Levels of physical activity, psychological wellbeing, and health related quality of life among Pakistani female Basketball players

Abstract

Abstract Background: Competitive sports like basketball, football, and tennis are considered the most effective to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression levels. On the other hand, competitive players exhibit a more significant quality of life than non-players. Objective: This study aimed to determine the levels of physical activity, psychological wellbeing, and health-related quality of life in female basketball players in Pakistan. Material and Methods: 121 Pakistani female basketball players participated in this cross-sectional study. Personal information forms, International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short-Form 7 (IPAQ SF 7), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) were used as data collection tools. Univariate statistical analysis was performed to identify the prevalence of each variable individually using the SPSS 21 version. Results: Out of 121 female participants, 65 were engaged in vigorous physical activity (VPA); 48 were satisfying the criteria for moderate physical activity (MPA), and only 8 females were involved in low physical activity (LPA). Participants had a mean age of 19 years. On the DASS 21 scale, only 3 participants had severe depression; moderate depression was prevalent only in 6 females; mild depression was common in 46 females while 66 females were normal. Severe anxiety levels were present only among 2 females; 6 females were facing moderate anxiety while 45 had mild anxiety. 0.826% of participants had severe stress; 7.438% of females were dealing with moderate stress while 38.84% were dealing with mild stress. Moreover, participants marked more than average scores in each item of the SF-36 questionnaire indicating a significant quality of life. Conclusion: The majority of female basketball players were highly physically active, and nearly all of them demonstrated excellent psychological well-being and significant health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Though the association is not addressed in this study, however, a considerable amount of literature claims the association of these variables with each other.