About this Research Topic
There is a growing demand globally, for policy makers, practitioners, and academics to measure the broad benefits of sport and physical activity at the individual, community, and population level. Whilst some benefits of physical activity and sport have been evidenced through research, often these benefits have focused on physical health, with limited high-quality evidence on the wellbeing and social benefits quantified at scale. This is due to significant research gaps but also due to a lack of global consistency of what benefits to assess and a lack of robust tools and methods to accurately measure associated outcomes. In response to the growing need to advocate for the broad benefits of Sport and Physical Activity, we urgently need to understand the social benefits and value of participation.
This RT is part of an ambitious international effort striving for global consensus on how to define, measure and articulate the social benefits and value of active societies. The identification of clear research priorities and the sharing of community practice will strengthen future advocacy for a more active world. Looking ahead, we must revolutionize the way in which we all quantify the value and contribution of sport and physical activity to global social and economic outcomes.
Building on the work of Davies et al (2019), this RT will support and encourage the further development of high-quality research which monetises the wider social impact of sport, with a view to informing policy makers of the importance of social outcomes to society. We seek to bring together scholars, stakeholders and global experts to establish an approach to social impact measurement, which is robust, while being careful not to overclaim.
The proposed RT will publish contributions (systematic and critical reviews and original research articles) based on approaches and experiences of measuring the social value of sport and physical activity from three diverse perspectives: Research, Industry and Government.
Collectively, RT authors will challenge our current perceptions of how social value is measured and provide evidence informing a collective effort to achieve global consensus on the social value of active societies.
We acknowledge the sponsorship of this Research Topic by the Not-for-Profit Corporation, EuropeActive. We hereby state publicly that EuropeActive has had no editorial input in articles included in this Research Topic, thus ensuring that all aspects of this Research Topic are evaluated objectively, unbiased by any specific policy or opinion of EuropeActive.
Alfonso Jimenez is serving as an elected member of the Board of Directors at EuropeActive and Head of THINKactive, and his research is partially funded by GO fit where he serves as PI of the GO fit LAB in a fractional role.
Larissa Davies is a serving board member: GO fit LAB Scientific Advisory Board and Chair of the THINKactive Scientific Advisory Board.
This RT is part of an ambitious international effort striving for global consensus on how to define, measure and articulate the social benefits and value of active societies. The identification of clear research priorities and the sharing of community practice will strengthen future advocacy for a more active world. Looking ahead, we must revolutionize the way in which we all quantify the value and contribution of sport and physical activity to global social and economic outcomes.
Building on the work of Davies et al (2019), this RT will support and encourage the further development of high-quality research which monetises the wider social impact of sport, with a view to informing policy makers of the importance of social outcomes to society. We seek to bring together scholars, stakeholders and global experts to establish an approach to social impact measurement, which is robust, while being careful not to overclaim.
The proposed RT will publish contributions (systematic and critical reviews and original research articles) based on approaches and experiences of measuring the social value of sport and physical activity from three diverse perspectives: Research, Industry and Government.
Collectively, RT authors will challenge our current perceptions of how social value is measured and provide evidence informing a collective effort to achieve global consensus on the social value of active societies.
We acknowledge the sponsorship of this Research Topic by the Not-for-Profit Corporation, EuropeActive. We hereby state publicly that EuropeActive has had no editorial input in articles included in this Research Topic, thus ensuring that all aspects of this Research Topic are evaluated objectively, unbiased by any specific policy or opinion of EuropeActive.
Alfonso Jimenez is serving as an elected member of the Board of Directors at EuropeActive and Head of THINKactive, and his research is partially funded by GO fit where he serves as PI of the GO fit LAB in a fractional role.
Larissa Davies is a serving board member: GO fit LAB Scientific Advisory Board and Chair of the THINKactive Scientific Advisory Board.
Keywords: Physical activity, Sports participation, Social Value, Return on Investment
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
