Virginia Research Day 2025

Medical Student Research Public Health

03 Impact of Childhood Competitive Sports Participation on Young Adult’s Mental Wellbeing

Danielle Sullivan, OMS4; Edward Magalhaes, PhD; Divya Rengarajan, DO; Ramu Anandakrishnan, PhD Corresponding author: ddrywa@vcom.edu

Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Virginia Campus

provided information on demographics, team sports participation, mental health status, and ACE scores. Fisher’s Exact Test, Pearson’s Chi-squared test with Yates continuity correction, and Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests were employed to evaluate relationships between sports participation, mental health conditions, and ACE scores. Results: Among respondents, 91% reported participating in organized team sports during childhood. Overall, 38% had been diagnosed with a mental health condition, and 66% either had a formal diagnosis or felt they struggled with mental health issues with no formal diagnosis. Mental health concerns were significantly higher among females (75%) than males (51%) (p=0.0003), although participation rates in team sports were comparable (90% of females and 93% of males). Those who did not participate in youth sports had a higher prevalence of mental health struggles (diagnosed or undiagnosed) (90%) compared to participants (64%, p<0.05). No significant differences in mental health outcomes were found concerning the number of sports played, years of participation, seasons per year, or average sport intensity, although the specific sport may play a role.

Higher ACE scores were strongly associated with both diagnosed and undiagnosed mental health conditions (p<0.002 for diagnosed conditions; p<0.0005 without formal diagnosis). Logistic regression showed that higher ACE scores increased the odds of both a mental health diagnosis and struggles without a diagnosis by 24% and 21%, respectively (p<0.05), as well as suggesting a dose-response relationship. Conclusions: Participation in youth team sports may be associated with reduced mental health struggles in adulthood, particularly among those without a history of ACEs. Findings also confirm that higher ACE scores are associated with increased mental health risks, supporting a dose-response relationship between ACE exposure and mental health diagnoses. Further research is warranted to explore how specific sports characteristics might contribute to these protective effects. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Institutional Review Board deemed project approved, VCOM IRB Record Number: 2023-173.

Context: Anxiety and depression are widely prevalent in adults, with higher rates among young adults aged 18-25, highlighting the importance of identifying mental health protective factors for this population. Previous research indicates that physical activity, particularly team-based sports, may lower the risk of mental health disorders. However, more studies are needed to determine optimal sports characteristics and assess the role of sports in individuals exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Objective: This study aimed to assess whether participation in team sports between ages 8 and 17 is associated with reduced mental health issues in young adults aged 21 to 30, and to determine if specific characteristics of sports participation play a role. Additionally, we sought to explore the impact of sports participation on mental health outcomes in individuals with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Methods: This cross-sectional study used data collected from an anonymous online survey distributed via social media. Participants were made up of 227 young adults aged 21-30 who

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