# Cross-Sectional Associations of Sport Participation, Academic Performance, and Psychological Well-Being Among Rural Romanian Adolescent Boys in the Context of Family Background

## TL;DR

Rural Romanian adolescent boys who participate in sports show better academic performance and life satisfaction but also experience higher depressive symptoms and sleep issues.

## Contribution

This study reveals the dual impact of sports participation on adolescent boys' academic and psychological outcomes in a rural Romanian context.

## Key findings

- Athletes showed significantly higher academic performance and life satisfaction compared to non-athletes.
- Athletes reported higher depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances, suggesting psychological strain.
- Athletes came from more favorable socioeconomic backgrounds compared to non-athletes.

## Abstract

What are the main findings?
Adolescent boys participating in organized sports demonstrated higher academic performance and greater life satisfaction compared to non-athletes, alongside more favorable socioeconomic family backgrounds.At the same time, athletes (particularly those engaged in competitive sports) reported slightly higher depressive symptom levels and more frequent sleep disturbances, indicating concurrent psychological strain.

Adolescent boys participating in organized sports demonstrated higher academic performance and greater life satisfaction compared to non-athletes, alongside more favorable socioeconomic family backgrounds.

At the same time, athletes (particularly those engaged in competitive sports) reported slightly higher depressive symptom levels and more frequent sleep disturbances, indicating concurrent psychological strain.

What is the implication of the main finding?
Organized sports during adolescence should be viewed as a dual-context environment, providing developmental benefits while also carrying potential psychological risks.Educational and youth sport programs may benefit from integrating mental health awareness and supportive coaching strategies, especially for competitively active and socially vulnerable students.

Organized sports during adolescence should be viewed as a dual-context environment, providing developmental benefits while also carrying potential psychological risks.

Educational and youth sport programs may benefit from integrating mental health awareness and supportive coaching strategies, especially for competitively active and socially vulnerable students.

Background: Adolescence is a sensitive period for psychological, academic, and social development, and sports participation has been described as a potential protective factor for academic performance and psychological well-being. However, limited research has examined the combined influence of sports involvement, sport type, and family background on adolescents’ academic and psychological outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the associations between organized sport participation, sport type (football vs. judo), psychological well-being, psychosomatic symptoms, academic performance, and family socioeconomic background among adolescent boys. Methods: The sample consisted of 52 boys aged 11–14 years from a rural school, divided into football players (n = 13), judo athletes (n = 13), non-athletes (n = 13), and a contextual subgroup of students with special educational needs (SEN; n = 13), with the latter included for exploratory purposes only. Data included school-record-based academic performance and validated self-report measures of life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, psychosomatic complaints, perceived physical fitness, and socioeconomic background. Results: Athletes demonstrated significantly higher academic achievement than non-athletes in overall grade point average (p < 0.001), mathematics (p < 0.001), Romanian (p < 0.001), English (p = 0.03), and Hungarian (p < 0.001). They also reported higher life satisfaction (p < 0.001) but simultaneously showed slightly elevated depressive symptom scores (p < 0.001), indicating a paradoxical pattern of concurrent psychosocial benefits and psychological strain. Parental education (p < 0.001), parental occupational status (p = 0.01), and fathers’ occupational position (p = 0.02) were significantly higher among athletes’ families. Perceived physical fitness was also rated higher by athletes (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found in body mass index, family structure, or most psychosomatic symptoms. Conclusions: Sport participation was associated with more favorable academic and psychological indicators, yet also with elevated depressive symptoms, highlighting the dual nature of organized sport during adolescence. Future research should apply longitudinal designs, include female participants, and incorporate objective indicators of training load.