face the most barriers to getting active.

Their study used a series of hypotheses, questions to frame and exploration of existing data and available evidence. 

Hypotheses

  • Audiences who are impacted by digital exclusion are also those who participate less frequently in physical activity.
  • Digitally delivered physical activity opportunities enable some audiences to be more physically active.
  • Digital access and skills are often essential in order for people to engage with sport and physical activity opportunities.

Learning questions

  • Where in a user's journey does digital play a role in relation to access to physical activity?
  • What best practice examples are there, including from sectors beyond sport and leisure, of where services are being designed to address the impact of digital exclusion?

Key learnings from the report

 

A laptop with a chain and a lock has the words "Book a game" on its screen in the middle of a purple background. The Sport England logo is on the top right corner and the background show the silhouette of buildings, trees and a seating bench. A series of icons (wifi signal, a computer screen, a phone and the YouTube logo) appear inside red circles crossed with a line. At the bottom, white copy reads: "Growing reliance on digital platforms makes it difficult for some to access leisure and sport services."

 

Main findings

  • Who is digitally excluded?

    Sections of the population who are digitally excluded are very similar to those with the lowest activity levels and those facing health inequalities.

    These include older adults, disabled people, people experiencing poverty and people living with long-term health conditions; therefore, promoting participation in physical activity by supporting digital inclusion may have positive impacts for people experiencing worse health outcomes.

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  • Is digital exclusion a real barrier to physical activity?

    Digital exclusion is a barrier against some people's ability to access and engage with physical activity opportunities, but there are likely other more influential factors shaping people's activity levels.

    This doesn't mean it shouldn't be a key consideration when designing new services to engage under-represented audiences.

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  • Can digital inclusion help with participation in digital activity?

    Yes. Digital inclusion can be an important enabler for participation in physical activity and it can also be effective for removing barriers to participation for some groups.

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  • The importance of digital connectivity

    Digital access, skills and accessibility shape people’s journeys to being physically active.

    Growing reliance on digital platforms for accessing leisure and sport services means it's also increasingly difficult for those without digital connectivity, devices and/or skills to engage with these services.

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  • The need for digital inclusion support

    Digital tools such as apps, wearable devices, online platforms and activity trackers can be effective in promoting and increasing physical activity in some audiences.

    However, some groups may benefit more from digital tools than others. Without additional digital inclusion support in place this may exacerbate existing inequalities.

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  • Can we learn lessons from other sectors?

    Yes. Other sectors, such as health and library provision, are relevant to shaping policy and practice for us.

    These include the effectiveness of place-based, localised interventions delivered in trusted, community-based spaces, the need to embed digital inclusion into service delivery by co-designing with users and the importance of improved data on digital inclusion and exclusion to make the issue more visible.

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What else does the report include?

The study also contains:

  • four user journeys developed to illustrate the different ways in which digital access, skills and accessibility can shape people’s pathways to being more physically active
  • a range of case studies highlighting examples within and wide of the sport and physical activity sector where services are being designed to address the impact of digital exclusion
  • top tips to consider when designing programmes to offset the impact of digital exclusion.
Four older ladies in active outfits smile as they walk next to each other in a park.

Read the full report

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