LIFELONG SPORT PARTICIPATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS THAT SUPPORT CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT IN GYMNASTICS.

• Grant number: 25/10118-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: January 01, 2026
• End date: December 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physical Education
• Principal Investigator: Marco Antonio Coelho Bortoleto
• Grantee: Fernanda Raffi Menegaldo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Educação Física (FEF). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In contemporary society, the importance of physical activity and sport has been extensively addressed in academic and scientific circles, as well as by sports organisations and health agencies. Consequently, sports participation has become the subject of extensive research, as involvement in various physical activity programmes and sporting disciplines has come to be regarded as a social aspiration and an important component of both public and private policy agendas worldwide. Despite this increasing recognition, the literature consistently points to a high rate of early dropout from such activities, which has led to studies on lifelong sport participation. Within this context, Gymnastics for All - a group gymnastics, largely centred on presentation - stands out as the gymnastics activity most closely associated with leisure and is strongly linked to principles of diversity and inclusion. These features are widely recognised as essential for fostering long-term engagement in physical activity across the lifespan. Against this backdrop, the aim of the present study is to examine the factors that influence sustained participation in Gymnastics for All, with a view to identifying those that are most conducive to lifelong gymnastics involvement. The research will adopt a quantitative, exploratory, and cross-sectional design. Participants will include Gymnastics for All practitioners and group leaders of different genders, age groups, and nationalities. Participants will include participants and group leaders of Gymnastics for All, of all genders, various age groups, and different nationalities. Data collection will involve online questionnaires and interviews. Data analysis will be conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics for the quantitative data obtained from the questionnaires, and Content Analysis will be applied to the interview data and to the qualitative responses from the questionnaires. (AU)