Open Access

ARTICLE

Sports Participation and Depressive Symptoms in Youth: Demographic Differences

by Yuanyuan Hao¹, Dongye Lyu², Siyu Zhang¹, Bin Guo^3,*, Jin Yan^4,*

1 Department of Physical Education, Bozhou University, Bozhou, 236800, China
2 College of Education Sciences, The Hong Kong University of Technology and Science, Guangzhou, 511455, China
3 School of Physical Education, Dalian University, Dalian, 116622, China
4 School of Physical Education and Sports Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215131, China

* Corresponding Authors: Bin Guo. Email: ; Jin Yan. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Active Living, Active Minds: Promoting Mental Health through Physical Activity)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2024, 26(10), 865-873. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2024.055231

Received 20 June 2024; Accepted 09 September 2024; Issue published 31 October 2024

Abstract

Background: Youth emerge as an essential period in forming lifelong health and well-being. During adolescence, physical activity (PA) improves cardiovascular health, fitness levels, and the prevention of chronic illnesses, and the positive effect is also extended to the mental realm, as PA reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. Therefore, the current study aims to enhance our understanding of the correlation between sports participation and depressive symptoms. Additionally, it seeks to explore how demographics such as gender, age, and race can shape these connections. Methods: The research sample was established by utilising the U.S. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) 2019 cycle, and the eligible samples from this cycle were included in the current study. A self-administered survey evaluated sports participation, categorized as Zero, one, two, three, or more teams. This study included 16,104 participants and conducted self-reported questionnaires on gender, grade, race/ethnicity, and depressive symptoms. The study had a nationally representative population of American students in Grades 10 to 12 (aged 14–17 years). Results: A total of 7843 females and 8261 males, distributed across age groups (14 years old, 15 years old, 16 years old, and 17 years old), with the numbers 3430, 4445, 4300, and 3929, respectively. Overall, there was a negative correlation between sports participation and feelings of sadness (a symptom of depression) among the subjects. This significant relationship between participating in sports teams and experiencing sadness was dose dependent. Conclusion: Youth with more team sports participation is likely to display lower depression symptoms, and differences in demographic factors such as gender, race, and age are detected. Physical activity research is responsible for attending to social equity issues and fostering inclusiveness, particularly concerning different gender and ethnic groups.

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Keywords

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