Vella Stewart A, Swann Christian, Allen Mark S, Schweickle Matthew J, Magee Christopher A
1Faculty of Social Sciences, Early Start Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA; and 2Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, AUSTRALIA.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017 Apr;49(4):687-694. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001142.
This study aimed to investigate potential bidirectional relationships between sport participation and mental health during early adolescence.
Data were taken from wave 5 (2012) and wave 6 (2014) of the K cohort of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. In total, there were 4023 participants (mean age = 12.41 yr, SD = 0.49 yr, at baseline), and this sample was followed up 24 months later. Cross-lagged panel models were used to examine bidirectional relationships between sport participation (hours per week for team, individual, and total sport participation) and mental health (total psychological difficulties, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems) as measured by the parent-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
Bidirectional relationships were evident between time involved in sport and overall mental health (Sport12→SDQ14: β = -0.048; SDQ12→Sport14: β = -0.062). Bidirectional relationships were also evident between time involved in sport participation and internalizing (social and emotional) problems (Sport12→SDQ14: β = -0.068; SDQ12→Sport14: β = -0.067). The relationship between time in organized sport and externalizing problems (conduct problems and inattention/hyperactivity problems) was not bidirectional. Externalizing problems predicted later sports participation (β = -0.039), but not vice versa.
Findings demonstrate bidirectional relationships between sport participation and adolescent mental health. The design and implementation of youth sport programs should maximize mental health benefits, and programs should be designed, implemented, and marketed to be attractive to participants with poor psychosocial health.
本研究旨在调查青春期早期体育活动参与与心理健康之间潜在的双向关系。
数据取自澳大利亚儿童纵向研究K队列的第5波（2012年）和第6波（2014年）。共有4023名参与者（基线时平均年龄 = 12.41岁，标准差 = 0.49岁），该样本在24个月后进行了随访。采用交叉滞后面板模型来检验体育活动参与（团队、个人和总体育活动参与的每周小时数）与心理健康（由优势与困难问卷家长报告版测量的总心理困扰、内化问题和外化问题）之间的双向关系。
体育活动时间与整体心理健康之间存在明显的双向关系（体育活动12→优势与困难问卷14：β = -0.048；优势与困难问卷12→体育活动14：β = -0.062）。体育活动参与时间与内化（社交和情感）问题之间也存在明显的双向关系（体育活动12→优势与困难问卷14：β = -0.068；优势与困难问卷12→体育活动14：β = -0.067）。有组织体育活动时间与外化问题（行为问题和注意力不集中/多动问题）之间的关系不是双向的。外化问题预测了后期的体育活动参与（β = -0.039），但反之不然。
研究结果表明体育活动参与与青少年心理健康之间存在双向关系。青少年体育项目的设计和实施应最大限度地提高心理健康效益，并且项目的设计、实施和推广应吸引心理社会健康状况不佳的参与者。
