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

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Date

2023-12

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Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

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. 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). 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.

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Keywords

Athlete, Health, Infectious disease, Nutrition, Performance

Citation

Taheri, M., Saad, H. B., Washif, J. A., Reynoso-Sánchez, L. F., Mirmoezzi, M., Youzbashi, L., Trabelsi, K., Moshtagh, M., Muñoz-Helú, H., Mataruna-Dos-Santos, L. J., Seghatoleslami, A., Torabi, F., Soylu, Y., Kurt, C., Vancini, R. L., Delkash, S., Rezaei, M. S., Ashouri, M., Tahira, S., . . . Irandoust, K. (2023). 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. Sports Medicine - Open, 9(1), 104. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00653-w

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-023-00653-w
 https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12519/976

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Department of Creative Industries and Entrepreneurship