Almost all children in primary school in Ireland engage in some kind of sporting activity, however many drop out during secondary school, a major new study has found.

According to the findings, the drop-out rate after primary school is particularly high among girls.

This marks the largest study of participation in sport and exercise ever conducted in this country. It is based on data from three national surveys involving over 30,000 people aged 10 years and over.

It found that second level students who play sport tend to get better Leaving Cert results, however school exams can have a ‘strong negative impact'. Students are less likely to participate in sport during exam years and this can have a lasting effect on whether they remain active later on.

Meanwhile, despite most adults believing that sport is good for them, many drop out as a result of life events, such as work commitments, family responsibilities and relocations.

Gaelic games appear to have a high drop out rate, while the sports adults are most likely to continue are cycling and swimming.

The study found that for adults, finding facilities did not act as a barrier to sports participation and people who take up sports in adulthood usually do so as a result of social connections with, for example, friends or colleagues.

The study also noted that people with a lower socio economic status are more likely to drop out off sporting activities as young adults and are also less likely to take up any new activities.

"The findings imply a need to change the way we think about promoting sport and exercise. We are good at getting children involved - it's keeping people involved as they get older that is the problem. The evidence suggests we could focus more on the major transitions in people's lives and try to make it easier for them to continue to be active," commented the report's author, Dr Pete Lunn, of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The study, Keeping Them in the Game,  was commissioned by the Irish Sports Council.