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Prospective associations between sport participation and psychological adjustment in adolescents
  1. Frédéric N Brière1,2,3,
  2. Gabrielle Yale-Soulière1,
  3. Daniela Gonzalez-Sicilia1,
  4. Marie-Josée Harbec1,
  5. Julien Morizot1,
  6. Michel Janosz1,2,3,
  7. Linda S Pagani1,4
  1. 1 École de Psychoéducation, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  2. 2 School Environment Research Group (SERG), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
  3. 3 Institut de Recherche en Santé Publique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
  4. 4 Centre de Recherche du CHU Mère-Enfant Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
  1. Correspondence to Dr Frédéric N Brière, École de Psychoéducation, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada; frederic.nault-briere{at}umontreal.ca

Abstract

Background Engaging in sport has been suggested to be mitigate against psychological distress. Using a prospective-longitudinal design, we examine whether sport participation is associated with reduced psychological difficulties in adolescents and whether associations differ by sport and personal characteristics.

Methods 17 550 adolescents from grade 7 to 10 (mean age=14.4 years old) self-reported on sport participation, depressive symptoms, social anxiety symptoms and loneliness in Spring 2007 and 1 year later. Analyses tested the association between sport participation and subsequent psychological difficulties using linear regression, while adjusting for pre-existing psychological and sociodemographic characteristics. Analyses also verified whether associations differed by sport frequency (weekly/more than weekly) and type (team/individual) using Wald tests of parameter constraints, as well as sex, age and pre-existing psychological difficulties using interaction terms.

Results After adjusting for potential confounders, sport participation predicted lower social anxiety symptoms (beta=−0.02 (−0.04, −0.01)) and loneliness (beta=−0.04 (−0.05, −0.02)), but not depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses showed that sport participation predicted greater reductions in depressive symptoms, social anxiety symptoms and loneliness in adolescents with higher baseline scores on each outcome. Associations did not differ by sport frequency and type, sex and age. Post hoc analyses revealed bidirectional associations between sport participation and social anxiety symptoms and loneliness.

Conclusions Sport participation predicts small reductions in adolescent psychological distress. Reductions seem most important in youth experiencing greater pre-existing psychological difficulty. Our findings suggest that sport participation represents a protective factor that supports psychological resilience in at-risk youth.

  • sport
  • well-being
  • psychological adjustment
  • depression
  • social anxiety
  • loneliness
  • adolescence
  • longitudinal

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Footnotes

  • Contributors FNB conceived the study, analysed and interpreted the data, and wrote the first and final drafts of the manuscript. GYS, DGS and MJH helped conceive the study, analyse and interpret the data, and assisted in writing the manuscript. JM and LSP helped conceive the study, analyse and interpret the data, and assisted in revising the manuscript for critical content. MJ organised and managed the collection of data, helped conceive the study, analyse and interpret the data, and assisted in revising the manuscript for critical content.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient consent Not required.

  • Ethics approval University of Montreal Institutional Review Board.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.