Sport and Physical Activity and Subjective Well Being: National Panel Data for the U.S

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between participation in sport and physical activity and feelings of well being. Our previous cross-sectional survey research on this topic (McTeer and Curtis, 1990) is extended through the use of data collected at two points in time from the same respondents in a national sample of Americans. We include social involvement levels, along with other social background factors, as controls in the analyses. We expected to find a positive relationship between sport and physical activity and feelings of well being after controls. We expected this relationship to obtain for analyses for Time 1, for Time 2, and for the relationship of sport and physical activity at Time 1 and well being at Time 2. The analyses are conducted separately for males and females. At Time 1 and Time 2, the results sometimes show a modest positive relationship of sport and physical activity and well being for females and no such relationship for males. In the panel data, there is also some support for the hypothesis that involvement in sport and physical activity leads to feelings of well being for females, but none for the data for males. There were comparatively strong positive relationships of social involvement with well being for both males and females. Interpretations of the results are discussed.