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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 M
Saad HB
Washif JA
Reynoso-Sánchez LF
Mirmoezzi M
Youzbashi L
Trabelsi K
Moshtagh M
Muñoz-Helú H
Mataruna-Dos-Santos LJ
Seghatoleslami A
Torabi F
Soylu Y
Kurt C
Vancini RL
Delkash S
Rezaei MS
Ashouri M
Tahira S
Sayyah M
Chtourou H
Dergaa I
Strahler J
Guimarães-Mataruna AF
Lebaron TW
Ezdini ES
Alizade A
Zouhal H
Tarnava AT
Clark C
Bigdeli N
Ammar A
Eken Ö
Ayed KB
Bragazzi NL
Nobari H
Thuany M
Weiss K
Knechtle B
Irandoust K
Source :
Sports medicine - open [Sports Med Open] 2023 Nov 08; Vol. 9 (1), pp. 104. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Nov 08.
Publication Year :
2023

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.<br />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).<br />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.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2199-1170
Volume :
9
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Sports medicine - open
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
37938473
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00653-w