The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Perceived Health and Wellbeing of Young Australian Sport and Physical Activity Participants

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions on perceived health and wellbeing of young Australian sport and physical activity participants. A survey was conducted during the first COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns in Australia (May–June 2020). Health measures were tabulated against five respondent characteristics, including settings and modes of sport and physical activity, and comparisons made with chi-square tests. Findings indicate that male youth were significantly more likely to report better physical ( p = .001), general ( p = .014), and mental ( p ≤ .001) health compared to female youth. Individuals involved in both team and individual sport reported significantly better general ( p = .022) and physical health ( p = .003) compared to those involved in individual only sports or physical activity. While it is unclear if this is dose-related, team-based sport may encourage increased time in physical activity (i.e., dose) or social interactions, or a combination of both factors, which potentially buffers against declining health outcomes due to pandemic restrictions.