Associations between physical activity, mental health concerns, eating disorder symptoms, and emotional intelligence in adolescent athletes transitioning from COVID-19

ConclusionsParticipants in the Pre-Contemplation group (not intending to make behavioral changes within the next 6  months) had less mental health, higher eating pathology, and lower emotional intelligence, compared to participants who were in the Preparation group (intending to make behavioral changes within the next 1 month). Similarly, participants in the Preparation group had less mental health, higher eat ing pathology, and lower emotional intelligence, compared to participants who were in the Action group (has made specific, overt behavioral changes within the preceding 6 months). Overall, the findings from the current study highlight the need for sports professionals working with adolescent athlet es transitioning from COVID-19 to monitor these aspects of mental, eating, and emotional health. Given that those in earlier motivation stages had more health concerns compared to those in later stages, professionals should encourage progression from the Pre-Contemplation to Action/Maintenance stage in order to improve health outcomes.
Source: Journal of Eating Disorders - Category: Eating Disorders & Weight Management Source Type: research