Examination of the Subjective Assessment of General Physical and Mental Health, Social Relationships, and Exercise Regularity Among Hungarian Football Players and Professionals during the Pandemic

OBJECTIVES: The aim of our research was to examine how the exercise frequency of individuals involved in football as a sport changed during the period of lockdown and how they perceived their overall physical, mental, and social relationships during the pandemic in Hungary.

METHODS: Data collection took place in May-June 2020 through an online questionnaire survey conducted among football associations. The participants' general physical and mental health, as well as their assessment of social relationships, were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods (Pearson correlation, Chi2, Wilcoxon) were employed for data analysis using the SPSS 27.0 software package. Results were considered significant at p<0.05.

RESULTS: The number of participants was 218 (N=218), with 14.68% female and 85.32% male respondents. The average age was 41.38±13.37 years. Regarding residence, 38.53% lived in villages; 11.47% in the capital; 13.76% in county seats, and 36.24% in cities. More than 65% of the participants reported a change in their physical activity compared to the period before the lockdown. There was a significant difference in exercise frequency between the two periods studied (p<0.001). We found a significant correlation between the subjective assessment of overall physical and mental health and social relationships (p≤0.001). Those involved in football rated their general physical health at 3.68±0.85, general mental health at 3.52±0.86, and social relationships at 3.51±1.08 points.

CONCLUSIONS: The introduced lockdown due to the pandemic significantly altered the exercise frequency, overall physical and mental health, and subjective assessment of social relationships among individuals engaged in football (athletes, coaches, sports managers, sports professionals).