The Irish Sports Monitor (ISM), 2015

The Irish Sports Monitor (ISM) is a large scale population-based survey designed to measure physical and social participation in sport and other forms of exercise in Ireland.It provides the most robust measurement of sports participation in all its forms within Ireland. The publication of results from this wave of the ISM comes at a time of increased focus on developing healthier lifestyles. Results from the first wave of the Healthy Ireland Survey in 2015 found that three in every five Irish people are either overweight or obese, with the key determinants coming through insufficient activity and poor dietary choices. International studies have also suggested that increasing levels of sedentary behaviour may in turn be increasing mortality risks to a similar extent as smoking or obesity.Increasing the levels and extent of involvement in sport is a crucial element in improving the health of the nation. However, the role of sport is not limited to the important physical benefits it provides. It benefits Irish society at community and national levels. Community structures are maintained through our sports clubs, local and inter-county or province rivalries provide endless sporting entertainment and excitement and international success fosters national pride.