Wang Lin, Zhang Tianle, Huang Weihao, Gou Leyuan, Zhong Ming, Liu Qiaohan, Liu Yihao
Sports Department, Guilin University of Electronic Science and Technology, Guilin, China.
Sport and Health Science, Faculty of Life & Environmental, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
SAGE Open Med. 2024 Jun 17;12:20503121241258736. doi: 10.1177/20503121241258736. eCollection 2024.
Anxiety symptoms are widely observed among the youth, and engagement in sports has been demonstrated to mitigate these symptoms. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of specific sports and the potential moderating role of psychological factors, such as self-esteem and self-efficacy, on the influence of sports on anxiety, remains to be elucidated. This study was designed to longitudinally assess the impact of sports participation on anxiety symptoms among young individuals.
The study encompassed 163 university students, with a male predominance of 81.6%, and explored the influence of sport-related factors (such as mastery of table tennis skills, level and engagement) and psychological aspects (including self-efficacy, self-esteem and resilience) on anxiety symptoms, employing an 8-month longitudinal approach. Physical activity, sedentary and sleep behaviour, along with age, body mass index (BMI), and sex, were accounted for as confounding variables.
The study found that high table tennis performance score was found to buffer the development of anxiety symptoms in students with decreased self-esteem in an exploratory moderation model. Self-esteem and self-efficacy were negatively associated with the development of anxiety symptoms, whereas physical activity factors did not have a direct effect.
This study highlights the potential of table tennis as a form of sport to alleviate anxiety symptoms in university students, particularly among those with decreased self-esteem. Future research should address the study's limitations and explore the potential moderating effects of other psychological factors. Overall, these findings suggest a potential new approach to treating anxiety symptoms among university students.
焦虑症状在青少年中广泛存在，而参与体育运动已被证明可减轻这些症状。尽管如此，特定运动的有效性以及诸如自尊和自我效能感等心理因素对运动对焦虑影响的潜在调节作用仍有待阐明。本研究旨在纵向评估运动参与对年轻人焦虑症状的影响。
该研究涵盖163名大学生，男性占比81.6%，采用为期8个月的纵向研究方法，探讨与运动相关的因素（如乒乓球技能掌握程度、水平和参与度）以及心理因素（包括自我效能感、自尊和心理韧性）对焦虑症状的影响。将身体活动、久坐行为和睡眠行为以及年龄、体重指数（BMI）和性别作为混杂变量进行考虑。
在一个探索性调节模型中发现，乒乓球表现得分高可缓冲自尊水平下降学生焦虑症状的发展。自尊和自我效能感与焦虑症状的发展呈负相关，而身体活动因素没有直接影响。
本研究强调了乒乓球作为一种运动形式在减轻大学生焦虑症状方面的潜力，特别是在那些自尊水平下降的学生中。未来的研究应解决本研究的局限性，并探索其他心理因素的潜在调节作用。总体而言，这些发现提示了一种治疗大学生焦虑症状的潜在新方法。
