Physical activity and psychological well-being of Hungarian athletes and sports professionals: challenges and opportunities in Hungarian sports sector – summary

Abstract

The Part II of this issue of Health Problems of Civilization (4/2022) includes exclusively the works by the team of the researchers from the University of Pécs, Hungary, led by Prof. Pongrác Ács, PhD. The articles deal with the topics related to physical activity and mental well-being of the professional group that includes athletes and sports professionals in Hungary. In this context, the manuscripts also present the challenges and problems that the Hungarian sports sector is currently facing; and at the same time, they describe opportunities for the development of sports in the country. The first article by Derkács et al. aims to analyze the changing exercising frequency, the well-being, the mental health, as well as the social relationships before and during the curfew of the COVID-19 first wave. The data collection was May-June in 2020 via an online questionnaire survey amongst the sportsmen and professionals in the sports sector. The sample was classified into four sectors: elite sportsmen, recreational sportsmen, sports professionals and multiple roles. There was a significant difference at the exercising frequency before and during the curfew between the sectors. The well-being, the mental health and the social relations did not show any significant differences. Regarding physical activity, there were decreases in weekly average in every category. The authors concluded that the curfew of the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the exercising frequency and physical activity amongst the sportsmen and professionals in the sports sector.