The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perceptions of health, well-being, and college experience in Division III student-athletes

Abstract

Objective: Determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student-athletes. Participants: Participants (n = 238) were Division III student-athletes (18–24yrs) enrolled at a Pennsylvania State University campus during the Fall 2020 semester. Methods: Student-athletes were emailed a link of a 43-question survey which was deployed using Qualtrics®. The survey asked questions about collegiate experience, health, well-being, sport related training, and physical fitness before and during the pandemic. Results: Approximately 94% of student-athletes reported that COVID-19 worsened their college experience. About 52 and 59% of student-athletes believed that COVID-19 had a negative impact on their health and well-being, respectively. Nearly 79% of student-athletes reported that their sport-related training decreased during the pandemic. Over half of participants believed that their physical fitness, endurance, and strength decreased during the pandemic. Conclusion: The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on Division III collegiate student-athletes include a worsened college experience as well as worsened health and well-being.