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. 2019 Jun;33(5):675-682.
doi: 10.1177/0890117118817715. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Sport and Physical Activity Level Impacts Health-Related Quality of Life Among Collegiate Students

Traci R Snedden  1   2 , John Scerpella  2   3 , Stephanie A Kliethermes  2   3 , Rocío S Norman  4 , Liga Blyholder  2   3 , Jen Sanfilippo  2   3 , Timothy A McGuine  2   3 , Bryan Heiderscheit  2   3
Affiliations

Sport and Physical Activity Level Impacts Health-Related Quality of Life Among Collegiate Students

Traci R Snedden et al. Am J Health Promot. 2019 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: To examine and compare the role of self-assessed sport and physical activity involvement on the health-related quality of life among undergraduate student-athletes and general undergraduate college students.

Design: Cross-sectional survey. Data set was examined for differences in physical and mental health by self-assessed sport and physical activity level.

Setting: Large Midwestern University in the fall of 2016.

Participants: A combined data set representing undergraduate Division I student athletes (n = 842) and general undergraduate students (n = 1322).

Measures: Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12), as measure of health-related quality of life, comprised of physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS). Self-assessed sport and physical activity level categorized as Division I athlete, club athlete, intramural player, student who works out regularly, or student who is physically inactive.

Analysis: Standard univariable statistics described the study population. Two-sample t tests and χ2 tests were conducted, as appropriate, to compare Division I student-athletes to the general undergraduate group. Multivariable linear regression models were then built to assess associations between physical activity level and year in school with VR-12 outcomes, after adjusting for sex. All pairwise interactions were considered for inclusion in the final models. Adjusted least-square means were calculated for all variables in the model; pairwise comparisons were adjusted for multiple comparisons via Tukey-Kramer adjustment criteria. A linear test for trend was also conducted for the association between VR-12 MCS and increasing physical activity.

Results: Significant differences in MCS were noted between levels of sport and physical activity; however, such differences were not detected in PCS. After controlling for sex, a positive relationship between increased sport and physical activity level and greater MCS was found.

Conclusions: This study represents the first prospective assessment of health-related quality of life among undergraduate athletes and general college students. Higher levels of sport and physical activity were associated with more positive mental health in these populations.

Keywords: VR-12; college students; mental health; physical activity; well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS

The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Physical Component Score by Activity Level and Year in School
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Mental Component Score by Activity Level
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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