Coping with stress and health behaviors in collegiate athletes training in team sports

Background and Study Aim. Coping with stress may influence decisions regarding engagement in health-related behaviors. This, in turn, can affect the well-being and overall functioning of students. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the relationships between stress coping styles and health behaviors among collegiate-level male and female athletes training in team sports. Material and Methods. The study included 99 students of both sexes, aged between 21 and 27 years, who reported a training history ranging from 4 to 20 years. The participants practiced sports including football, basketball, and volleyball. The research instruments used were the Polish adaptation of the CISS (Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations) questionnaire and Juczyński’s Health Behavior Inventory. Statistical analyses were conducted using Statistica v. 13.3. Results. The results indicate differences in the frequency of using stress coping styles and health behaviors between female and male participants. There were also associations between the variables: task-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented coping styles and selected health behaviors. Female collegiate-level athletes were found to use the task-oriented coping style less frequently and the emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented styles more frequently compared to their male counterparts. Moreover, male collegiate-level athletes demonstrated a greater tendency to adhere to proper nutrition habits. The study revealed significant relationships between stress coping styles and health behaviors in both groups of the athletes studied. Conclusions. Conducting research on stress coping styles and health behaviors is highly justified, considering the interrelations observed between these variables. The findings suggest that coping styles are associated with specific patterns of health-related behaviors among collegiate athletes. These results may be useful in developing targeted psychological and educational interventions aimed at promoting adaptive coping strategies and healthier lifestyles in student athlete populations.