Adolescent Sport Participation Research Articles

Sports Participation and Attitudes Toward Race and Ethnicity: A Study of Twelfth-Grade Students in the United States

Drawing on contact, social identity, and self-categorization theories, this study examines the extent to which adolescent sports participation associates with (a) concern about the treatment of minority groups and (b) worry about race relations in the United States. Based on data gathered in the 2016 Monitoring the Future study of twelfth-grade students, the study finds that females, Hispanic study participants, respondents in the West region, and sports participants expressed greater concern about minority treatment. On the second dependent variable, females, Black study participants, and respondents in the West region indicated greater worry about race relations. The study also examined whether attitudes appeared to vary across baseball/softball, basketball, and soccer participation. Baseball/softball participants, who were predominantly White, expressed less concern about minority groups but did not differ from others on attitudes toward race relations. Additionally, while Black adolescents competing in baseball/softball and soccer worried about race relations at relatively high levels, those competing in basketball expressed significantly less concern. Implications and recommendations for future research are provided.

Adolescent Sport Participation and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Sport may protect against symptoms of mental disorders that are increasingly prevalent among adolescents. This systematic review explores the relationship between adolescent organized sport participation and self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. From 9,955 records screened, 29 unique articles were selected that included 61 effect sizes and 122,056 participants. Effects were clustered into four categories based on the operationalization of sport involvement: absence or presence of involvement, frequency of involvement, volume of involvement, and duration of participation. Results from the random-effects meta-analyses indicated that symptoms of anxiety and depression were significantly lower among sport-involved adolescents than in those not involved in sport, although this effect size was small in magnitude. Meta-regression was used to identify how age and sex explained heterogeneity in effects. Although these results do not signify a causal effect, they do support theorizing that sport participation during adolescence may be a protective environment against anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Sport as a vehicle of change for livelihoods, social participation and marital health for the youth: Findings from a prospective cohort in Bihar, India

BackgroundAdolescent participation in pro-social activities such as sport can promote identity formation, self-efficacy and social support, but its benefits in India remain unassessed. We examined longitudinal effects of adolescent sport participation on economic, social and political engagement, marital health and family planning among young adults in India. MethodsWe analyzed prospective data from unmarried adolescents (n = 2,322, ages 15–19) who participated in the Youth in India 2007–8 study (wave 1) and were followed in the UDAYA study 2015–16 (wave 2), in Bihar, India. Sport participation was assessed in wave 1. Outcomes assessed in wave 2 were economic engagement (vocational training, past year paid employment), social group participation, political participation, marriage (any and prior to 18), and among those married, marital violence [MV] and contraceptive use. We used logistic and multinomial models to assess longitudinal associations between sport and our outcomes, adjusting for age, residence and wealth at baseline and secondary schooling completion at follow-up. ResultsIn multivariate models for males, adolescent sport participation was associated with higher odds of vocational training [AOR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.17, 3.15], social program engagement [AOR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.14, 3.15], and a trend effect for political participation [AOR: 1.47, 95% CI: 0.97, 2.24]. Among females, sport in adolescence was associated with lower child marriage [ARRR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.48, 0.96], and higher vocational training [AOR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.16] and family planning use [AOR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.63]. Crude effects were noted for delayed marriage, paid work and perpetration of marital violence among males. InterpretationEvidence from India shows that sport can be an instrument supporting pro-social engagement for boys and girls. Further understanding of the gendered nature of sport and the mechanisms linking sport to agency among youth is needed. FundingThis work was supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Grant number: 2017-66705).

Pain, Sports Participation, and Physical Function in Adolescents With Patellofemoral Pain and Osgood-Schlatter Disease: A Matched Cross-sectional Study

To compare pain, physical activity, quality of life, strength, and knee function in adolescents with patellofemoral pain (PFP) and Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) to those in pain-free controls. Cross-sectional study. Self-report questionnaires were used to describe pain, physical activity, knee function, and quality of life in participants with PFP (n = 151) or OSD (n = 51) and in pain-free controls (n = 50) between 10 and 14 years of age. Hip and knee strength were measured by handheld dynamometry. Physical activity levels were measured using wearable accelerometers. Adolescents were highly active (accumulating greater than 120 minutes of vigorous physical activity per day), with no differences between the OSD, PFP, and control groups. Adolescents with PFP or OSD scored 22 to 56 points lower (P<.001) on the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales compared with controls, with the lowest scores on the "sport and recreation" and "quality of life" subscales. Adolescents with OSD had lower knee extension strength compared to controls (P<.05; effect size, 1.25). Adolescents with PFP had lower hip extension strength compared to controls (P<.05; effect size, 0.73). Adolescents with PFP or OSD had high physical activity levels, despite reporting long-standing knee pain and impaired knee function that impacted on their sports participation and quality of life. Clinicians treating adolescents with PFP or OSD may use these findings to target treatment to the most common deficits to restore sports-related function and sports participation. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2020;50(3):149-157. Epub 6 Jan 2020. doi:10.2519/jospt.2020.8770.

Self-determined motivation, social identification and the mental health of adolescent male team sport participants

This study assessed whether participants’ social identification with their team moderated the association between self-determined motivation and mental health and wellbeing among adolescent male team sports participants. Participants were 383 adolescent male team sports participants. Moderated regression analyses showed that, at average and higher levels of social identification, self-determined motivation was negatively associated with psychological distress. At higher levels of social identification, self-determined motivation was positively associated with wellbeing. At lower levels of social identification, there was no relationship between self-determined motivation and psychological distress or wellbeing. The mental health benefits associated with participation in organized sports may systematically vary according to levels of social identification, with the association magnified among those with higher levels of social identification. Attention to social identification processes in youth sport may be beneficial, and this should be tested using experimental designs. Lay Summary: Self-determined forms of motivation are associated with better mental health outcomes among adolescent male sport participants. These outcomes may be magnified when sport participants strongly identify with their sports teams. Practical implications Self-determined forms of motivation may be the first focus for coaches and sport psychology practitioners. Where self-determination is high, enhancing social identification among sport participants could provide extra benefits for mental health.

Fitness- and appearance-related self-conscious emotions and sport experiences: A prospective longitudinal investigation among adolescent girls

Despite well-documented benefits of sport participation for adolescents, girls are less likely to initiate participation and more likely to disengage from sport, compared to boys. Due to the highly evaluative and social nature of the sport context, girls’ emotional experiences around their body’s abilities, function, and fitness are important – yet understudied – predictors of sport participation. The objectives of this longitudinal study were to describe changes in fitness-related and appearance-related self-conscious emotions (i.e., guilt, shame, authentic pride, hubristic pride) and sport experiences (i.e., sport commitment, enjoyment, anxiety) over time, and examine whether between- and within-person differences in these emotions predict sport experiences during adolescence. A sample of 518 girls involved in organized sport completed questionnaires once a year over a three-year period. Results from multilevel models reveal detrimental changes in emotions, sport commitment and enjoyment over time. Further, fitness-related emotions remain significant predictors of sport experiences above and beyond appearance-related emotions thus highlighting the importance of fitness-related emotions in predicting sport experiences. Examining both between and within-person effects is novel in elucidating the predictive capacity of fitness-related emotions as they explain differences between girls – as well as variations in girls’ sport experiences over time.

Gender comparisons of sport psychological skills profile of adolescent sport participants

The primary aim of this study was to explore gender differences regarding the sport psychological skills (SPS) profile of adolescent sport participants in a South African context. The present study forms part of an extensive five-year longitudinal study, the Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study (PAHL-Study). A crosssectional research design was used to gather quantitative data. Two hundred and eleven (89 boys and 122 girls) grade nine pupils (14 and 15 years of age) participated in the study. The participants completed the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory for Sport (ACSI-28) to determine their SPS profile. The results showed that the boys obtained higher mean scores in seven of the eight measured sport psychological skills. Freedom from worry was the only skill that yielded a statistically significant difference, with the boys (52.06±20.27) obtaining a higher mean value than the girls (46.17±20.56). In conclusion, the current findings indicated that, at this developmental level of competitive sport, boys and girls participants seem to be very similar regarding their sport psychological skills dispositions.Keywords: Adolescents; Gender differences; Participation; Profile; Psychological skills; Sports participants.

Does adolescents like modern sports experiences? A trivial question for a major public health stake

Abstract Background Improving adolescents’ levels of sport and physical activity ‘PA’ is an official public health issue. However, national and European studies showed decline in overall levels of PA of European adolescents. In France, a school-based study showed a decrease in sport participation among adolescents of Marseille and area. Despite of this decline, we do not know whether they have a positive appreciation of modern sports experiences promoted in clubs. In this study, we aimed to measure French adolescents’ athletes retrospective reports of pleasure in these experiences. Methods A previous data collection among a representative sample of adolescents’ students was used (n = 1132). Adolescents were separated into 4 subgroups based on sex (Boys/Girls) and socioeconomic status ‘SES’ (Low/High). The Sport Experiences Questionnaire was used to measure retrospective reports of pleasure in competition, progress and risk-taking experiences. Multivariate linear regressions were performed to show differences between sex, SES and setting of participation (competition/no-competition). Densities diagrams were also presented. Results Among girls and boys, the setting of participation was significantly positively linked to reported pleasure. This effect was greater for competition experiences, respectively 1.45-fold and 1.53-fold increase for competition than no-competition players, for boys and girls. Among girls, high-SES girls presented a lower appreciation of competition experiences than their counterparts with low-SES. This relationship was observed in non-competitive (B=-0.62, p-value=0.016) and competitive (B=-0.70, p-value=0.025) settings. Finally, progress experiences were appreciated by all. Conclusions These results may help to step back traditional instituted sports offer. They would help to develop sports initiatives adapted to adolescents’ tastes. Finally, progress experiences may be gold experiences in sport and should be promoted in all context of participation. Key messages Modern sport experiences are not appreciated by all subgroups of adolescents. Endeavors to improve sport participation of adolescents should adapt contents to adolescents’ tastes. Pleasure in competition and risk-taking are linked to setting of participation and adolescents’ SES. The progress experiences may be the gold standard of sports experiences.

Factors that relate to sport participation of adolescents with a mobility impairment.

BackgroundThere are multiple factors that make it difficult for learners with a mobility impairment to participate in sport, if not impossible. Unfortunately, it is not known which of these factors can be considered as the most important ones.ObjectivesThe main objective was to obtain clarity on the factors that differentiate best between learners who participate in sport and those learners who are not participating.MethodIn total, 140 boys and girls with different types of mobility impairments participated. Information was obtained on inevitable factors such as age and gender, structure factors such as type of school and hostel dwelling and personal factors such as emotions and relationships with parents and peers.ResultsFour factors emerged that explained 22% of the variance in the distinctive characteristics of the group that participates in sport and the non-participating group. Age was the most important variable explaining 9% of the variance followed by trust (an emotional variable), gender and health.ConclusionChildren with a mobility impairment should be encouraged to start participating in sport at an early age. Specific attention should be given to girls who are more reluctant to participate. Health is a factor that can inhibit sports participation; however, it should not be overemphasised. The emphasis should rather be on the development of trust, which will help adolescents with an impairment to take responsible risks in an adaptive sports environment.

A Brief Sports-Based Mental Health Literacy Program for Male Adolescents: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Adolescents are at increased risk of mental illness and prefer to seek help from informal supports. By increasing knowledge and skills, peers may act as gatekeepers to mental health services. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of a brief sports-based mental health literacy program to increase competencies and intentions to both provide and seek help for mental health problems among adolescent male sports participants. A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted with measures taken at 3 time points: baseline (2 weeks prior to intervention), immediately postintervention, and at 1-month follow-up. Adolescents were randomized to either the intervention group (n = 47) or a waitlist control group (n = 55) at a team level (n teams = 9). Participants were 102 male adolescents 12–18 years of age (M = 14.30, SD = 1.75) from a community football club in New South Wales, Australia. A 45-min Help Out a Mate (HOAM) workshop was delivered around a usual team practice session. Compared to the waitlist control, participants in the HOAM condition reported significant increases in knowledge of signs and symptoms of mental illness, intentions to provide help to a friend who may be experiencing a mental health problem, and attitudes that promote problem recognition and help-seeking. There were no between-group differences in confidence to provide help, personal help-seeking intentions, and psychological distress. The results suggest that a brief intervention can be effective at improving the mental health literacy of young men when delivered within a sports context. Lay summary: Compared to a waitlist control, the Help Out a Mate group showed improvements in mental health literacy for depression and anxiety and intentions to provide help along with sustained improvements in attitudes that promote help-seeking and reduce stigma. Personal help-seeking intentions did not change as a result of the program.

Risk of Recurrent Instability After Arthroscopic Stabilization for Shoulder Instability in Adolescent Patients.

Background:With the rise of adolescent sports participation, there has been a concomitant increase in not only the incidence but also the treatment of traumatic shoulder instability. Yet, there have been limited data on the failure rates of arthroscopic shoulder stabilization in this population as well as the potential risk factors.Purpose/Hypothesis:The purpose of this study was to determine the failure rates of adolescent patients who underwent arthroscopic labral reconstruction for traumatic anterior shoulder instability. We hypothesized that adolescent failure rates would be significantly higher than what has been reported in the adult population with regard to recurrent instability after surgical intervention.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:This was a retrospective cohort study performed at a single center. Inclusion criteria consisted of all adolescent-aged patients identified who (1) had traumatic anterior shoulder instability, (2) had radiographic findings consistent with anteroinferior capsulolabral injury, and (3) underwent arthroscopic shoulder stabilization. Patient demographics, clinical presentation, imaging, intraoperative findings, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.Results:A total of 36 patients were identified, with a mean ± SD follow-up of 35.6 ± 13.8 months. The mean patient age at the time of the index procedure was 16.03 ± 1.67 years. All patients underwent arthroscopic shoulder stabilization consisting of arthroscopic Bankart repair. Twelve patients (33.3%) reported either recurrent instability or apprehension, of whom 9 (25.0%) developed recurrent dislocation/subluxation at a mean of 20.67 months postoperatively (range, 16-51 months). No single sport was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of redislocation, although a trend was seen toward those with postoperative participation in high-risk sporting activity. Patients who redislocated their shoulders had a higher frequency of a Hill-Sachs lesion on magnetic resonance imaging (89%) compared with those who did not (52%, P = .048). History of multiple preoperative dislocations, presence of bony Bankart pathology, off-track lesions, and number of anchors utilized were not associated with postoperative dislocation/subluxation.Conclusion:This study demonstrates that adolescent patients treated with arthroscopic shoulder stabilization have a high rate of recurrent instability. The adolescent population may benefit from other stabilization strategies and/or activity modification. Further studies are necessary to determine the reasons for the high rate of redislocation and to develop strategies for prevention.

Association of Adolescent Sport Participation With Cognition and Depressive Symptoms in Early Adulthood.

Background:Recent studies have associated sport-related concussion with depression and impaired cognitive ability later in life in former professional football players. However, population studies with two 1950s-era cohorts did not find an association between high school football participation and impaired cognition or depressive symptoms in late adulthood.Purpose/Hypothesis:This study assessed whether actual/intended participation in contact sports during adolescence had an adverse effect on participants’ cognition or depressive symptoms in early adulthood. We hypothesized that there would not be an association.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.Methods:This study used a subsample (n = 10,951) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally (United States) representative prospective cohort study following participants through 4 waves of data collection from 1994 through 2008. Participants were categorized as actual/intended participation in no sports, noncontact sports only, and contact sports. We constructed 6 multivariate and logistic regression models predicting word recall, number recall, modified Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, depression diagnosis, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts at wave IV as a function of sport participation during wave I. Sport participation was treated as a factor with the referent category noncontact sports. This analysis was repeated on a males-only sample (n = 5008). In the males-only analysis, participants were classified as actual/intended participation in no sports, noncontact sports, contact sports other than American football, and American football. The referent category remained noncontact sports.Results:Intention to participate in contact sports was not significantly associated with any of the outcomes in the full-sample analysis. Intention to participate in football was significantly associated with a reduced odds of depression diagnosis in adulthood (odds ratio, 0.70; P = .02) when compared with noncontact sports participation in the males-only sample. Football was not significantly associated with impaired cognitive ability, increased depressive symptoms, or increased suicide ideation.Conclusion:Actual/intended participation in contact sports during adolescence did not adversely affect Add Health participants’ cognition or depressive symptoms in young adulthood.

Are adolescent sports fans more physically active than the sports indifferent? A self-reported questionnaire study.

Physical inactivity in adolescents is a global health problem. Eighty percent of adolescents worldwide do not meet the minimum recommended physical activity. Although many adolescents define themselves as a 'sports fan', the relationships between sports spectatorship and sport participation in adolescents have not yet been investigated. Here, we determine whether there is a relationship between the levels of sports spectatorship and physical activity among adolescents. The Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), Sport Spectator Identification Scale (SSIS) and three questions regarding total screen time spent watching a sports game and other sports-related screen time on weekdays and weekends were given to high school students in two cities in Turkey (Konya and Ankara). After excluding 21 invalid questionnaires, a total of 1100 full and valid questionnaires were returned from the participants (578 females, 522 males). Participants were aged between 13 and 19 (median = 15) years. Female students had lower PAQ-A (median = 2.38, interquartile range (IQR) = 0.99) and SSIS scores (median = 19, IQR = 24) and less total screen time on weekends compared to male students (median PAQ-A = 2.64, IQR = 1.05; median SSIS = 29, IQR = 30) (p < .05). The physical activity level of the students was significantly lower among those at higher grades. A weak positive correlation was found between SSIS scores and PAQ-A scores (r = .28, p < .01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that sex, age and SSIS scores were all significant predictors of PAQ-A scores (p < .001). When comparing female and male adolescents, we found that females scored significantly less in mean physical activity levels, screen time on weekends and sports spectator identification. A positive correlation was observed between sports spectator identification and physical activity levels, both in males and in females. Higher sports spectator identification, being younger and being male were all significant predictors of higher levels of physical activity.

Examining the Effect of Adolescent Sport Participation on Civic Engagement and Orientation in Early Adulthood

In the United States, athletics is a major part of adolescents’ lives during high school. Using longitudinal data on 703 respondents from the Youth Development Study, we examine whether sports participation in adolescence predicts a diverse array of civic behaviors and orientations as young adults. Our study centers on a test of two theories. Socialization theory suggests that sports participation, like other youth activities, will increase the likelihood of prosocial outcomes. In contrast, selection theory predicts that once background factors are considered, the significant effects of youth athletics on civic outcomes will be eliminated. Bivariate models indicate small, statistically significant effects of participation on most outcomes. Multivariate analyses incorporating a range of factors prior to athletic participation tend to support selection theory. The results suggest that most of the bivariate associations are attributable to other factors that influence who participates in athletics during adolescence.

Sports participation is inversely associated with C-reactive protein levels in adolescents: ABCD Growth Study.

To analyze the relationship between sports participation and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in adolescents and to identify the possible role of mediation developed by trunk fatness (TF). Cross-sectional design, part of the longitudinal study entitled "Analysis of Behaviors of Children During Growth" (ABCD Growth Study), Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil. The sample comprised 259 adolescents (14.7±2.1 [182 boys and 77 girls]) stratified according to sex and engagement in sports in agreement with the inclusion criteria: absence of any known diseases; previous engagement in sports for at least 12months (≥300minutes weekly); no regular engagement in sports in the previous 12months (non-regular sports participation or <300min/wk); written parental consent and adolescents' assent both signed. Engagement in sports was self-reported. CRP levels were used to assess the inflammatory status. TF was estimated by a densitometer scanner. Age, biological maturation, HOMA-IR, and blood pressure were treated as covariates. There was no mediation effect of TF in the association of any indicators of sports practice and CRP. However, a direct effect of sports was observed on CRP levels when considering previous months of engagement, frequency, and volume of sports for boys and also previous months of engagement in sports for girls. Previous sports participation and the amount of engagement in sports per week (≥300min/wk) presented an inverse relationship with CRP levels; however, trunk fatness did not mediate this process.

OVERUSE INJURY RISK INCREASES WITH YEAR-ROUND SPORT PARTICIPATION IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AGED ATHLETES

BACKGROUND: Retrospective studies of high school aged athletes have demonstrated that participating in one sport for more than 8 months of the year is a risk factor for overuse musculoskeletal injuries. This research has driven the recommendation that suggests youth athletes should not play a single organized sport for more than 8 months out of the year. However, these recommendations have never been prospectively examined in middle school aged athletes. The purpose of this study is to determine if year-round participation, operationally defined as participating in one sport for more than 8 months of the year, is associated with increased risk of overuse injuries in middle school aged athletes. METHODS: A total of 281 children (female N= 113, 40.2%, age= 12.1±1.2 years; range 10-14 years of age) completed an anonymous online survey with their parents for 39 weeks. A baseline survey was conducted in the first week of September 2017 and then weekly surveys were completed until June 2018. The baseline survey consisted of demographic information, previous injury history, and sport participation volume (months per year in primary sport). The weekly surveys asked participants to report their sleep habits, musculoskeletal injuries, and illnesses. Parents and children were asked to complete the surveys together. Participants were included in the analysis if they completed at least 80% of the total surveys. In the baseline survey, participants identified the previous months for which they played their primary sport. Those who marked more than 8 months out of the past 12 months were classified as “year-round participants.” Logistic regression was used to determine if year-round participation (&gt;8 months/year) was a significant predictor of overuse musculoskeletal injuries during the study period. A second logistic regression model was created using the participant’s total reported months participating in a single sport as a predictor of overuse injuries. RESULTS: 80 (28.5%) participants were identified as participating year-round in a single sport and 49 overuse injuries were reported during the study period. Athletes who participated in a single sport year-round were more than twice as likely to sustain an overuse injury during the study period compared to non-year-round athletes (OR [95%CI]: 2.20[1.10-4.39], p=0.025), even after adjusting for sex, age, and previous injury history. The odds of sustaining an overuse injury increased approximately 17% for every additional month of participating in a single sport (OR [95%CI]: 1.17 [1.04 -1.32], p=0.012) again while controlling for sex, age, and previous injury. CONCLUSION: This is the first prospective study in middle school aged athletes examining year-round participation and overuse musculoskeletal injuries. Middle school aged athletes are at a 2-times increased risk of overuse musculoskeletal injuries when participating in a single sport for more than 8 months of the year compared to middle school aged athletes who participated 8 or less months in a single sport. Sport specialization has been identified as a risk factor for high school aged athletes for overuse injury – and our observations indicate that a similar trend may exist in middle school aged athletes. Recommendations regarding monthly sport participation for adolescents have been supported in the high school aged population and these recommendations may extend to an even younger population.

Perceived Stress Level and Sports Participation in Deaf Adolescents and Young Adults

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of sports participation on perceived stress level in deaf adolescents and young adults. A total of 110 deaf people aged between 14 and 25 years participated in the study. The Turkish version of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) was used to assess perceived stress level of the participants. The scale is a 5-item Likert scale and 10-item scale. The scores of PSS-10 consist of 0-40.44 (40.0%) of the participants were female and 66 (60.0%) were male. The mean age of female participants were 16,66 ± 1,36 years and male participants were 17,74 ± 1,65 years. Of the participants, 85 (77.3%) had antenatal and 25 (22.7%) had post-partum hearing impairment. Of the participants, 67 (60.9%) did participate sports and 43 (39.1%) did not participate in sports. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of sex, hearing disability level and having congenital or acquired disability (p&gt; 0.05). The total score of PSS of the athletes were 22,33 ± 6,33 and the total score of the non-athletes were 26,74 ± 3,46. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups (p &lt;0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was found in terms of gender, the grades of hearing disability, and having congenital or acquired disability (p&gt; 0.05). The results of our study showed that the perceived stress levels of deaf adolescents and young adults who participate in sports were lower than compared who did not participate in sports. This study demonstrated sports participation might recommend to adolescents and young adults with hearing impairment for reducing stress.

Social inequality and sport in Germany – a multidimensional and intersectional perspective

In this article, we stress that class plays an important role in life choices, lifestyles and access to valuable resources and that it thus also matters for adolescent sport participation. However, as structures of social inequalities have become more complex and as sport cultures have diversified, multidimensional and intersectional approaches are needed to uncover and discuss class patterns in different settings of sport participation. Based on a nationally representative panel study from Germany (the GSOEP), the article, therefore, explores which class-based factors contribute to or hinder adolescent participation in sports clubs, extracurricular sport activities at schools and commercial sport settings, and it compares the relevance and interdependence of these factors with further dimensions of social inequality and socialising contexts. The empirical findings underline that (a) class should be seen as a strong influencing factor for sport participation but that (b) further factors, such as gender, migration background and parental sport activity, play an equally important role. In-depth analysis points to (c) the importance of intersectional perspectives, as it shows that education is able to buffer the effects of migration background and gender in some, but not all, settings. Lastly, our data shows that (d) sports clubs are more exclusive than extracurricular sport activities at schools and commercial sport settings.

Adolescent Sports Participation and Parent Perceptions of Resilience: A Comparative Study

Adolescents encounter a variety of challenges and risk factors that can result in adversity or unsafe behaviors often associated with mental health problems. However, the attribute of resilience can potentially buffer the effects of such risk factors. Sports participation, a form of activity available to a large number of adolescents through school and community programs, may foster resilience. This study compared the resilience levels of adolescents who participated in sports (n = 214) with the resilience levels of peers not participating in sports (n = 62), as reported by parents. Structural equation modeling was used to answer the research questions. Adolescents who participated in youth sports had significantly higher levels of parent-reported resilience (self-regulation/responsibility, social competence, and empathy) than adolescents who did not participate. High school sports predicted higher self-regulation/responsibility, while sports sponsored by recreation facilities predicted greater empathy and social competence. Finally, results demonstrated a positive relationship between the number of sports played and increased resilience scores. Implications and limitations of this study are included. Subscribe to TPE

Contribution of Organized Sport Participation to Health-Related Fitness in Adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between organized sport (OS) participation and health-related fitness (HRF) in adolescents. A total of 320 adolescents (176 boys) aged between 10 and 16 years reported their engagement in OS and were assessed on 5 components of HRF (cardiovascular endurance, push-ups, curl-ups, flexibility, and body mass index). Data on OS participation frequency and duration were collected through a self-reported questionnaire. Adolescents were stratified by OS participation (engaged, n = 113; nonengaged, n = 220; 55% boys). Nonparametric quantile regression models were used to estimate the differences in HRF by participation group. Less than 30% of the participants reported they were regularly engaged in OS. Frequency of participation ranged from 2 to 5 days per week (median = 2; SD = 3), and duration of participation ranged from 45 to 180 minutes per week (median = 81.7; SD = 32.4). Adolescents who participated in OS displayed better cardiovascular endurance (+4.1 laps completed), with no statistically significant difference detected on any other HRF component. Our results highlight engagement in OS as a promising strategy for achieving cardiovascular endurance. Engagement in OS alone does not seem to be sufficient to enhance fitness components other than cardiovascular endurance.