Quality of life in young Romanian athletes

Abstract

Quality of life means different things to different people, according, also, to the area of application. The aim of the research was to capture the quality of life experienced by young athletes, according to gender, sport performance, and related to the type of sport practiced. 116 athletes participated in the research, practicing individual and team sports. Starting from the Quality of Life Inventory developed by Michael B. Frisch, fifteen life domains were measured. After applying the t test for independent samples, no gender-related differences were observed in terms of perceived quality of life. However, athletes practicing individual sports were significantly more satisfied by their work and creativity (manifested in daily activities), and, also, regarding love and children (as life domains), compared to athletes practicing team sports. Using one-way analysis of variance, the experienced life quality according to the practiced type of sport (football, other team sports, striking combat sports, respectively other individual sports) was examined. Furthermore, data analysis emphasized that athletes with international results express significantly higher levels of satisfaction regarding their self-esteem in life domains such as love and children, compared to athletes who attain local or regional performances. Additionally, they exhibit significantly greater satisfaction with their creativity in daily activities but express less satisfaction with their community, compared to athletes achieving national-level sports results. The findings provide important data to coaches, multi-disciplinary team members and parents on the areas of quality of life that athletes are currently more or less satisfied with. In-depth interviews with athletes are necessary to better understand the differences observed.