Sport as a social capital intervention promoting health and well-being for migrant youth in Australia.

Abstract

Social capital is a critical determinant of health, yet few intervention studies have explored how social capital might be generated for those with constrained social networks. This study aimed to assess the well-being and social impacts of a sports participation intervention for culturally and racially marginalized (CARM) migrant young people in Australia. We report findings from a mixed methods participatory action research project, Count Me In. Quantitative findings demonstrated that participation generated growth in social networks for participants, indicating that interventions to support sports participation can generate social capital, rather than it simply being the case that those with more a priori social connections are more likely to participate. Qualitative analyses showed parents and young people experienced highly valued social benefits including increased diversity of connections along with perceived physical and mental health gains from their participation. Findings from this study suggest that policies and health promotion efforts should support opportunities for CARM young people and families to participate in mainstream sports club settings in addition to participation in informal and ethno-specific sports. Additional research is needed to further understand how the social networks that are generated are operationalized by children and families over the longer term, and the health-enhancing impacts of social capital interventions for those with constrained social networks at risk of marginalization.