A bibliometric insight into sports participation and socio-economic mobility

Authors

  • Shalu Sinha Department of Development Studies, Central University of South Bihar, India.
  • Samapika Mohapatra Department of Development Studies, Central University of South Bihar, India.
  • Sonu Prasad Department of Development Studies, Central University of South Bihar, India.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.629751
Keywords: Sports, Social Mobility, Physical Activity, Bibliometrics

Abstract

Researchers investigated the domain of social mobility and sports (SM&S), analyzing the influence of sports on social mobility and socio-economic factors. This study employed bibliometric analysis to examine previous research on the relationship between sports and social mobility. The objective was to identify unexplored areas by reviewing 582 scholarly papers from WoS published between 1992 and 2023. Geographical mapping displays how research activity is spread out in different regions, while keyword co-occurrence mapping identifies important topics. The research highlighted the exponential growth in the number of documents from 1992 to 2023, particularly after 2003. Geographically, the influence of developed nations was evident in the research. Author co-citation analysis classifies authors into four distinct schools of thought. The results indicate a transition towards a broader and more integrated approach in sports research, emphasising the influence of economics, sociology, wellness, and participation factors.  For future research, there is a call for more thematic reviews to delve deeper into the four SM&S thematic strands.

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Published
30-03-2026
How to Cite
Sinha, S., Mohapatra, S., & Prasad, S. (2026). A bibliometric insight into sports participation and socio-economic mobility. SPORT TK-EuroAmerican Journal of Sport Sciences, 15, 17. https://doi.org/10.6018/sportk.629751
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