SPORT PARTICIPATION, SOCIAL MEDIA USE, AND MENTAL HEALTH OF SERBIAN ADOLESCENTS
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Dec 30, 2025
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Lidija Marković
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2068-8442
Višnja Đorđić
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2788-493X
Tatjana Tubić
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3628-4239
Milan Cvetković
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5912-0483
Boris Popović
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5062-2591
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2068-8442
Višnja Đorđić
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2788-493X
Tatjana Tubić
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3628-4239
Milan Cvetković
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5912-0483
Boris Popović
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5062-2591
Abstract
Adolescents today encounter numerous challenges to their physical and mental well-being, particularly due to insufficient physical activity and intensive social media use. The aim of this study was to examine differences between students who engage in sports and those who do not. Indicators included self-rated health, life satisfaction, frequency of psychosomatic complaints, and the risk of social media use. The sample consisted of 1,761 students (843 males) from the 5th and 7th grades. About 72% participated in organized sports, and over half had been active for more than three years. Overall, 61% rated their health as excellent and 31% as very good, while 70% reported high life satisfaction. The most common psychosomatic complaints were nervousness (56%), irritability (43%), and sleep problems (35%). YouTube was the most frequently used platform (90%), followed by Viber, TikTok, and Snapchat. Regarding problematic social media use, 39% were at moderate risk, and 55% were not at risk. Compared to their non-athletic peers, student-athletes demonstrated better self-rated health, higher life satisfaction, fewer psychosomatic symptoms, and a lower likelihood of problematic social media use.
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Keywords
self-rated health, life satisfaction, health complaints, primary school children, social media use
References
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2. Bell, S. L., Audrey, S., Gunnell, D., Cooper, A., & Campbell, R. (2019). The relationship between physical activity, mental wellbeing and symptoms of mental health disorder in adolescents: A cohort study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 16, 138. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-019-0901-7
3. Boelens, M., Smit, M. S., Raat, H., Bramer, W. M., & Jansen, W. (2021). Impact of organized activities on mental health in children and adolescents: An umbrella review. Preventive Medicine Reports, 25, 101687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101687
4. Canadian Paediatric Society, Digital Health Task Force. (2019). Digital media: Promoting healthy screen use in school-aged children and adolescents. Paediatrics & Child Health, 24(6), 402–408. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxz095
5. Cosma, A., Abdrakhmanova, S., Taut, D., Schrijvers, K., Catunda, C., & Schnohr, C. (2021). A focus on adolescent mental health and wellbeing in Europe, central Asia and Canada. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children international report from the, 2022.
6. Guddal, M. H., Stensland, S. Ø., Småstuen, M. C., Johnsen, M. B., Zwart, J. A., & Storheim, K. (2019). Physical activity and sport participation among adolescents: Associations with mental health in different age groups. BMJ Open, 9(9), e028555. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-028555
7. Hoffmann, M. D., Barnes, J. D., Tremblay, M. S., & Guerrero, M. D. (2022). Associations between organized sport participation and mental health difficulties: Data from over 11,000 U.S. children and adolescents. PLoS ONE, 17(6), e0268583. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268583
8. Ho, F. K. W., Louie, L. H. T., Chow, C. B., Wong, W. H. S., & Ip, P. (2015). Physical activity improves mental health through resilience in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents. BMC Pediatrics, 15, 48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-015-0365-0
9. Jewett, R., Sabiston, C. M., Brunet, J., O'Loughlin, E. K., Scarapicchia, T., & O'Loughlin, J. (2014). School sport participation during adolescence and mental health in early adulthood. Journal of Adolescent Health, 55(5), 640–644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2014.04.018
10. Lema-Gómez, L., Arango-Paternina, C. M., Eusse-López, C., Petro, J., López-Sánchez, M., Watts-Fernández, W., & Perea-Velásquez, F. (2021). Family aspects, physical fitness, and physical activity associated with mental health indicators in adolescents. BMC Public Health, 21, 2324. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-12403-2
11. Murray, R. M., Sabiston, C. M., Doré, I., Bélanger, M., & O'Loughlin, J. L. (2021). Association between pattern of team sport participation from adolescence to young adulthood and mental health. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 31(7), 1481–1488. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13957
12. Rodriguez-Ayllon, M., Cadenas-Sánchez, C., Estévez-López, F., Muñoz, N. E., Mora-Gonzalez, J., Migueles, J. H., ... & Esteban-Cornejo, I. (2019). Role of physical activity and sedentary behavior in the mental health of preschoolers, children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 49(9), 1383-1410. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01099-5
13. Twenge, J. M., Haidt, J., Blake, A. B., McAllister, C., Lemon, H., & Le Roy, A. (2021). Worldwide increases in adolescent loneliness. Journal of Adolescence, 93, 257–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.06.006
14. Upenieks, L., Ryan, B., & Knoester, C. (2025). Better to have played than not played? Childhood sport participation, dropout frequencies and reasons, and mental health in adulthood. Sociology of Sport Journal, 42(1), 87–100. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2023-0165
15. Wiklund, C. A., Ekblom, M. M., Wang, R., & Ekblom, Ö. (2025). Associations between physical activity and symptoms of mental health disorders in adolescence: Evidence from the longitudinal Swedish twin register. Journal of Adolescent Health, 76(3), 370–378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.10.017
16. World Health Organization. (2019). Global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030: more active people for a healthier world. World Health Organization.
17. World Health Organization. (2022). Global status report on physical activity 2022: country profiles. World Health Organization.
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Marković, L., Đorđić, V., Tubić, T., Cvetković, M., & Popović, B. (2025). SPORT PARTICIPATION, SOCIAL MEDIA USE, AND MENTAL HEALTH OF SERBIAN ADOLESCENTS. Physical Education and Sport Through The Centuries, 13(1), 37–46. Retrieved from https://phedss.fsfv-pr.rs/index.php/phedss/article/view/65
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