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- Title
Comparative Study of the Long-Term Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Nutritional Practices Among International Elite and Sub-Elite Athletes: A Sample of 1420 Participants from 14 Countries.
- Authors
Taheri, Morteza; Saad, Helmi Ben; Washif, Jad Adrian; Reynoso-Sánchez, Luis Felipe; Mirmoezzi, Masoud; Youzbashi, Leila; Trabelsi, Khaled; Moshtagh, Mozhgan; Muñoz-Helú, Hussein; Mataruna-Dos-Santos, Leonardo Jose; Seghatoleslami, Ali; Torabi, Farnaz; Soylu, Yusuf; Kurt, Cem; Vancini, Rodrigo Luiz; Delkash, Shabnam; Rezaei, Marjan Sadat; Ashouri, Mahdi; Tahira, Shazia; Sayyah, Mansour
- Abstract
Background: Although several studies have shown that the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown has had negative impacts on mental health and eating behaviors among the general population and athletes, few studies have examined the long-term effects on elite and sub-elite athletes. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 lockdown on mental health and eating behaviors in elite versus sub-elite athletes two years into the pandemic. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted between March and April 2022, involving athletes from 14 countries, using a convenient non-probabilistic and snowball sampling method. A total of 1420 athletes (24.5 ± 7.9 years old, 569 elites, 35% women, and 851 sub-elites, 45% women) completed an online survey-based questionnaire. The questionnaire included a sociodemographic survey, information about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 Items (DASS-21) for mental health assessment, and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants (REAP-S) for assessing eating behavior. Results: The results showed that compared to sub-elite athletes, elite athletes had lower scores on the DASS-21 (p =.001) and its subscales of depression (p =.003), anxiety (p =.007), and stress (p <.001), as well as a lower REAP-S score indicating lower diet quality (p =.013). Conclusion: In conclusion, two years into the pandemic, elite athletes were likelier to have better mental health profiles than sub-elite athletes but surprisingly had lower diet quality. Key Points: Elite athletes had better mental health profiles compared to sub-elite athletes, with lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Elite athletes reported greater psychological support and perceived themselves as more financially secure during the pandemic than sub-elite athletes do. Elite athletes were more likely to have poor eating habits compared to sub-elite athletes.
- Subjects
COVID-19; FOOD habits; AMATEUR athletes; SOCIAL support; CROSS-sectional method; DIET; COMPARATIVE studies; CRONBACH'S alpha; T-test (Statistics); RESEARCH funding; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; SCALE analysis (Psychology); CHI-squared test; QUESTIONNAIRES; STAY-at-home orders; STATISTICAL sampling; DATA analysis software; COVID-19 pandemic
- Publication
Sports Medicine - Open, 2023, Vol 9, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2199-1170
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1186/s40798-023-00653-w