Abstract
Objectives: Soccer is one of the most popular sports in many countries around the world. Soccer club websites can be an avenue for health promotion activities. This study aimed to explore the health promotion and sponsorship information on community soccer club websites in Australia. Methods: Information was collected from websites of a random sample of 141 soccer clubs from a group census in the state of New South Wales, and subjected to quantitative (frequencies) and qualitative (thematic) analysis. Results: Analysis showed that 37% (n=52) had health promotion information. Thematic analysis showed clubs often link soccer to social wellbeing and fitness. 63% (n=89) listed sponsors on their websites, with food and alcohol companies and sport-related organisations common. Results showed three difficulties around accessing health content, related to website location, language, and source. Discussion: Sponsorship from food and alcohol-related groups is common, which may undermine health promotion. Conclusions: Providing more information on specific health issues is a valuable strategy in health promotion that could assist players and other website users to prevent or manage health problems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 23-34 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Journal of Sport and Health Research |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- sports
- public health
- digital media
- health promotion