Characteristics Influencing Diversity of Participation of Children in Activities Outside School.

Objective: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine which personal and environmental characteristics influenced diversity of participation in activities outside school for typically developing children and adolescents.

Method: Four hundred twenty-two (215 boys) typically developing Australian children (mean = 11.0 yr) completed the Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) and the Preferences for Activity of Children to describe their participation on five activity types: Recreational, Active Physical, Social, Self-Improvement, and Skill-Based. Linear regression analyses were conducted.

Results: Predictors of participation diversity were age and preference for Recreational (R² = .44); preference for Active Physical (R²= .19); gender, school type, and preference for Social (R² = .19); preference for Skill-Based (R² = .25); and gender, school style, socioeconomic score, and preference for Self-Improvement (R² = .24).

Conclusion: Preference plays a key role in determining the diversity of participation in activities outside school.