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. 2021 Nov 23;9(11):23259671211056645.
doi: 10.1177/23259671211056645. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Health Conditions, Substance Use, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life in Current and Former Baseball Players

Garrett S Bullock  1   2 , Kristen F Nicholson  1 , Brian R Waterman  1 , Eric Niesen  3 , Paul Salamh  4 , Charles A Thigpen  5 , Ellen Shanley  5 , Laurie Devaney  6 , Gary S Collins  7   8 , Nigel K Arden  1 , Stephanie R Filbay  2   9
Affiliations

Health Conditions, Substance Use, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life in Current and Former Baseball Players

Garrett S Bullock et al. Orthop J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: A comprehensive understanding of lifestyle (health conditions and substance use), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), flourishing (holistic representation of health), and physical activity can inform stakeholders (players, coaches, and clinicians) and help improve long-term health across the life span.

Purpose: To describe health conditions (comorbidities or diagnoses), substance use, physical activity, HRQoL, and flourishing in current and former collegiate and professional baseball players and to assess the relationship between playing position and HRQoL/flourishing in former baseball players.

Study design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods: Eligible participants were those ≥18 years old with ≥1 season of collegiate or professional baseball experience. Participants completed a survey on health conditions (asthma, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and depression), substance use (tobacco, alcohol, and energy drinks), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form), HRQoL (Veterans Rand 12-Item Health Survey [VR-12] physical and mental component scores), and flourishing (Flourishing Scale). Adjusted multivariable regressions were performed for HRQoL and flourishing.

Results: Overall, 260 baseball players opened the survey, and 214 (current players, 97; former players, 117) participated for an 82% response rate. Of the former players, 32% had hypertension or hypercholesterolemia. In addition, 26% of current players had used smokeless tobacco (median, 3 years; interquartile range [IQR], 1-5 years) as compared with 34% of former players (median, 15 years; IQR, 5-25 years). In addition, 14% of current players had used electronic cigarettes (median, 2 years; IQR, 0-4 years) as opposed to 3% of former (median, 3 years; IQR, 2-4 years). Energy drinks were consumed by 31% and 14%, respectively, of current and former players on at least a weekly basis. Current baseball players performed 8667 metabolic equivalents per week of physical activity as opposed to 3931 in former players. Pitching was associated with worse VR-12 Mental Component Scores (-5.0; 95% confidence interval, -9.0 to -1.0). Playing position was not related to VR-12 Physical Component Scores or flourishing in former baseball players.

Conclusion: The similar smokeless tobacco prevalence between current and former baseball players suggests that they may start using tobacco products during baseball participation and continue after retirement. Similar reported HRQoL as compared with the general US population and high flourishing and physical activity levels suggest that baseball players may present with good musculoskeletal and psychological health.

Keywords: electronic cigarette; energy drinks; physical activity; retired athletes; smokeless tobacco.

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Conflict of interest statement

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: S.R.F. and N.K.A. were funded by the Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Research Versus Arthritis (grant No. 21595). G.S.C. was supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre. B.R.W. has received research support from Arthrex and Encore Medical; education payments from Arthrex, Medwest, and Smith & Nephew; nonconsulting fees from Arthrex; honoraria from Vericel; and hospitality payments from Wright Medical. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study participant flowchart.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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