SELF-PERCEIVED HEALTH AMONG SPORTS PARTICIPANTS AND NON-SPORTS PARTICIPANTS

This paper examines and compares the self-perceived health (SPH) of a sample of sports participants (n=1385) and a matched sample of non-participants (n=292). Ratings of health were generally found to be favourable among both samples, but a non-parametric analysis of their distributions revealed that the SPH of sports participants was significantly (P< 0.0001) better than that of the non-participants. SPH improved with age among both samples, but above the age of 34, the non-participants' perceived health ceased to be inferior to that of participants. Controlling for age and gender revealed no difference in SPH above 24 years among males and 34 years among females. SPH was related to a variety of additional health-related factors. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of SPH for both samples, and highlighted marked differences between them in the type and number of contributory factors. It is suggested that participation in active sports may enhance health awareness, especially among the young, and that future studies of this kind among sports populations should take account of the levels of commitment (frequency, duration and intensity) to sport. © 1990.