Assessing the availability of sports recreational facilities and services to the residents of Tororo municipality

Abstract

Physical recreational activities are specialized activities done with specialized equipment within specialized sports facilities closely supervised and instructed to cater for service user’s abilities. Since physical activities are basic necessities for healthy lifestyle for urban citizens who are physically inactive with sedentary behavior. There is need for available sports recreational facilities to provide diverse, accessible and well afforded sports recreational services. This lay a basis for studying the availability of sports recreational facilities and services to the people of Tororo municipality. The main aim of this study was to suggest strategies for raising equal distribution of recreational services and facilities close to the people with the aim of limiting their costs of acquiring services for a physically active, social and healthy lifestyle. This study employed a mixed method of interviews and questionnaires. There were 116 respondents aged between 2565yrs, the findings identified 68 Sports Recreational Facilities (SRF) in Tororo Municipality with an average percentage distribution of SRF 13(20%) per divisions. This study categorized SRF based on how they fulfilled factors for SRS availability i.e. higher classes and lower class SRF. The former was private business orientated, closely distributed, employed instructors with necessary physical activity resources, charging high costs for service provision, attracted a small number of community residents though their number was boosted by high diversity of SRF with SRS less available to the highly dense residential population within the municipality due to high service costs. The later were community-based or public but being free of charge, closely distributed in some areas and scattered in other areas, publically owned, lacked employed instructors as well as without physical activity resources. Generally, the study found out that SRS and SRF are below average in Tororo municipality. The study is hoped to lay a basis for policy making to promote a physically healthy lifestyle.