Changes in the Health of Adolescent Athletes: A Comparison of Health Measures Collected Before and During the CoVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

ContextIn the spring of 2020, schools closed to in-person teaching and sports were cancelled to control the transmission of CoVID-19. The changes that took place to the physical and mental health among young athletes during this time remain unknown, however.ObjectiveIdentify changes in the health (mental health, physical activity and quality of life) of athletes that occurred during the CoVID-19 pandemic.DesignCross sectional study.SettingSample recruited via social media.Patients or Other Participants3243 Wisconsin adolescent athletes (age=16.2±1.2 yrs., female=58% female) completed an online survey in May 2020 (DuringCoVID-19). Health measures for this cohort were compared with previously reported data for Wisconsin adolescent athletes (n=5231, age=15.7±1.2, 47% female) collected in 2016–2018 (PreCoVID-19).Main Outcome Measure(s)Demographic information included: sex, grade and sports played. Health assessments included the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item (PHQ-9) to identify depression symptoms, the Pediatric Functional Activity Brief Scale (PFABS) for physical activity, and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (PedsQL) for health related quality of life (HRQoL). Univariable comparisons of these variables between groups were made via t-tests or chi-square tests. Means and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each group were estimated by survey weighted ANOVA models.RESULTSCompared to PreCoVID-19, a larger proportion of the During-CoVID-19 participants reported rates of moderate to severe levels of depression (9.7% vs 32.9%, p<0.001). During-CoVID-19 participants reported 50% lower (worse) PFABS scores (mean:12.2 [95%CI: 11.9, 12.5] vs 24.7 [24.5, 24.9] p<0.001) and lower (worse) PedsQL total scores compared to the PreCoVID-19 participants (78.4 [78.0, 78.8] vs. 90.9 [90.5, 91.3] p<0.001).CONCLUSIONSDuring the CoVID-19 pandemic, adolescent athletes reported increased symptoms of depression, decreased physical activity and decreased quality of life compared to adolescent athletes in previous years.Key pointsAdolescent athletes during CoVID-19 were three times more likely to report moderate to severe symptoms of depression compared to data collected prior to CoVID-19.Adolescent athletes during CoVID-19 reported significantly lower physical activity and quality of life scores compared to high school athletes prior to the CoVID-19 pandemicPost CoVID-19 policies should be implemented to improve the health of adolescent athletes in the US.

High School Sports During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effect of Sport Participation on the Health of Adolescents

“…This seems to suggest that while PLY athletes continue to demonstrate slightly higher levels of depression and anxiety than historical values, the mental health burden among DNP athletes is considerably worse. 7 In fact, the DNP group demonstrates levels of moderate to severe anxiety and depression symptoms similar to those identified in a nationwide sample for adolescent athletes in May 2020 (anxiety = 36.7%, depression = 27.1%). 7 Given the adolescent mental health crisis that existed prior to the onset of COVID-19, and the known mental health benefits of sport participation, this data seems to suggest that adolescent athletes who are unable to return to sports may be at a significantly greater risk for mental health issues.…”

“…This study builds on prior research demonstrating the dramatic changes in physical and mental health following the cancellation of high school sports in the spring of 2020. 6,7 A limitation of the prior studies is the difficulty discerning if the health changes reported were primarily due to the restrictions on sport participation or the result of other factors such as sex, age, socioeconomic status, or the lack of in-person school attendance. After controlling for grade, sex, school instructional delivery method and the % of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch, our findings demonstrate that athletes who did not play interscholastic sports experienced significantly worse symptoms of anxiety and depression, lower levels of physical activity and worse HRQoL compared to athletes who did not play sports in fall 2020.…”

“…6 Another study reported that adolescent athletes in May 2020 reported more mental health symptoms, as well as lower physical activity and HRQoL scores compared to similar samples of adolescent athletes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. 7 During the fall 2020, fourteen states in the US (27%) allowed full fall sport participation, and 30 states (60%) allowed modified sport participation, with the remaining 6 states and the District of Columbia (13%) not allowing any interscholastic athletic participation. 8 In addition, within each state that allowed full or modified participation, individual school districts could O n l i n e F i r s t determine which sports they offered.…”

Perceived Changes in Mood and Anxiety Among Male Youth During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From a Mixed-Methods Study

“…Young adults in other countries are also experiencing the greatest levels of mental distress during this pandemic [3,4]. Adolescents in the US [5,6] and in other countries [7e9] have also experienced deteriorations in mental health, happiness, and life satisfaction.…”

COVID-19 Risk in Youth Club Sports: A Nationwide Sample Representing More Than 200 000 Athletes

“…4,5 Prior research has demonstrated an increase in symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents related to quarantines and lock down orders, 6,7 and it has been suggested that youth athletes may have been particularly negatively affected by the cancelation of school and sports. 8 Physical activity levels in youth athletes have also been affected by the cancelation of youth sports. Recent studies have demonstrated a decrease in physical activity among youth during the pandemic.…”