A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport

Abstract

BackgroundThere are specific guidelines regarding the level of physical activity (PA) required to provide health benefits. However, the research underpinning these PA guidelines does not address the element of social health. Furthermore, there is insufficient evidence about the levels or types of PA associated specifically with psychological health. This paper first presents the results of a systematic review of the psychological and social health benefits of participation in sport by children and adolescents. Secondly, the information arising from the systematic review has been used to develop a conceptual model.MethodsA systematic review of 14 electronic databases was conducted in June 2012, and studies published since 1990 were considered for inclusion. Studies that addressed mental and/or social health benefits from participation in sport were included.ResultsA total of 3668 publications were initially identified, of which 30 met the selection criteria. There were many different psychological and social health benefits reported, with the most commonly being improved self-esteem, social interaction followed by fewer depressive symptoms. Sport may be associated with improved psychosocial health above and beyond improvements attributable to participation in PA. Specifically, team sport seems to be associated with improved health outcomes compared to individual activities, due to the social nature of the participation. A conceptual model, Health through Sport, is proposed. The model depicts the relationship between psychological, psychosocial and social health domains, and their positive associations with sport participation, as reported in the literature. However, it is acknowledged that the capacity to determine the existence and direction of causal links between participation and health is limited by the fact that the majority of studies identified (n=21) were cross-sectional.ConclusionIt is recommended that community sport participation is advocated as a form of leisure time PA for children and adolescents, in an effort to not only improve physical health in relation to such matters as the obesity crisis, but also to enhance psychological and social health outcomes. It is also recommended that the causal link between participation in sport and psychosocial health be further investigated and the conceptual model of Health through Sport tested.

“Football is a boys’ game”: children’s perceptions about barriers for physical activity during recess time

“…Physical activity during childhood has been associated with physical, psychological and social benefits (Eime, Young, Harvey, Charity, & Payne, 2010; Janssen & Leblanc, 2010). There is substantive evidence suggesting that children engaged in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity on most days of the week have health benefits that might be sustained through adolescence and into adulthood (Currie et al, 2012; Janssen & Leblanc, 2010; Reilly & Kelly, 2011).…”

A Systematic Review of Life Skill Development Through Sports Programs Serving Socially Vulnerable Youth

“…Their review, in which no distinction was made between socially vulnerable and nonvulnerable youth, included many studies that showed a positive relationship between sports participation and emotional life skills. Examples of emotional outcomes that were found to be associated with sports participation but that were not assessed in the studies in this current review are reduced suicidality, reduced mental illness, and increased life satisfaction (Eime et al, 2013). There may be several possible explanations for the low number of studies in this current review that assessed or reported improvements in emotional life skills.…”

“…It has been argued that positive experiences in sports programs lead to improved emotional life skills, such as increased self-worth or reduced depressive symptoms (Eime, Young, Harvey, Charity, & Payne, 2013). A suggested mechanism for the development of cognitive life skills is the goal-setting behavior required in the sports setting, which gives young people the opportunity to hone their cognitive skills (Jonker, Elferink-Gemser, & Visscher, 2011).…”

“…In a systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents, Eime et al (2013) found that improved self-esteem, social interaction, and fewer depressive symptoms were the most commonly reported psychological and social benefits of sports participation. However, the possibility of generalizing their findings to socially vulnerable youth is limited, because their overview did not distinguish between socially vulnerable and nonvulnerable youth.…”

“The individual at the centre” – a grounded theory explaining how sport clubs retain young adults

“…Furthermore, sport clubs have been found to provide additional benefits that are not obtained in other leisure-time exercises (Eime, Young, Harvey, Charity, & Payne, 2013). Despite these potential advantages, not all participants experience sports positively.…”