Types of leisure-time physical activity participation in childhood and adolescence, and physical activity behaviours and health outcomes in adulthood: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Youth leisure-time physical activity participation benefits physical activity habits and health outcomes later in life. However, it is unknown if certain types of leisure-time physical activity contribute to these benefits in different ways; this knowledge could enhance public health efforts. This systematic review aimed to synthesise evidence of the longitudinal associations between childhood and adolescent leisure-time physical activity on adulthood physical activity behaviours and health outcomes.

METHODS

A systematic search of the literature was conducted across five databases from inception to July 2022. English, peer-reviewed observational studies with a minimum of two timepoints of data collection were eligible for inclusion. We included studies that investigated the association between participation in leisure-time physical activity types in children and adolescents (i.e., 5-18 years), and physical activity, mental health, or cardiovascular outcomes in adulthood (i.e., ≥ 18 years).

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included in the review, totalling 34,388 observations across five countries. Running in adolescence was associated with increased adulthood physical activity in both sexes, while sports involvement was associated with an increase in physical activity in males only. Adolescent team sports participation was associated with reduced odds of early adulthood depression, with varying findings for anxiety disorders. There was preliminary evidence of minimum threshold requirements for participation in certain activities before associations with future physical activity or health outcome benefits were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Preliminary findings suggest that the lifelong behavioural and health benefits of adolescent participation in leisure-time physical activity appear to be related to the type of activity undertaken, with potential differences between sexes. With the rarity of longitudinal studies spanning from childhood into adulthood, these findings provide important insights for public health strategies to optimise lifelong health and physical activity participation.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION

CRD42022347792.

Interactive effects of sleep and physical activity on depression among rural university students in China

Background

Decreased sleep quality and physical activity among university students have become important concerns, while depressive symptoms are on the rise, especially in rural areas. Previous studies have confirmed the association between sleep quality and physical activity and depressive symptoms, but the effect of their interaction on depressive symptoms has been less studied. For this reason, the present study analyzed the interaction between sleep quality and physical activity on depressive symptoms to provide reference and assistance for mental health promotion and intervention for university students in rural areas of China.

Methods

In this study, we investigated sleep quality, physical activity, and depressive symptoms in 11,423 university students in rural areas of China. The association of sleep quality and physical activity with depressive symptoms was analyzed by using univariate analysis and logistic regression analysis. And further analyzed the association between the interaction effect of sleep quality and physical activity and depressive symptoms.

Results

The proportion of university students with depressive symptoms in rural China was 33.3%, with a higher proportion of girls students (36.7%) having depressive symptoms than boys students (28.8%). Logistic regression analysis of the interaction between sleep quality and physical activity and depressive symptoms in university students showed that university students with poor sleep quality and MVPA>60 min/d (OR = 4.40,95% CI: 3.75-5.05) had the highest risk of depressive symptoms (p < 0.001). University students with moderate sleep quality and MVPA of 30-60 min/d (OR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.75-1.61) had the lowest risk of depressive symptoms (p < 0.001). Moreover, there was no gender difference in this result.

Conclusion

The prevalence of depressive symptoms was higher among university students in rural areas of China. There was an interaction between sleep quality and MVPA on depressive symptoms, maintaining a good quality of sleep and an appropriate length of MVPA has a contributory effect on mental health, and the same trend was found for both boys and girls students. It is recommended that university students in rural areas of China should first maintain proper sleep quality while maintaining 30-60 min of MVPA per day, which may reduce the risk of depressive symptoms.

Associations of sport participation with subjective well-being: a study consisting of a sample of Chinese school-attending students

Purpose

Past studies have illustrated that the impact of sports participation on school-attending students' well-being plays a significant role in the life course of adolescence, which is a golden period for developing sound psychological qualities. However, the relationship between sports participation and subjective well-being is not clear, particularly in Chinese primary and middle schools. Therefore, the current study was aimed to explore the relationship between sports participation and subjective well-being in elementary and middle schools in China.

Method

All involved children and adolescents were asked to conduct a self-report of their sociodemographic factors (e.g., sex, grade, and age), independence, and outcomes. The survey involved a two-stage sampling design (district school). Besides, in order to examine the relationship between participation in sports and subjective well-being, a self-report questionnaire was used. Logistic regression with 95% confidence interval and odds ratios (ORs), was conducted to investigate the relationship between sports participation and subjective well-being.

Results

A total of 67,281 participants in total provided complete data for the final analysis of the current study. The percentage of boys and girls was 51.9% and 48.1%, namely. The current study found that compared with children who never participate in sports, those children who participated sports in 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 times a week and above were more likely to enjoy better well-being. Compared with children who never participate in sports, those children who in every grade participated sports in 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 times a week and above were more likely to achieve better well-being.

Conclusion

Our current study offered the positive effect of sports participation on children and adolescents' subjective well-being. For schools and governments, further studies are needed to focus on sports participation and positive feedback on adolescents' mental health, and the three parties' endeavors should be intervened.

The impact of sports participation on mental health and social outcomes in adults: a systematic review and the 'Mental Health through Sport' conceptual model

BACKGROUND

Sport is a subset of physical activity that can be particularly beneficial for short-and-long-term physical and mental health, and social outcomes in adults. This study presents the results of an updated systematic review of the mental health and social outcomes of community and elite-level sport participation for adults. The findings have informed the development of the 'Mental Health through Sport' conceptual model for adults.

METHODS

Nine electronic databases were searched, with studies published between 2012 and March 2020 screened for inclusion. Eligible qualitative and quantitative studies reported on the relationship between sport participation and mental health and/or social outcomes in adult populations. Risk of bias (ROB) was determined using the Quality Assessment Tool (quantitative studies) or Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (qualitative studies).

RESULTS

The search strategy located 8528 articles, of which, 29 involving adults 18-84 years were included for analysis. Data was extracted for demographics, methodology, and study outcomes, and results presented according to study design. The evidence indicates that participation in sport (community and elite) is related to better mental health, including improved psychological well-being (for example, higher self-esteem and life satisfaction) and lower psychological ill-being (for example, reduced levels of depression, anxiety, and stress), and improved social outcomes (for example, improved self-control, pro-social behavior, interpersonal communication, and fostering a sense of belonging). Overall, adults participating in team sport had more favorable health outcomes than those participating in individual sport, and those participating in sports more often generally report the greatest benefits; however, some evidence suggests that adults in elite sport may experience higher levels of psychological distress. Low ROB was observed for qualitative studies, but quantitative studies demonstrated inconsistencies in methodological quality.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this review confirm that participation in sport of any form (team or individual) is beneficial for improving mental health and social outcomes amongst adults. Team sports, however, may provide more potent and additional benefits for mental and social outcomes across adulthood. This review also provides preliminary evidence for the Mental Health through Sport model, though further experimental and longitudinal evidence is needed to establish the mechanisms responsible for sports effect on mental health and moderators of intervention effects. Additional qualitative work is also required to gain a better understanding of the relationship between specific elements of the sporting environment and mental health and social outcomes in adult participants.

Attending live sporting events predicts subjective wellbeing and reduces loneliness

Introduction

This study explored whether attending live sporting events (LSEs) improved subjective wellbeing and loneliness, above and beyond demographic predictors.

Methods

Secondary data from 7,249 adults from the Taking Part 2019-20 survey (UK household survey of participation in culture and sport) were analyzed. Multiple linear regressions captured the effect of attending LSEs (yes/no) on wellbeing variables (happiness, anxiety, a sense that life is worthwhile and life satisfaction) and loneliness, with gender, Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), age group, health and employment as covariates.

Results

For life satisfaction, a sense that life is worthwhile, and loneliness, inclusion of LSE attendance in the model improved model fit significantly, although ΔR² values were small (ΔR² = 0.001-0.003). For happiness and anxiety, the inclusion of LSE attendance did not alter model fit. LSE attendance was associated with increased life satisfaction (b = 0.171, p < 0.001), a greater sense of life being worthwhile (b = 0.230, p < 0.001), and reduced loneliness (b = -0.083, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

LSE attendance has positive associations with some aspects of subjective wellbeing (life satisfaction and a sense of life being worthwhile) and loneliness, above and beyond demographic predictors. Whilst the variance explained is small, it is comparable to demographic predictors (e.g., being in employment). As even small-sized differences in SWB can have meaningful outcomes (e.g., for mortality), we conclude that LSE attendance may still offer a scalable, accessible and effective means of improving the public's wellbeing and reducing loneliness.

Can Sports Practice in Childhood and Adolescence Be Associated with Higher Intensities of Physical Activity in Adult Life? A Retrospective Study in Community-Dwelling Adults

INTRODUCTION

Investigating the determinants of physical activity (PA) is an important strategy for the promotion of healthy lifestyles, mainly with PA of a moderate-to-vigorous intensity, which provides several health benefits in adulthood. In this sense, it is not clear whether early sports practice (ESP) during childhood and adolescence could be associated with the habitual practice of PA of higher intensities in adulthood.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to analyze the association of ESP in childhood and adolescence with different intensities of habitual PA in adulthood.

METHODS

A sample of 264 community-dwelling adults were randomly selected (42.2 ± 17.0 years, 57.5% of women). ESP during childhood and adolescence was evaluated using retrospective questions. Weekly minutes of PA were assessed using accelerometry and classified according to intensity as light, moderate, moderate-to-vigorous, vigorous and very vigorous. The association of ESP with a high level of PA (above median) in each intensity was analyzed using binary regression models.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ESP was 42.8% in childhood and 49.2% in adolescence. ESP in childhood was associated with a high level of very vigorous (OR: 2.48, p < 0.001) and vigorous PA (OR: 2.91, p < 0.001) in adulthood, but lost significance after adjustments by sex and age. ESP in adolescence was associated with a high level of very vigorous PA (OR: 1.99, p = 0.013) in the crude model and vigorous PA (OR: 2.21, p = 0.006), even after adjustments by age, sex and socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSIONS

Engagement in sports practice during adolescence was associated with high levels of vigorous PA in adulthood and is an important period for healthy lifestyle promotion.

Alleviating Doctors' Emotional Exhaustion through Sports Involvement during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Roles of Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy and Perceived Stress

This study aims to understand the state of emotional exhaustion of Chinese doctors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and explore the role of sports involvement in enhancing doctors' regulatory emotional self-efficacy, reducing stress perception, and alleviating emotional exhaustion. Finally, report the existing problems and make recommendations to the government and hospitals. The researchers constructed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey to collect data. From March to April 2022, using the snowball and convenience sampling methods, a total of 413 valid questionnaires were collected from 13 hospitals in Hunan Province. AMOS 23.0 was used to construct a structural equation model (SEM) with the bootstrapping approach to verify the proposed hypotheses. Doctors with more sports involvement exhibited higher levels of regulatory emotional self-efficacy and lesser perceived stress. Doctors who exhibited higher regulatory emotional self-efficacy had lesser perceived stress. The relationship between sports involvement and emotional exhaustion was mediated by perceived stress and/or regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Therefore, the government and hospitals should strengthen the depth and intensity of implementing the "National Fitness Program" at the hospital level, instead of just holding short-term activities with a small number of participants, but to cover all medical staff with fitness opportunities.

Linking Emotional Intelligence, Physical Activity and Aggression among Undergraduates

Several indicators are strongly related to health and well-being in university students, such as emotional intelligence and physical activity. At the same time, some qualities threaten it and are incompatible with students’ adaptation to society in general, such as aggressive behaviours. The aim of this research is to analyse the relationship established between emotional intelligence using TMMS-24, physical activity, using IPAQ, and aggression behaviours in university students. For this purpose, a descriptive, cross-sectional and non-experimental study was developed with 932 undergraduates (M = 20.55; SD = 3.673). The findings highlight how emotional intelligence and physical activity practice decrease violent behaviour in university students. In addition, men tend to have more aggressive behaviours than women as well as the relation between physical activity and emotional intelligence is stronger in all its dimensions. Results highlight the importance of including emotional intelligence programs in order to enable undergraduate well-being.

Effect of Different Sports Practice on Sleep Quality and Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents: Randomized Clinical Trial

Background

Sports practice can promote several health benefits in pediatric populations; nonetheless, most of the studies that investigated these benefits are of cross-sectional design. Thus, our objective was to verify the effectiveness of two types of physical activities through sports, judo and ball games (soccer, volleyball, handball, and basketball) on the quality of sleep and life of Brazilian children and adolescents.

Methods

The study is a randomized clinical trial, conducted with 65 participants of both sexes (6–15 years old) in a philanthropic institution in Brazil. The variables investigated were the quality of sleep and life, using the mini-sleep questionnaire and KidsCreen-52 questionnaires (this instrument has a scale ranging from 0 to 100, where 100 is the best value for each domain), respectively. The interventions carried out during 12 weeks (twice a week) were judo and ball games. In the statistical analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures was used and the level of statistical significance used was 5%.

Results

Judo (P = 0.032) and ball games (P = 0.005) contributed to improving the quality of sleep in the participants. Considering the score of the domains of quality of life, judo and ball games significantly increased the perception of health and physical activity [mean = 6.9 (8.3%) and 8.91 (12.2%) points, respectively], autonomy [mean = 5.81 (7.3%) and 5.00 (6.9%) points], friends and social support (mean = 2.83 (3.8%) and 12.00 (15.9%) points), provocation and bullying [mean = 10.21 (18.1%) and 2.14 (4.1%) points].

Conclusion

It is concluded that both judo and ball games brought benefits to the quality of sleep and life of children and adolescents. Health promotion actions should encourage the increase in sports practice in children and adolescents to improve sleep and quality of life.

Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Internet Addiction in Chinese College Students Controlling for the Effects of Physical Exercise, Demographic, and Academic Variables

This study aims to identify the relationship between social anxiety (SA) and internet addiction (IA) in a group of Chinese college students by controlling for the effects of physical exercise (PE), demographic, and academic variables. A sample of 4,677 students from five major regions of China participated in this survey. The findings revealed that: (1) SA had a direct effect on IA; (2) regular and active participation in physical exercise can relieve SA and IA effectively; (3) the level of SA and IA is strongly linked to sex; (4) the levels of SA and IA are different among students of different majors; (5) students in the middle phase of their academic career are more likely to have IA than those in the starting phase. The study is significant because few existing studies discuss the role of PE on SA and IA. Additionally, the study found that college students with more PE would have a lower level of SA and a lower probability of IA.

The influence of physical exercise on college students' mental health and social adaptability from the cognitive perspective

BACKGROUND

the relationship between physical exercise (PE) and mental health (MH) had been an important research topic in exercise psychology. With the development of society, the increasingly fierce social competition had put forward higher and higher requirements for college students' social adaptability (SA). As members of the new era, college students were expected to not only have innovative knowledge concept, solid knowledge foundation, and healthy psychology, but also have the ability to adapt to the changes in the environment, know how to get along with others, and deal with problems alone.

OBJECTIVE

this study aimed to evaluate the PE, MH, and SA of college students, and to analyze the internal relationships among PE, MH, and SA.

METHODS

based on questionnaire survey, college students were randomly selected for investigation and the data were statistically processed.

RESULTS

there were significant differences in the MH of students of different genders, majors, grades, and origins. There was a significant difference between the amount of exercise and the MH of college students. The amount of exercise was positively correlated with the MH level of college students, and there was also a positive correlation between PE and MH. The SA of the physical exercisers was average, but the SA of the non-physical exercisers was poor. There was a significant difference between the SA of the physical exercisers and the non-physical exercisers. There were significant differences in the SA between physical exercisers and non-physical exercisers of different genders, majors, grades, and origins. Physical exercisers who participated in team sports were more socially adaptable. There was no significant difference in the SA of physical exercisers of different genders, majors, and origins, and the SA of senior students was stronger.

CONCLUSIONS

PE had a positive effect on college students' MH and social adaptation ability. Colleges and universities could improve their MH and social adaptation ability by arranging appropriate PE.

Childhood Sports Participation Is Associated With Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Men: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

The aim of the study was to examine whether sports participation (SP), engagement in competitive sports (CS), and the type of sport undertaken at the age of 12 are associated with the physical and mental components of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in young adulthood. The data were collected using questionnaires prior to a compulsory military refresher training course in Finland. The sample consisted of 784 men (mean age 26 years). HRQoL was measured with RAND 36 and childhood SP with a series of questions. Data were analyzed with logistic regression. Higher frequency of SP, participation in district-level CS; performing team, endurance, or extreme sports; and playing yard games in childhood were after adjustments all associated with better HRQoL in early adulthood. The association was mainly found with the mental component, and to a lesser extent with the physical component, of HRQoL. Team (OR 1.43, CI 1.00-2.06) and extreme sports (OR 1.77, CI 1.19-2.63) were associated with better mental HRQoL, while playing yard games (OR 0.62, CI 0.44-0.89) reduced the likelihood for having low physical HRQoL. SP in childhood-in the forms of team or individual sports, but also as informal physical activity, such as playing yard games-is associated with HRQoL in young adulthood.

Effect of a Game-Based Physical Education Program on Physical Fitness and Mental Health in Elementary School Children

Promotion of healthy active behaviors should start from early ages, as behaviors learned in youth are more likely to endure. A fundamental body of research in this field focuses on the implementation of programs within physical education (PE), thanks to its favorable characteristics. However, traditional PE based on exercise training and controlling styles seems to have weaker association with students' health benefits. For this reason, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of a game-based PE program on physical fitness and psychological health in schoolchildren aged 10 to 12 years old. A total of 252 students were distributed in experimental (EG, games-centered activities) and control (CG, traditional exercise training activities) groups. The program lasted 6 months. Health-related physical fitness components, psychological wellbeing, self-esteem, stress, and anxiety were assessed before and after the treatment. Both groups increased physical fitness at post-test; however, cardiorespiratory fitness did not improve. No differences were found between the groups at post-test. Our results show that games may be as effective as traditional training methods; yet, they suggest that PE alone may be insufficient for obtaining substantive benefits in cardiorespiratory fitness, regardless of the type of task presented.

Competitive Anxiety in Young Basketball Players from the Real Madrid Foundation

Competition during the sports training process should aid young athletes’ overall development. The aim of this study was to ascertain the levels of competitive anxiety in athletes who practice basketball at the Real Madrid Foundation (RMF)’s Social-Sports Schools, and to analyze whether any differences exist in regard to anxiety in the various subscales that take into account gender, participation in the RMF’s internal competitions, and basketball modalities (mini basketball/basketball). The study sample consisted of 320 players (224 boys and 96 girls) belonging to the following different age groups: 8–9-year-olds, 10–11-year-olds, 12–13-year-olds, and 14–15-year-olds (M = 10.54; SD = 1.92). The Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2) was used in the version translated and validated in Spanish. It was found that the athletes displayed low levels of competitive anxiety in all three subscales. No significant differences were observed between the genders, nor between basketball modalities (mini basketball/basketball). Finally, a positive correlation was observed between the various subscales.

The NBA and Youth Basketball: Recommendations for Promoting a Healthy and Positive Experience

Participation in sports offers both short-term and long-term physical and psychosocial benefits for children and adolescents. However, an overemphasis on competitive success in youth sports may limit the benefits of participation, and could increase the risk of injury, burnout, and disengagement from physical activity. The National Basketball Association and USA Basketball recently assembled a group of leading experts to share their applied research and practices to address these issues. This review includes the group's analysis of the existing body of research regarding youth sports participation and the related health, performance, and psychosocial outcomes. Based upon this, age-specific recommendations for basketball participation are provided that aim to promote a healthy and positive experience for youth basketball players.