According to new scientific research, witnessing live athletic events enhances overall well-being and minimizes feelings of loneliness. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, is the first on a big scale to look at the benefits of attending any form of live sports event.
Academics from Anglia Ruskin University’s School of Psychology and Sport Science conducted the study using data from 7,209 adults aged 16 to 85 living in England who took part in the Taking Part Survey, which was commissioned by the British Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.
It discovered that watching live sporting events leads to higher scores on two important subjective wellbeing measures – life satisfaction and a sense of “life being worthwhile” — as well as reduced levels of loneliness.
Ours is the first study to look at the benefits of attending any sporting event across an adult population, and therefore our findings could be useful for shaping future public health strategies, such as offering reduced ticket prices for certain groups.
Dr Helen Keyes
These findings are significant since earlier research has shown that greater life satisfaction scores are linked to fewer life-limiting conditions, improved physical health, good ageing, and lower death rates.
The current study also discovered that watching live sporting events increases people’s perception that “life is worthwhile,” with the magnitude of this boost comparable to that of finding work.
Many initiatives currently promote the benefits of physical participation in sport, but the researchers believe that watching live sporting events can also offer an accessible and effective public health tool for improving wellbeing and reducing loneliness.
Lead author Dr Helen Keyes, Head of the School of Psychology and Sport Science at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: “Previous research has focused on specific sports or small population samples, such as college students in the United States. Ours is the first study to look at the benefits of attending any sporting event across an adult population, and therefore our findings could be useful for shaping future public health strategies, such as offering reduced ticket prices for certain groups.
“The study encompassed a wide range of live events, from free amateur activities like watching local sports teams to Premier League football matches. Further research is needed to see if the benefits are more significant for elite level sports or for supporting a certain team.”
“However, we do know that watching live sports of all types provides numerous possibilities for social interaction, which aids in the formation of group identity and belonging, hence reducing loneliness and increasing well-being.
