%0 Journal Article
%T Sport and Physical Activity Level Impacts Health
%A Bryan Heiderscheit
%A Jen Sanfilippo
%A John Scerpella
%A Liga Blyholder
%A Roc¨ªo S. Norman
%A Stephanie A. Kliethermes
%A Timothy A. McGuine
%A Traci R. Snedden
%J American Journal of Health Promotion
%@ 2168-6602
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0890117118817715
%X To examine and compare the role of self-assessed sport and physical activity involvement on the health-related quality of life among undergraduate student-athletes and general undergraduate college students. Cross-sectional survey. Data set was examined for differences in physical and mental health by self-assessed sport and physical activity level. Large Midwestern University in the fall of 2016. A combined data set representing undergraduate Division I student athletes (n = 842) and general undergraduate students (n = 1322). Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12), as measure of health-related quality of life, comprised of physical component score (PCS) and mental component score (MCS). Self-assessed sport and physical activity level categorized as Division I athlete, club athlete, intramural player, student who works out regularly, or student who is physically inactive. Standard univariable statistics described the study population. Two-sample t tests and ¦Ö2 tests were conducted, as appropriate, to compare Division I student-athletes to the general undergraduate group. Multivariable linear regression models were then built to assess associations between physical activity level and year in school with VR-12 outcomes, after adjusting for sex. All pairwise interactions were considered for inclusion in the final models. Adjusted least-square means were calculated for all variables in the model; pairwise comparisons were adjusted for multiple comparisons via Tukey-Kramer adjustment criteria. A linear test for trend was also conducted for the association between VR-12 MCS and increasing physical activity. Significant differences in MCS were noted between levels of sport and physical activity; however, such differences were not detected in PCS. After controlling for sex, a positive relationship between increased sport and physical activity level and greater MCS was found. This study represents the first prospective assessment of health-related quality of life among undergraduate athletes and general college students. Higher levels of sport and physical activity were associated with more positive mental health in these populations
%K VR-12
%K well-being
%K physical activity
%K mental health
%K college students
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0890117118817715