Flinders University study says sporty boys coped better in pandemic

Sporty boys seemed to do better physically and mentally than sporty girls as the pandemic hit, Flinders University says.

Boys involved in team sports during the pandemic reported better physical and mental health than girls who also played sport, new research has found.

Flinders University researchers say the results point to the benefits sport can bring during times of social isolation but also highlight how sporting clubs may need to re-engage female participants now restrictions have eased.

Dr Sam Elliott. Picture: Supplied

Study lead author Dr Sam Elliott from the university’s SHAPE Research Centre said when Covid-19 hit, Australian children were already insufficiently active and the various pandemic restrictions led to a further reduction in sport participation.

“Given what we know about the physical and mental health benefits of sport, it’s important we understand how the general, physical and mental health of youth sport participants was impacted when many competitions were cancelled in the early stages of the Covid pandemic,” he said.

Using data from more than 400 sports players aged 13 to 17 collected during May and June 2020, the authors analysed the link between sport and physical and mental health and wellbeing, alongside other characteristics such as sex, location and type of sport.

The results found boys were significantly more likely to report very good or excellent general health versus girls, with the same found for both physical and mental health.

The data also showed that during lockdowns, those who played individual-only sports or just did physical activity were more likely to report worse or much worse general and physical health, compared to those who played a team sport.

“The overall finding that male youth reported better overall health could be due to a number of factors, including that they were more physically active during lockdowns, or that due to entrenched gender stereotypes, boys were less likely to view themselves in an inferior manner,” Dr Elliott said.

“For girls, their lower scores could be due to female youth more readily relying on strong social support networks for sport participation, physical activity and psychological wellbeing, with restrictions hindering all social catch ups of this nature.”

Communication and the ability to stay connected with peers, even online, was seen as the driving factor for why those who participated in team sports were more likely to report better physical and mental health than those in individual sports.

While the study did not compare those who play sport with those who do not, the authors say it provides useful insights into the differing impacts of the pandemic on male and female players, and team versus individual sports.
“Sports clubs are important for promoting and supporting kids’ health and wellbeing and sport organisations will need to focus on ensuring clubs have the capacity to rebound as the pandemic recedes,” Dr Elliott said.

“Re-engaging girls in sport may be especially important, as will efforts to ensure individual sports don’t suffer from a downturn in participation.”

Danun Manson said his daughter, 12-year-old Amelia, was able to continue to play baseball throughout most of the pandemic.

“Because it was outdoors, there weren’t as many restrictions as there were for indoor sport,” he said.

“I do think it was important … baseball is one of those things where you can sit out the back and hit of a tee, so we did plenty of that when things were quieter.”