ABSTRACT
Mortality, morbidity and disability due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and physical inactivity have been deemed as a major threat to the sustainability of humanity (World Health Organization [WHO], 2008). There is an overwhelming body of evidence suggesting that the prevalence of NCDs brings about increases in cardiovascular diseases (especially coronary heart disease), diabetes, cancers (particularly colon, breast and prostate) along with an increased mental health disease burden (WHO, 2008). From a socioeconomic perspective, the health costs caused by NCDs and inactivity have risen to an astronomical figure over the years and have become a substantial burden for national governments, international agencies and organizations (Katzmarzyk et al., 2000; Maresova, 2014). Additionally, previous research indicated stagnant sport participation would cause severe social issues such as increasing rates of crime, drug use, and deterioration of community development (Boshoff, 1997; Vail, 2007). However, the statistics from the WHO showed that the participation rates in physical activity are low around the world with approximately 60% of world’s population failing to accomplish the recommended amount of physical activity required to prevent NCDs and achieve health benefits (WHO, 2010a, 2010b). Many developed countries have initiated physical activity interventions at national, state and the community level, for example, ParticipACTION and SummerActive in Canada, Fit for Life in Finland, Push Play in New Zealand, VERB in the US and the Netherlands on the Move! (WHO, 2008), as the significance of sport participation has been widely recognized throughout the developed world (Panagiota and Charilaos, 2014; Vail, 2007; WHO, 2008, 2010a, 2010b). However, the majority of initiatives, policies and guidelines have been implemented within developed countries; interventions launched by developing countries are largely sparse or in early stages, but the significance of sport participation as well as the demand for suitable programs, policies and guidelines is becoming increasingly recognized in transitional countries. As a consequence, governments, academics and practitioners in developing countries
attach great importance to promoting sport participation at a population level with an aim to raise awareness of the benefits of sport participation and to raise the participation levels in sports.
