College Sports Participation By Men Is Associated With Long-term Health And Quality Of Life

The physical health and psychosocial benefits of sports participation have been well documented. Many of the studies documenting the impact of sports participation on physical health, psychosocial benefits, and quality of life (QoL) measures have been limited to children or adolescents. PURPOSE: To describe long-term measures of health and QoL in male collegiate alumni. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of male alumni who attended Division III colleges. Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed their participation in collegiate sports and included well-validated measures from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and Neuro-QOL data banks. Participants also answered questions regarding general health and regular habits such as exercise, tobacco use, and alcohol use. RESULTS: 2,029 male alumni completed the questionnaire. Approximately 71% of respondents reported participating in a collegiate sport. Those who participated in sports while in college were less likely to report hypertension (21.62% v. 26.26%; P = 0.03) and hypercholesterolemia (27.66% v. 32.87%; P = 0.02). College sports participants were more likely to report engaging in regular exercise (59.50% v. 50.46%; P = <0.001) and to have a more positive affect (P = 0.01). In contrast to these positive attributes, those who participated in sports while in college reported poorer mobility (P = 0.04) and more frequent alcohol consumption (53.12% v. 47.52%; P = <0.001). CONCLUSION: College sports participation is associated with positive long-term health outcomes including more positive affect and lower likelihood of either hypertension or hypercholesterolemia. Sports participation is also associated with poorer mobility and greater alcohol consumption.