The Impact of Sports Practice on Anxiety and Panic Attack Management: Analysis of Gender Differences
Keywords:
Sport, Wellbeing, Boys and girls, Anxiety, Panic attacksAbstract
Sports practice represents a tool of central importance for promoting physical, psychological, social, and cognitive health. Physical activity is recommended to improve and manage symptoms of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress. This study aims to explore the health and well-being status of boys and girls, examining the relationship between health and sports practice. In particular, we aim to investigate whether there are differences between boys and girls who play sports and those who do not engage in sports, in experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, and in using anxiolytics, tranquilizers and sleeping pills, considering possible gender differences. The instrument used is an online questionnaire (Google Forms) administered to university students (N=678). Responses to the questionnaire were expressed in frequencies (N) and percentages (%). For analyses regarding the relationships between variables, the Chi-Square test was used. Results show that the majority of girls (73.7%) and boys (77.5%) who experienced anxiety and panic attacks in the past year do not attend sports groups. Conversely, girls and boys who engage in sports activities report fewer symptoms of anxiety and panic attacks in the past year. In conclusion, promoting physical activity and increasing awareness of the benefits of sports practice for health is crucial.
References
Altavilla, G. (2023). Health and physical well-being during primary school age. Formazione & insegnamento, 21(1S), 54-62. https://doi.org/10.7346/-feis-XXI-01-23_09
Ashdown-Franks, G., Sabiston, C. M., Solomon-Krakus, S., & O’Loughlin, J. L. (2017). Sport participation in high school and anxiety symptoms in young adulthood. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 12, 19-24. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1016/j.mhpa.2016.12.001
Asher, M., Asnaani, A., & Aderka, I. M. (2017). Gender differences in social anxiety disorder: A review. Clinical psychology review, 56, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.05.004
Babic, M. J., Morgan, P. J., Plotnikoff, R. C., Lonsdale, C., White, R. L., & Lubans, D. R. (2014). Physical activity and physical self-concept in youth: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 44(11), 1589–1601. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-014-0229-z
Bai, J., Wang, Y., Zhang, X. F., Ouyang, Y. F., Zhang, B., Wang, Z. H., . . .Wang, H. J. (2021). Associations of Sedentary Time and Physical Activity with Metabolic Syndrome among Chinese Adults: Results from the China Health and Nutrition Survey. Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, 34(12), 963-975. https://doi.org/10.3967/bes2021.132
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W H Freeman/Times Books/ Henry Holt & Co.
Bennie, J. A., Chau, J. Y., van der Ploeg, H. P., Stamatakis, E., Do, A., & Bauman, A. (2013). The prevalence and correlates of sitting in European adults – a comparison of 32 Eurobarometer-participating countries. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10, 107. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-107
Biddle, S. (2016). Physical activity and mental health: evidence is growing. World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), 15(2), 176–177. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20331
Biddle, S.J., & Asare, M. (2011). Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45(11):886-95. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2011-090185
Bueno-Antequera, J., & Munguía-Izquierdo, D. (2023). Physical Inactivity, Sedentarism, and Low Fitness: A Worldwide Pandemic for Public Health. In Rezaei, N. (eds) Integrated Science of Global Epidemics (pp. 429-447). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Campanino, M. (2021). Il progetto SEARCH. In Campanino, M. (a cura di), Allenarsi alla salute. Strumenti educative per il benessere dei più giovani attraverso lo sport e la nutrizione (p.9-20). IUL Press
Coco, D. (2014). Lo straordinario valore educativo dello sport. Formazione & insegnamento, 12(3), 119-132. https://doi.org/107346/-fei-XII-03-14_11
Consiglio d’Europa – Comitato per lo Sviluppo dello Sport (1992). Carta Europea dello Sport. Retrieved February 28, 2024, from https://www.coni.it/images/documenti/Carta_europea_dello_Sport.pdf
Corbetta, P. (2014). Metodologia e Tecnica della Ricerca Sociale, il Mulino: Bologna.
Craft, L. L., & Perna, F. M. (2004). The Benefits of Exercise for the Clinically Depressed. Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 6(3):104-111. https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.v06n0301
Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic review of the psychological and social benefits of participation in sport for children and adolescents: Informing development of a conceptual model of health through sport. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10(1), 98. https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-10-135
Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., Basak, C., Szabo, A., Chaddock, L., ... & Kramer, A. F. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(7), 3017-3022. https://doi.otg/10.1073/pnas.1015950108
Fletcher, D., & Sarkar, M. (2012). A grounded theory of psychological resilience in Olympic champions. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 13(5), 669–678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2012.04.007
Fox, K. R. (2000). Self-esteem, self-perceptions and exercise. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 31(2), 228–240.
Gianfredi, V., Blandi, L., Cacitti, S., Minelli, M., Signorelli, C., Amerio, A., & Odone, A. (2020). Depression and objectively measured physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(10), 3738. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103738
Gucciardi, D. F., Gordon, S., & Dimmock, J. A. (2008). Towards an understanding of mental toughness in Australian football. Journal of applied sport psychology, 20(3), 261-281. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200801998556
Gupta, S., & McCarthy, P. J. (2022). The sporting resilience model: A systematic review of resilience in sport performers. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1003053. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1003053
Helsen, W. F., Starkes, J. L., & Hodges, N. J. (Eds.). (2016). Skill Acquisition in Sport: Research, Theory and Practice (2nd ed.). Routledge
Herring, M. P., Lindheimer, J. B., & O’Connor, P. J. (2014). The effects of exercise training on anxiety. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 8(6), 388–403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827613508542
Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2298
Hussey, C. & Gupta, A. (2022). Linee guida e raccomandazioni sull’attività fisica nell’UE. In Campanino, M. (a cura di), Allenarsi alla salute. Strumenti educative per il benessere dei più giovani attraverso lo sport e la nutrizione (p.61-76). IUL Press
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (2022). Global health data exchange 2019. University of Washington.
Isidori, E. (2018). La pedagogia dello sport tra corpo e salute. La ricerca, 14, 16-19.
Jaspard, M., Brown, E., Condon, S., Fougeyrollas-Schwebel, D., Houel, A., Lhomond, B., ... & Schiltz, M. A. (2003). Les violences envers les femmes. Une enquête nationale. Paris: La documentation française.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational Researcher, 38(5), 365–379. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X09339057
Katzmarzyk, P. T., Church, T. S., Craig, C. L., & Bouchard, C. (2009). Sitting time and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(5), 998-1005. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181930355
Kuzik, N., Carson, V., Andersen, L. B., Sardinha, L. B., Grøntved, A., Hansen, B. H., ... & van Sluijs, E. (2017). Physical activity and sedentary time associations with metabolic health across weight statuses in children and adolescents. Obesity, 25(10), 1762-1769. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21952
Ludyga, S., Gerber, M., Brand, S., Holsboer-Trachsler, E., & Pühse, U. (2016). Acute effects of moderate aerobic exercise on specific aspects of executive function in different age and fitness groups: A meta-analysis. Psychophysiology, 53(11), 1611-1626. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12736
Necho, M., Tsehay, M., Birkie, M., Biset, G., & Tadesse, E. (2021). Prevalence of anxiety, depression, and psychological distress among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 67(7), 892-906. https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640211003121
Patel, V., Chisholm, D., Parikh, R., Charlson, F. J., Degenhardt, L., Dua, T., ... & Whiteford, H. (2016). Addressing the burden of mental, neurological, and substance use disorders: key messages from Disease Control Priorities. The Lancet, 387(10028), 1672-1685. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00390-6
Pierce, S., Erickson, K., & Sarkar, M. (2020). High school student-athletes’ perceptions and experiences of leadership as a life skill. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 51, 101716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101716
Pierre, J., Collinet, C., Schut, P. O., & Verdot, C. (2022). Physical activity and sedentarism among seniors in France, and their impact on health. Plos one, 17(8): e0272785. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0272785
Salmon, P. (2001). Effects of physical exercise on anxiety, depression, and sensitivity to stress: a unifying theory. Clinical psychology review, 21(1), 33–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0272-7358(99)00032-x
Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., Dumuid, D., Virgara, R., Watson, A., ... & Maher, C. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British journal of sports medicine, 57(18), 1203-1209. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106195
Schuch, F.B., Stubbs, B., Meyer, J., … & Hiles, S.A. (2019). Physical activity protects from incident anxiety: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Depression and Anxiety, 36 (9), 846–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22915
Schuch, F. B., & Vancampfort, D. (2021). Physical activity, exercise, and mental disorders: it is time to move on. Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy, 43(3), 177–184. https://doi.org/10.47626/2237-6089-2021-0237
Segovia, J., Bartlett, R. F., & Edwards, C. (1989). An empirical analysis of the dimensions of health status measures. Social Science & Medicine, 29(6), 761–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(89)90156-1
Stillman, C. M., Cohen, J., Lehman, M. E., & Erickson, K. I. (2016). Mediators of physical activity on neurocognitive function: A review at multiple levels of analysis. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10, 626. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00626
Strohle, A., Graetz, B., Scheel, M., Wittmann, A., Feller, C., Heinz, A., & Dimeo, F. (2010). The acute antipanic and anxiolytic activity of aerobic exercise in patients with panic disorder and healthy control subjects. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 43, 1013–1017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2009.02.004
Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., Firth, J., Cosco, T., Veronese, N., …& Schuch, F. (2017). An examination of the anxiolytic effects of exercise for people with anxiety and stress-related disorders: A meta-analysis. Psychiatry Research, 249, 102–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2016.12.020
Teuber, M., Leyhr, D., & Sudeck, G. (2024). Physical activity improves stress load, recovery, and academic performance-related parameters among university students: a longitudinal study on daily level. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 598. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18082-z
Teychenne, M., Costigan, S. A., & Parker, K. (2015). The association between sedentary behaviour and risk of anxiety: A systematic review. BMC Public Health, 15, 513. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1843-x
Vestberg, T., Gustafson, R., Maurex, L., Ingvar, M., & Petrovic, P. (2012). Executive functions predict the success of top-soccer players. PloS one, 7(4), e34731. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034731
Vos, T., Lim, S. S., Abbafati, C., Abbas, K. M., Abbasi, M., Abbasifard, M., ... & Bhutta, Z. A. (2020). Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet, 396(10258):1204-1222. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30925-9
World Health Organization (2017). Depression and other common mental disorders: global health estimates. Retrieved March 8, 2024, from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/depression-global-health-estimates
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior. Retrieved February 28, 2024, from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Mariachiara Feresin, Federica Bastiani, Elena Bortolotti
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Formazione & insegnamento is distributed under Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
For further details, please refer to our Repository & Archiving Policy, as well as our Copyright & Licensing Terms.
