Sports participation and anxiety levels, state and traits in adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36453/cefe.2025.35234Keywords:
Adolescent, Anxiety, SportAbstract
BACKGROUND: Sports practice contributes significantly to health, promoting physical and mental well-being. However, little is known about anxiety levels among adolescents who are or are not engaged in sports activities.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess state and trait anxiety levels in adolescents, comparing the results between those who practice sports and those who do not, as well as between boys and girls.
METHODS: Eighty-two adolescents aged between 13 and 15 years participated in the study. Initially, information was collected to characterize the participants, and subsequently, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was applied to assess state and trait anxiety. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare anxiety levels between different groups (sports practitioners vs. non-practitioners), with a significance level set at p<0.05.
RESULTS: Overall, adolescents presented moderate levels of state anxiety (43.9±9.9) and trait anxiety (46.6±10.3). It was observed that adolescents who practiced sports had lower levels of trait anxiety (practitioners 44.4±10.8 vs. non-practitioners 49.1±9.4, p=0.04). When analyzed by sex, girls showed a higher prevalence (75%, n=30) of moderate trait and state anxiety levels, as well as higher trait anxiety (girls 51.8±8.0 vs. boys 41.7±10.0, p<0.01) and state anxiety (girls 48.1±8.3 vs. boys 40.0±9.8, p<0.01).
CONCLUSION: Adolescents who do not practice sports exhibit higher levels of trait anxiety. Additionally, girls show higher levels of both state and trait anxiety, even when engaged in sports activities. Although sports practice may reduce anxiety in adolescents, sex should be considered for a more cautious approach. Therefore, future research is recommended to investigate the impact of different sports on both sexes to support mental health management in adolescents.
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