Sport Club Participation and Health-Related Outcomes in College Students: Comparisons by Sex and Academic Classification

Abstract

Using the theory of student involvement, the purpose of this study was to compare sport club participation and health-related outcomes, as well as the association between these two variables by sex and academic classification among college students. Participants were 127 sport club members recruited from a university in the southwestern United States. MANOVA analyses indicated that males reported more recreation center visits, greater sport club satisfaction, and lower subjective vitality than females; freshmen reported more recreation center visits and higher grade point averages (GPAs) than nonfreshmen. Canonical correlation analyses revealed that sport club satisfaction was positively related to GPA and subjective vitality, and sport club memberships were positively related to body mass index in the overall sample. Group differences were found in the direction and magnitude of these relationships. Thus, campus recreation professionals should consider sex and freshman status of sport club participants to target their diverse needs for optimal health-related outcomes.