Sport and Physical Activity Level Impacts Health-Related Quality of Life Among Collegiate Students. Issue 5 (June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Snedden, Traci R.; Scerpella, John; Kliethermes, Stephanie A.; Norman, Rocío S.; Blyholder, Liga; Sanfilippo, Jen; McGuine, Timothy A.; Heiderscheit, Bryan
• Is Part Of: American journal of health promotion. Volume 33:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 675
• Page End: 682
• Publication Date: 2019-06
• Subjects: VR-12 -- well-being -- physical activity -- mental health -- college students; Health promotion -- Periodicals; Health Promotion; Health promotion; Periodicals; Periodicals; 613.05
• DOI: 10.1177/0890117118817715
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0890-1171

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 χ 2 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.