The Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Perceived Health and Wellbeing of Young Australian Sport and Physical Activity Participants

This study investigated the impact of Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions on perceived health and wellbeing of young Australian sport and physical activity participants. A survey was conducted during the first COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns in Australia (May–June 2020). Health measures were tabulated against five respondent characteristics, including settings and modes of sport and physical activity, and comparisons made with chi-square tests. Findings indicate that male youth were significantly more likely to report better physical (p =.001), general (p =.014), and mental (p ≤.001) health compared to female youth. Individuals involved in both team and individual sport reported significantly better general (p =.022) and physical health (p =.003) compared to those involved in individual only sports or physical activity. While it is unclear if this is dose-related, team-based sport may encourage increased time in physical activity (i.e., dose) or social interactions, or a combination of both factors, which potentially buffers against declining health outcomes due to pandemic restrictions.