Association of self-reported health problems and interpersonal violence in sport: a cross-sectional study in world-level performing athletes

Objectives A paucity of studies assesses the intersection of physical health (injury and illness), mental health and experiences of interpersonal violence (IV, also known as harassment and abuse) in sport. The objectives of this study were to examine the (a) frequency of self-reported physical and mental health problems of elite athletes in the 12 months prior to the survey, (b) differences in physical and mental health between male and female athletes and (c) relationship of athlete health with experiences of IV. Methods Elite adult athletes from four sports were approached at eight international events to answer an online questionnaire on their physical and mental health, as well as experiences of IV in sport within the past 12 months. Results A total of 562 athletes completed the questionnaire. Overall, 75% reported at least one physical symptom, most commonly headache and fatigue (n=188; 33.5% each), followed by musculoskeletal symptoms (n=169; 29.4%). 65.1% reported at least one mental health symptom, mostly of anxiety or depression. More female than male athletes reported physical (F:81.9%; M:68.3%; p<0.001) and mental (F:71.9%; M:58.4%; p<0.001) health problems, while addiction problems were more frequent in male athletes (F:1.8%; M:6.4%; p=0.006. 53.0% of the female and 42.3% of the male participants reported having experienced at least one form of IV. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that all forms of IV, except physical IV (all p’s<0.001), were associated with an increasing number of physical and mental health symptoms. In addition, the analysis showed that female athletes had a higher increase in symptoms in response to IV than male athletes. Conclusions This study demonstrates the relationship of elite athlete physical and mental health with IV. Injury and illness prevention programmes in international sport should include strategies to reduce IV.