[ad_1]
New research has linked participation in team sports with a reduced likelihood of anxiety and depression among traumatized adolescents. However, those who have adverse experiences in their childhood are less likely to play sports. ( Keith Johnston | pixabay )
Participation in team sports can reduce the risk of anxiety and depression in people who have suffered trauma as children.
In a new study, researchers badyzed data from 9,668 people who participated in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health in Adults. Participants were badessed from 1994 to 1995, when they were 7 to 12 years old and 14 years later in 2008, as adults.
The purpose of the study published in JAMA Pediatrics is to evaluate the impact of participation in team sports on the mental health of children who have had adverse experiences as children.
Benefits of youth team sports
During the first phase of the study, researchers asked participants if they participated (or planned to participate) in team sports. During the second wave, the researchers asked if the participants had been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. If not, they were tested for the symptoms.
The study found that participation in team sports is badociated with a significant decrease in the risk of developing anxiety and depression in adulthood. The impact is clearer for the boys than for the girls, but Molly Easterlin, pediatrician and first author of the study, explained that the difference could be due to the fact At that time, girls' sport was not as supported and funded as today.
Due to the nature of the study, researchers were unable to determine exactly why adolescents experiencing adverse childhood experiences benefit from team sports. However, Easterlin told NPR that being part of a group could be the key.
"There can be something powerful in this team environment [in sports]where you compete, trained in a certain way and interact with your teammates towards a common goal, "she said.
Why access to sport is important
Amanda Paluch, a postdoctoral researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University, who did not participate in the study, said that young people from low-income families with adverse experiences in their childhood are less likely to likely to have access to team sports.
An Aspen Institute report released in 2018 found that children from families earning less than $ 50,000 a year have reduced their participation in sports activities over the last decade.
The researchers hope that the results will encourage policymakers to strengthen the practice of sport, especially among children at risk of childhood injury.
Ⓒ 2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
[ad_2]
Source link
