Xinxin Sheng1
Xinli Chi
Huiying Fan- 1School of Physical Education, Changzhou University, Changzhou, China
- 2School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- 3School of Physical Education, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- 4School of Physical Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
Aim: This research sought to identify the association between sports participation and resilience in children and adolescents as a means to enhance mental health.
Methods: A comprehensive survey was carried out, encompassing primary, middle, and high school students from chosen educational institutions. The analytical sample comprised 67,281 students of school age. Sports participation and resilience were evaluated using validated assessment tools, while relevant covariates, such as sex and school grade, were assessed through self-reported questionnaires. Generalized Linear Models were applied to ascertain the association between sports participation and resilience for the entire sample, and separately for subgroups divided by gender or school grade, after controlling for covariates.
Results: Among the 67,281 school students, males constituted 51.9% of the sample. Approximately 47.1% of the entire sample reported no sports participation, and the average resilience score was 24.7. The regression model analysis revealed that, in the entire sample, increased in sports participation was linked to higher resilience scores (odds ratio [OR] for 1–3 times per month: 1.20, 95%CI: 1.16–1.24; OR for 1–2 times per week: 1.38, 95%CI: 1.33–1.43; OR for 3 times or more per week: 1.72, 95%CI: 1.65–1.79). Analyses stratified by gender and school grade indicated that sports participation was consistently associated with greater resilience.
Conclusion: This study provides cross-sectional evidence supporting the positive association between sports participation and the resilience of children and adolescents, underscoring the potential of encouraging sports participation as a strategy for promoting mental health resilience. The findings presented herein should be subject to further confirmation or refutation in future research endeavors.
1 Introduction
Mental health issues among school-attending students are a subject of growing public concern due to their elevated prevalence. Despite children and adolescents having a lower likelihood of experiencing clinical mental disorders when compared to adults, recent studies have shown that mental health problems [e.g., depression (Wermelinger Ávila et al., 2018), mental well-being (Moore et al., 2020), affective disorders (Deng et al., 2023), etc.] are prevalent among school-attending students in a number of countries. Meanwhile, it is paramount not to overlook their mental well-being, given that almost 50% of psychiatric illnesses manifest prior to turning 18 (Solmi et al., 2022). Reinforcing the resilience of adolescents plays a crucial part in averting unfavorable mental health outcomes and promoting sustained well-being. Resilience refers to a person’s ability to successfully adjust to hardship in this context (She et al., 2020). Resilience is needed to cope with a wide range of adversities, from everyday distress to major life events (Fletcher and Sarkar, 2013). Research has indicated that adolescents with higher resilience levels exhibit reduced chances of developing emotional and behavioral issues (Chen and Kuo, 2019; Xiao et al., 2020). For example, adolescents with higher levels of resilience typically have higher levels of subjective well-being, life satisfaction (Moreira et al., 2021) and less suicidal behaviors (Sánchez-Teruel and Robles-Bello, 2014). Therefore, it is imperative to foster factors that can enhance the resilience of school-attending students.
Individual resilience is affected by a multitude of factors, including as genetic, biological, psychological, cultural and social aspects (Iacoviello and Charney, 2014; Niitsu et al., 2019). Among these factors, physical activity, as a modifiable element, has demonstrated promising associations with the mental health outcomes of adolescents. A growing corpus of data substantiates the significance of physical activity in fortifying resilience and, consequently, its positive impact on mental health (Ho et al., 2015; Belcher et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2022). For instance, a study involving Hong Kong Chinese adolescents revealed a strong link found between physical activity levels and adolescents’ resilience. Furthermore, resilience was found to mediate the connection among mental health and physical activity (Ho et al., 2015). The findings of a meta-analysis supported the significant beneficial impacts of treatments including physical activity related to schooling on resilience (Andermo et al., 2020). Researchers have postulated that physical activity may enhance resilience by strengthening specific brain regions and neural circuits, as indicated by existing neuroimaging studies (Belcher et al., 2021). Consequently, physical activity has been established as advantageous for enhancing youngsters’ and adolescents’ mental health, contributing to the development of their resilience and other positive components that collectively constitute overall well-being.
Notably, prior research has demonstrated that distinct forms of physical activity may exhibit varying associations with mental health outcomes (Fong Yan et al., 2017; Koch et al., 2020). Sports participation, as a subcategory of physical activity, typically involves high physical exertion, competitive intentions, and well-defined rules (Koch et al., 2020). In contrast to physical activity in a broad context, sports participation often includes more significant social interaction and social support, potentially leading to more pronounced connections with mental health outcomes (Easterlin et al., 2019; Guddal et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2021). For example, an inquiry into adolescents with hearing impairments uncovered a stronger link between sports participation and a decreased likelihood of adverse psychosocial consequences (e.g., depression and anxiety) in comparison to participation in general physical activities (DeLuca and Rupp, 2022). These emerging findings emphasize the importance of understanding the connection between resilience and sports participation in children and adolescents, as well as more general physical activities.
Nevertheless, limited knowledge exists with respect to the relationship between resilience and sports participation. Considering that sports participation represents a form of physical activity aligned with the school context and can be easily implemented within groups of students, it becomes imperative to clarify the connection between adolescents’ in sports participation and their ability to cope with pressure. Furthermore, research has shown variations in levels of sports participation (Heradstveit et al., 2020) and resilience concerning age/grade and gender (Toftegaard-Støckel et al., 2011; She et al., 2020). For example, boys’ sport participation is typically higher than girls’, and sport participation decreases with grade level (Denham, 2014). Resilience is higher among girls than boys in primary schools, but this difference decreases with grade (Sun and Stewart, 2012). Although understudied, the association between sport participation and resilience may also vary by gender and grade stage. The association between sport participation and resilience may also be affected by gender and grade, making it necessary to study school-attending students of gender and grade.
Although understudied, the association between in sports participation and resilience may also potentially differ based on gender and developmental stages.
In light of the aforementioned background, with the help of a large sample of Chinese adolescents, this research intended to examine the association between sports participation and resilience. Our hypothesis posited that increased sports participation would be linked to improved resilience. Additionally, we explored whether the association between resilience and sports participation fluctuates based on school grade and gender. The findings would bear significance in the design of physical activity-based intervention programs aimed at bolstering the students’ resilience in China.
2 Techniques
2.1 Procedure and participants
In March 2021, an extensive survey was carried out in Shenzhen, one of China’s most developed cities. The study focused on students enrolled at nearby elementary and secondary public schools. The questionnaire employed an approach to sampling in two stages, involving the selection of specific survey areas and the identification of particular schools within these chosen areas. The study included students from primary, middle, and high school levels among the chosen schools.
This research encompassed students across primary, middle, and high school levels within specific educational institutions. The survey was aimed at adolescents aged 10 years and above, starting from the 5th grade. This age group was chosen due to their well-developed cognitive abilities, which ensured the smooth conduct of the survey. It is worth noting that students in the 8th and 11th grades were deeply engrossed in intensive preparations for senior high school and college entrance examination, leading to tightly packed schedules. Consequently, their participation in this extensive survey was limited.
Prior to the commencement of this investigation, comprehensive information was meticulously provided to all participants as well as their legal guardians, outlining the precise objective and substance of the questionnaire. It was emphasized that all participation was optional, and the information gathered would be used for research purposes only to rigorous anonymization protocols. To facilitate the survey process, dedicated homeroom teachers guided willing students in completing the online questionnaire independently within the confines of a computer room, with the average duration of participation spanning approximately 20 min. The survey was meticulously conducted through the utilization of a prominent Chinese survey platform, known as “Wenjuanxing.”
In alignment with ethical standards and compliance with pertinent regulations, the guardian consent of all the participants had been obtained before the survey began. After the guardian’s consent, the staff distributed the e-questionnaire to the respondents through an online format, an electronic informed consent form was prominently displayed to participants prior to their access to the survey page. Only those who willingly provided consent by clicking the “Agree” button were permitted to proceed to the subsequent answering phase. Electronic consent was obtained from all participants on the platform online. It is imperative to note that our questionnaire was painstakingly designed to fully conform to all applicable regulatory frameworks and had received official clearance from Shenzhen University’s Research Committee (Approval Number: 2020005). The comprehensive response dataset ultimately consisted of inputs from total of 78,428 students. Following the initial phase of data collection, a thorough data cleaning procedure was undertaken. This process entailed the exclusion of participant data with recorded response times falling below the minimum threshold of 300 s, resulting in the retention of dataset comprising 67,281 samples.
2.2 Measurements
2.2.1 Sport Participation
The frequency of sports participation was ascertained through a singular survey item, wherein respondents were inquired: “To what extent have you engaged in sports teams or sports clubs over the course of the past year?” Participants were given the prerogative to select from a range of specified response choices, including “Never,” “1–3 times per month,” “1–2 times per week,” or 3 or more times per week” (She et al., 2020).
2.2.2 Resilience
Resilience was evaluated using the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10). The scale comprises 10 items with 5 response options (0 = never, 4 = almost always). Greater resilience was indicated by a higher overall score. The CD-RISC-10 is a well-developed instrument for assessing resilience that has been validated in adolescent populations (Wollny and Jacobs, 2023; López-Fernández et al., 2024), and there is also evidence demonstrating the validation in Chinese adolescents (Chen et al., 2022).
2.2.3 Controlling variables
Additional information was collected via self-administered questionnaires encompassing various demographic and background factors. These factors included gender (categorized as boy or girl), school grade (categorized as primary, middle, or high school), self-reported height and weight (in centimeters and kilograms), sibling status (categorized as whether an only kid or not), family structure (categorized as having both parents or a single parent), parental education level (categorized as middle school or below, high school or its equivalent, bachelor’s degree or higher, master’s degree or above, or not sure), ethnicity (categorized as Han or belonging to a minority group), family socioeconomic status (assessed utilizing the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status, modified, which employs a scale ranging from 0 to 10) (Cundiff et al., 2013), geographic district (with a total of nine districts), and school attended (with a total of 135 schools).
Furthermore, age- and gender-specific weight status, as determined by the body mass index (BMI), was calculated using norm reference data for China (Zhu et al., 2019). Participants were stratified into one of three categories: normal weight, overweight, or obese.
2.3 Statistical analysis
The finally analytical sample was 67,281. All statistical analyses were carried out with STATA BE 17.0 (College Station, Texas, USA). The sample characteristics were reported using descriptive statistics. A three-level mixed multilevel effect model (level 3: district; level 2: school; level 1: individual; such layers were based on sampling strategy) was used to assess the associations of sports participation with resilience after controlling for all the covariates mentioned above. To achieve the analysis, meglm was used, ‘never participate in sports’ and ‘the lowest level in the measure of resilience’ was treated as reference group in the regression model analysis, respectively. Analysis for the whole sample and sample by sex and school grade were performed, separately. Results are presented as a 95% confidence interval (CI) and odds ratio (OR). For statistical significance, a p-value of less than 0.05 was used.
3 Results
This study encompassed 67,281 children and adolescents, with an average age of 13.0 ± 1.8 years (see Table 1). From the participants in the research, 48.1% were female, and 96.6% belonged to the Han ethnic group. The distribution of students was as follows: 41.6% in primary school, 40.3% in middle school, and 18.1% in high school. Notably, the overweight percentage was 13.5, and 18.4% were classified as obese, while the majority of adolescents, 68.1%, had a normal weight. 25.8% of the attendees reported having no siblings, and 93.4% of the adolescents had a two-parent family structure. The average subjective family socioeconomic status score was 5.0 ± 1.7. In terms of paternal education levels, 21.7% had completed education up to high school or below, 27.0% had attained education equivalent to high school, 38.7% held a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, and 4.2% had achieved a master’s degree or higher. For maternal education levels, 26.2% had completed education up to junior high school or below, 27.8% had attained education equivalent to high school, 35.6% held a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, and 2.4% had achieved a master’s degree or higher. With regard to sports participation, 22.4% of adolescents participated in sports 1–3 times per month, 17.5% took part once or twice a week, and 13.0% took part three or more times per week. Unfortunately, 47.1% of the adolescents reported never participating in any sports. The average resilience score was 24.7 ± 8.4.
Table 1. Sample characteristics of study participants in this study.
Table 2 summarizes in the whole sample, there is a correlation between sports participation and resilience and by sex. After controlling for covariates, the study found that greater resilience was positively associated with increased sports participation frequency. Specifically, children and adolescents who participated in sports 1–3 times per month were more likely to do so than those who did not (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16–1.24, p < 0.001), 1–2 times per week (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.33–1.43, p < 0.001), and 3 or more times per week (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.65–1.79, p < 0.001) were more likely to report greater resilience. In boys, sports participation and resilience were also shown to be positively correlated. Boys who participated in sports one to three times per month outnumbered those who did not participate in sports (OR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.07–1.18, p < 0.001), 1–2 times per week (OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.25–1.38, p < 0.001), and 3 or more times per week (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.60–1.80, p < 0.001) were more likely to report greater resilience. A similar association was found in girls. Girls who participated in sports 1–3 times per month (OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.23–1.35, p < 0.001), 1–2 times per week (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.38–1.54, p < 0.001), and 3 or more times per week (OR = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.64–1.87, p < 0.001) were more likely to have greater resilience.
Table 2. Regression models results for association between sports participation and resilience in overall sample and by sex.
Table 3 displays the associations between resilience and sports participation among different grade levels. Due to the differences in sports participation and resilience among adolescents of different ages (Van Tuyckom et al., 2010; Sun and Stewart, 2012), it is necessary to analyze adolescents of different ages separately. In primary school, children and adolescents who participated in sports one to three times a month (OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.10–1.23, p < 0.001), 1–2 times per week (OR = 1.33, 95%CI = 1.26–1.41, p < 0.001), and 3 or more times per week (OR = 1.77, 95%CI = 1.66–1.88, p < 0.001) had a higher likelihood of having greater resilience in contrast to those who did not participate in sports. Similar results were found in middle school students, with those who participated in sports 1–3 times per month (OR = 1.24, 95%CI = 1.17–1.31, p < 0.001), 1–2 times per week (OR = 1.38, 95%CI = 1.30–1.47, p < 0.001), and 3 or more times per week (OR = 1.63, 95%CI = 1.53–1.74, p < 0.001) being more resilient. In high school, adolescents who participated in sports 1–3 times per month (OR = 1.19, 95%CI = 1.11–1.29, p < 0.001), 1–2 times per week (OR = 1.47, 95%CI = 1.34–1.60, p < 0.001), and 3 or more times per week (OR = 1.74, 95%CI = 1.55–1.97, p < 0.001) also showed a positive association with greater resilience.
Table 3. Regression models results for association between sports participation and resilience in sample by grade.
4 Discussion
This study presents a significant association between sports participation and resilience among school-attending students in Shenzhen City, China, while controlling for a wide array of covariates, including factors like sex, grade, and BMI. The key findings can be summarized as follows: The main findings are that: (1) more sports participations were positively associated with higher scores of resilience; (2) the positive association between sports participation and scores of resilience were not varied across sexes and school grades; (3) positive cross-sectional association observed between sports participation and resilience. The following sections are the detailed analysis for research findings.
Some previous research have investigated the association between physical activity and resilience. For instance, data from a study on Hong Kong adolescents revealed a positive association between physical activity and resilience among adolescents, which aligns with our findings (Ho et al., 2015). Additionally, two studies involving adults also reported consistent results, indicating that greater resilience has been associated with greater levels of physical activity (Wermelinger Ávila et al., 2018; Zach et al., 2021). However, given the distinctions between sports participation and general physical activity, caution is necessary when drawing direct comparisons with prior research.
There are some hypothesized biological mechanisms underlying the association between sports participation and resilience, which are both multifactorial and complex. One of the possible mechanisms is that sports participation attenuates/optimizes neuroendocrine and physiological responses to physical and psychosocial stress (Silverman and Deuster, 2014). Regular sports participation leads to physiological “stress training” or “reinforcement.” This protective physiological profile appears to be associated with improved performance in challenging/stressful situations (Nabkasorn et al., 2006), increasing emotional stability and improving immune functioning (Sothmann et al., 1996). Another mechanism by sports participation can confer resilience through minimizing inflammation (Silverman and Deuster, 2014). For example, psychological stress and physical inactivity/low aerobic fitness have been associated with persistent systemic low inflammation and adverse effects on mental and physical health (Hamer, 2007). Pro-inflammatory cytokines can affect virtually every area of pathophysiology associated with depression, including neuroendocrine function, neurotransmitter metabolism, and neuroplasticity, and ultimately resilience (Thomson et al., 2009). Individuals who regularly engage in physical activity have lower concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers compared to inactive individuals (Plaisance and Grandjean, 2006; Hamer, 2007).
One of the pioneering investigations on the association between sports participation and resilience in children and adolescents, to the best of our knowledge, is represented by this study. Leveraging a substantial sample size, our research contributes to the growing reservoir of knowledge in this field. By concentrating on sports participation and its association with resilience, we have enhanced our understanding of the benefits of this specific form of physical activity. While previous literature has explored the link between physical activity or exercise and resilience, most of these investigations focused on the total amount of physical activity or exercise, rather than delving into the effects of specific physical activity modalities. Only a limited body of research, such as a recent intervention study that exclusively involved male adolescents, has addressed the promotion of resilience through sports participation (Vella et al., 2021). The findings from this intervention study corroborate our own, indicating that sports participation is indeed conducive to fostering resilience. Nonetheless, it is imperative to acknowledge the relative scarcity of studies on sports participation and resilience in children and adolescents. Thus, further research is warranted to advance our knowledge in this area. Considering the unique contexts and attributes of sports participation as a specific form of physical activity, future studies should encompass sports participation programs to determine the extent of its impact on promoting resilience among children and adolescents. Several underlying mechanisms concerning physical activity and exercise and their associations with resilience can shed light on the studied link between sports participation and resilience. Sports participation can be viewed as a specific form of physical activity or exercise, and understanding the mechanisms that connect physical activity and resilience can help elucidate why sports participation may contribute to resilience.
Firstly, it is well-established that adequate physical activity promotes physical fitness in children and adolescents (Shomaker et al., 2012; Williams et al., 2016). Elevated levels of physical fitness, coupled with regular physical activity (Biddle and Asare, 2011; Biddle et al., 2019), are known to be significant drivers of improved mental health, potentially enhancing resilience (Belcher et al., 2021). Secondly, from a biological and neurological perspective, participating in physical activity can bolster resilience by enhancing brain self-regulation functions. This enhancement can occur through the exertion of neuroplastic effects on neural circuits associated with self-regulation (Belcher et al., 2021). Nevertheless, these assumptions are primarily based on research regarding physical activity and resilience, which did not take into account the specific contexts in which physical activity occurs, such as sports participation. As sports participation often involves unique contexts (e.g., team sports are associated with social interactions), further research is essential to clarify the actual mechanisms connecting sports participation and resilience, particularly in light of contextual factors. Beyond uncovering the biological mechanisms linking resilience sports participation in children and adolescents, sociological mechanisms also warrant research attention.
This study revealed a positive association between sports participation and resilience in school-attending students, which was consistently observed across genders and school grades. In essence, sports participation exhibited an incremental positive relationship with resilience, suggesting that increased participation in sports leads to higher resilience. This finding is a novel contribution to the literature, and given its novelty, it is challenging to locate comparable evidence to either support or refute our findings. The association between sports participation and resilience in children and adolescents has never been looked at before in our research. Consequently, more studies, especially those utilizing longitudinal or experimental designs, should be conducted to determine whether or not this association can be replicated. If more robust evidence can be accumulated, the association between sports participation and resilience can be integrated into mental health clinical counseling, providing practical applications.
In summary, it is essential to recognize the inherent constraints of this research. First, we are unable to show a cause-and-effect association between the independent and outcome variables due to the cross-sectional design of our research. Secondly, due to the online survey nature of our study, all measures relied on self-reported questionnaires, introducing potential biases related to social desirability and recall. Thirdly, our study solely collected data on the frequency of sports participation, and this limited information might constrain a more comprehensive recognizing the association between children and adolescents’ sports participation and resilience. Fourthly, we have included as many control variables as possible, but there may still be some omitted control variables that could influence the results. Nevertheless, our study benefits from its large sample size and the adjustment for numerous controlling variables. Future research endeavors need to take care of the above identified shortcomings to provide more solid proof, ultimately allowing for the confirmation or negation of our findings.
5 Conclusion
This study contributes valuable evidence on the association between sports participation and resilience, shedding light on the potential of sports participation in promoting resilience among school-attending students. Notably, the positive role of sports participation appears consistent across genders and school grades. The observation of sports participation and resilience have a positive association implies that increasing students’ engagement in sports participation could be a strategic approach to bolster mental health. However, given the study’s limitations, further investigations with enhanced research designs, such as experimental studies, are warranted to validate and extend these research findings.
Data availability statement
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.
Ethics statement
The studies involving humans were approved by Shenzhen University’s Research Committee. The studies were conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. Written informed consent for participation in this study was provided by the participants’ legal guardians/next of kin. Written informed consent was obtained from the minor(s)' legal guardian/next of kin for the publication of any potentially identifiable images or data included in this article.
Author contributions
XS: Formal analysis, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. KXL: Data curation, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. KL: Data curation, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. XC: Data curation, Investigation, Supervision, Writing – review & editing. HF: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Writing – review & editing.
Funding
The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Supplementary material
The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1365310/full#supplementary-material
References
Andermo, S., Hallgren, M., Nguyen, T. T. D., Jonsson, S., Petersen, S., Friberg, M., et al. (2020). School-related physical activity interventions and mental health among children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 6:25. doi: 10.1186/s40798-020-00254-x
Belcher, B. R., Zink, J., Azad, A., Campbell, C. E., Chakravartti, S. P., and Herting, M. M. (2021). The roles of physical activity, exercise, and fitness in promoting resilience during adolescence: effects on mental well-being and brain development. Biol. Psychiatry 6, 225–237. doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.08.005
Biddle, S. J. H., and Asare, M. (2011). Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews. Br. J. Sports Med. 45, 886–895. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185
Biddle, S. J. H., Ciaccioni, S., Thomas, G., and Vergeer, I. (2019). Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: an updated review of reviews and an analysis of causality. Psychol. Sport Exerc. 42, 146–155. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.08.011
Chen, Y.-L., and Kuo, P.-H. (2019). Effects of perceived stress and resilience on suicidal behaviors in early adolescents. Eur. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 29, 861–870. doi: 10.1007/s00787-019-01401-w
Chen, S., Li, X., Yan, J., and Ren, Z. (2021). To be a sportsman? Sport participation is associated with optimal academic achievement in a nationally representative sample of high school students. Front. Public Health 9:730497. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.730497
Chen, W., Liang, Y., Yang, T., Gao, R., and Zhang, G. (2022). Validity and longitudinal invariance of the 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC-10) in Chinese left-behind and non-left-behind children. Psychol. Rep. 125, 2274–2291. doi: 10.1177/00332941211013531
Cundiff, J. M., Smith, T. W., Uchino, B. N., and Berg, C. A. (2013). Subjective social status: construct validity and associations with psychosocial vulnerability and self-rated health. Int. J. Behav. Med. 20, 148–158. doi: 10.1007/s12529-011-9206-1
DeLuca, Z. W., and Rupp, K. (2022). Physical activity, sports participation, and psychosocial health in adolescents with hearing loss. J. Adolesc. Health 71, 635–641. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.05.011
Deng, H., Wen, F., Xu, H., Yang, H., Yan, J., Zheng, Y., et al. (2023). Prevalence of affective disorders in Chinese school-attending children and adolescents aged 6–16 based on a national survey by MINI-kid. J. Affect. Disord. 331, 192–199. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.060
Denham, B. E. (2014). High school sports participation and substance use: differences by sport, race, and gender. J. Child Adolesc. Subst. Abuse 23, 145–154. doi: 10.1080/1067828X.2012.750974
Easterlin, M. C., Chung, P. J., Leng, M., and Dudovitz, R. (2019). Association of Team Sports Participation with Long-term Mental Health Outcomes among Individuals Exposed to adverse childhood experiences. JAMA Pediatr. 173:681. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1212
Fletcher, D., and Sarkar, M. (2013). Psychological resilience. Eur. Psychol. 18, 12–23. doi: 10.1027/1016-9040/a000124
Fong Yan, A., Cobley, S., Chan, C., Pappas, E., Nicholson, L. L., Ward, R. E., et al. (2017). The effectiveness of dance interventions on physical health outcomes compared to other forms of physical activity: a systematic review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 48, 933–951. doi: 10.1007/s40279-017-0853-5
Guddal, M. H., Stensland, S. Ø., Småstuen, M. C., Johnsen, M. B., Zwart, J. A., and Storheim, K. (2019). Physical activity and sport participation among adolescents: associations with mental health in different age groups. Results from the young-HUNT study: a cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open 9:e028555. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028555
Hamer, M. (2007). The relative influences of fitness and fatness on inflammatory factors. Prev. Med. 44, 3–11. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2006.09.005
Heradstveit, O., Hysing, M., Nilsen, S. A., and Bøe, T. (2020). Symptoms of disordered eating and participation in individual- and team sports: a population-based study of adolescents. Eat. Behav. 39:101434. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2020.101434
Ho, F. K. W., Louie, L. H. T., Chow, C. B., Wong, W. H. S., and Ip, P. (2015). Physical activity improves mental health through resilience in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. BMC Pediatr. 15:48. doi: 10.1186/s12887-015-0365-0
Iacoviello, B. M., and Charney, D. S. (2014). Psychosocial facets of resilience: implications for preventing posttrauma psychopathology, treating trauma survivors, and enhancing community resilience. Eur. J. Psychotraumatol. 5:23970. doi: 10.3402/ejpt.v5.23970
Koch, E. D., Tost, H., Braun, U., Gan, G., Giurgiu, M., Reinhard, I., et al. (2020). Relationships between incidental physical activity, exercise, and sports with subsequent mood in adolescents. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports 30, 2234–2250. doi: 10.1111/sms.13774
López-Fernández, F. J., Morales-Hidalgo, P., Canals, J., Marzo, J. C., García-López, L. J., and Piqueras, J. A. (2024). Psychometric properties of the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC) in Spanish adolescents. Span. J. Psychol. 27:e3. doi: 10.1017/SJP.2024.3
Moore, G. F., Anthony, R. E., Hawkins, J., van Godwin, J., Murphy, S., Hewitt, G., et al. (2020). Socioeconomic status, mental wellbeing and transition to secondary school: analysis of the school Health research network/health behaviour in school-aged children survey in Wales. Br. Educ. Res. J. 46, 1111–1130. doi: 10.1002/berj.3616
Moreira, A. L., Yunes, M. Â. M., Nascimento, C. R. R., and Bedin, L. M. (2021). Children’s subjective well-being, peer relationships and resilience: an integrative literature review. Child Indic. Res. 14, 1723–1742. doi: 10.1007/s12187-021-09843-y
Nabkasorn, C., Miyai, N., Sootmongkol, A., Junprasert, S., Yamamoto, H., Arita, M., et al. (2006). Effects of physical exercise on depression, neuroendocrine stress hormones and physiological fitness in adolescent females with depressive symptoms. Eur. J. Pub. Health 16, 179–184. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cki159
Niitsu, K., Rice, M. J., Houfek, J. F., Stoltenberg, S. F., Kupzyk, K. A., and Barron, C. R. (2019). A systematic review of genetic influence on psychological resilience. Biol. Res. Nurs. 21, 61–71. doi: 10.1177/1099800418800396
Plaisance, E. P., and Grandjean, P. W. (2006). Physical activity and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Sports Med. 36, 443–458. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200636050-00006
Sánchez-Teruel, D., and Robles-Bello, M. A. (2014). Protective factors promoting resilience to suicide in young people and adolescents. Psychol. Papers 35, 181–192. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2006.10.012
She, R., Yang, X., Lau, M. M. C., and Lau, J. T. F. (2020). Psychometric properties and normative data of the 10-item Connor–Davidson resilience scale among Chinese adolescent students in Hong Kong. Child Psychiatry Hum. Dev. 51, 925–933. doi: 10.1007/s10578-020-00970-1
Shomaker, L. B., Tanofsky-Kraff, M., Zocca, J. M., Field, S. E., Drinkard, B., and Yanovski, J. A. (2012). Depressive symptoms and cardiorespiratory fitness in obese adolescents. J. Adolesc. Health 50, 87–92. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.05.015
Silverman, M. N., and Deuster, P. A. (2014). Biological mechanisms underlying the role of physical fitness in health and resilience. Interface. Focus 4:20140040. doi: 10.1098/rsfs.2014.0040
Solmi, M., Radua, J., Olivola, M., Croce, E., Soardo, L., Salazar de Pablo, G., et al. (2022). Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies. Mol. Psychiatry 27, 281–295. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01161-7
Sothmann, M. S., Buckworth, J., Claytor, R. P., Cox, R. H., White-Welkley, J. E., and Dishman, R. K. (1996). Exercise training and the cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 24, 267–288. doi: 10.1249/00003677-199600240-00011
Sun, J., and Stewart, D. (2012). Age and gender effects on resilience in children and adolescents. Int. J. Ment. Health Promot. 9, 16–25. doi: 10.1080/14623730.2007.9721845
Thomson, R. L., Buckley, J. D., Moran, L. J., Noakes, M., Clifton, P. M., Norman, R. J., et al. (2009). Comparison of aerobic exercise capacity and muscle strength in overweight women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome. BJOG Int. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. 116, 1242–1250. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02177.x
Toftegaard-Støckel, J., Nielsen, G. A., Ibsen, B., and Andersen, L. B. (2011). Parental, socio and cultural factors associated with adolescents' sports participation in four Danish municipalities. Scand. J. Med. Sci. Sports 21, 606–611. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2010.01093.x
Van Tuyckom, C., Scheerder, J., and Bracke, P. (2010). Gender and age inequalities in regular sports participation: a cross-national study of 25 European countries. J. Sports Sci. 28, 1077–1084. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2010.492229
Vella, S. A., Swann, C., Batterham, M., Boydell, K. M., Eckermann, S., Ferguson, H., et al. (2021). An intervention for mental health literacy and resilience in organized sports. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 53, 139–149. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000002433
Wermelinger Ávila, M. P., Corrêa, J. C., Lucchetti, A. L. G., and Lucchetti, G. (2018). The role of physical activity in the association between resilience and mental health in older adults. J. Aging Phys. Act. 26, 248–253. doi: 10.1123/japa.2016-0332
Williams, S. E., Carroll, D., Veldhuijzen van Zanten, J. J. C. S., and Ginty, A. T. (2016). Anxiety symptom interpretation: a potential mechanism explaining the cardiorespiratory fitness–anxiety relationship. J. Affect. Disord. 193, 151–156. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.051
Wollny, A. I., and Jacobs, I. (2023). Validity and reliability of the German versions of the CD-RISC-10 and CD-RISC-2. Curr. Psychol. 42, 3437–3448. doi: 10.1007/s12144-021-01670-2
Xiao, Y., He, L., Chen, Y., Wang, Y., Chang, W., and Yu, Z. (2020). Depression and deliberate self-harm among Chinese left-behind adolescents: a dual role of resilience. Asian J. Psychiatr. 48:101883. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2019.101883
Zach, S., Fernandez-Rio, J., Zeev, A., Ophir, M., and Eilat-Adar, S. (2021). Physical activity, resilience, emotions, moods, and weight control, during the COVID-19 global crisis. Isr. J. Health Policy Res. 10:1–9. doi: 10.1186/s13584-021-00473-x
Zhang, Z., Wang, T., Kuang, J., Herold, F., Ludyga, S., Li, J., et al. (2022). The roles of exercise tolerance and resilience in the effect of physical activity on emotional states among college students. Int. J. Clin. Health Psychol. 22:100312. doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2022.100312
Zhu, Z., Tang, Y., Zhuang, J., Liu, Y., Wu, X., Cai, Y., et al. (2019). Physical activity, screen viewing time, and overweight/obesity among Chinese children and adolescents: an update from the 2017 physical activity and fitness in China—the youth study. BMC Public Health 19:197. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-6515-9
Keywords: sports participation, resilience, school-attending students, cross-sectional study, association
Citation: Sheng X, Liang K, Li K, Chi X and Fan H (2024) Association between sports participation and resilience in school-attending students: a cross-sectional study. Front. Psychol. 15:1365310. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1365310
Edited by:
Pawel Adam Piepiora, Wroclaw University of Health and Sport Sciences, PolandReviewed by:
Justyna Bagińska, Karkonosze University of Applied Sciences, PolandDorota Pilecka, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poland
Nuno Couto, Polytechnic Institute of Santarém, Portugal
Copyright © 2024 Sheng, Liang, Li, Chi and Fan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Huiying Fan, fanhuiying@shnu.edu.cn