Will London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics benefit health
Will London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics benefit health?
There is insufficient evidence to show that major multi-sport events like the Olympics benefit the host population, according to a review from the Medical Research Council (MRC) today. The researchers called for better long-term evaluations before benefits for the host population could be used as justification for event costs.
Big, global sporting events are thought to generate a wide range of benefits for the host population such as improvements in employment, skills, the economy, housing, national and local pride, the environment and sport.
Dr Gerry McCartney, a specialist in public health and MRC researcher in Glasgow who led the study, commented:
“Future events such as the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics, or the 2014 Commonwealth Games cannot be expected automatically to provide benefits. We need better long-term evaluations to be put in place to measure the effect on host populations.”
McCartney, who reviewed 54 studies that assessed the health and socioeconomic impacts of past major multi-sport events, added:
“The majority of papers were poor in quality and at risk of bias. There were also large gaps in a number of outcomes evaluated, especially health.”
The paper, published in the British Medical Journal, found some benefits occurred, such as short-term reductions in traffic volume, congestion and pollution, but said these would have resulted from rules in place during the events, such as restricting car use and promoting public transport.
The MRC supports the highest quality research including to explore and understand the environmental factors impacting public health.
Ends
For more information, contact the MRC Press Office:
pressoffice@headoffice.mrc.ac.uk
0207 637 6011
