Understanding the walking football population: sociodemographic, health, lifestyle, and participation insights from a national tournament cohort

TL;DR

This study explores who plays walking football and how it benefits their health and well-being, showing it can support healthy aging.

Contribution

The paper provides new insights into the sociodemographic and health characteristics of walking football participants and their perceived benefits.

Findings

Participants in walking football are predominantly middle-aged and older adults with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Walking football participants report higher mental well-being and lower stress and loneliness compared to national averages.

Most participants perceive improvements in physical fitness, social connections, and mental well-being from playing walking football.

Abstract

This study aimed to build a comprehensive understanding of who plays walking football and how participation relates to physical activity, well-being, and perceived health benefits, to assess its potential as a sustainable physical activity option for middle-aged and older adults.

A cross-sectional, survey-based design examined the sociodemographic characteristics, health status, lifestyle behaviours, and participation experiences of 352 walking football players during The FA Walking Football Cup 2024 in England. Data were collected from six regional final events involving 84 teams.

Participants (mean age: 56 years; 55.3% men, 43.6% women) reported a broad age range (33–81 years) and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds (16.6% from the most deprived 30% of areas), but ethnic diversity was limited (95.3% White vs. 81.7% nationally). Compared to national averages, more participants had a healthy weight (men: 31.5% vs. 19%; women: 50.8% vs. 30%) and met the UK physical activity guideline of ≥150 min/week of moderate aerobic activity (75% vs. 63%). Despite 47% reporting health conditions, 70.4% experienced no limitations in daily activities. Mental well-being scores were higher, and stress and loneliness levels were lower than national averages. Over three-quarters of participants reported increased physical activity since starting walking football, with perceived improvements in social connections (82.6%), physical fitness (78.0%), and mental well-being (73.8%).

Walking football attracts a broad player base and may support healthy ageing, even among those with chronic conditions. Greater efforts are needed to improve ethnic representation, but findings support its value as a health-enhancing physical activity option for middle-aged and older adults.

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