The relationship between psychological well-being and loneliness levels of students participating in leisure-time physical activity

Background and Study Aim. There are many studies on the positive effects of leisure-time physical activities on individuals' psychological health. Social and emotional loneliness are among the important factors that negatively affect the psychological well-being of university students. The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between psychological well-being and the level of loneliness among students who engage in leisure-time physical activity. Material and Methods. The study was designed according to the correlational survey model. The study group consisted of university students selected through the convenience sampling method. These students were studying at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Faculty of Sports Sciences (n = 210). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to test the pre-constructed structures of the scales. For the analysis of normally distributed data, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis were applied. Results. Various demographic variables of the students were found to affect their levels of psychological well-being and loneliness. Significant negative correlations were found between psychological well-being and social loneliness (r = –.34; p < .01), as well as between psychological well-being and emotional loneliness–family (r = –.28; p < .01). However, no significant correlation was found between psychological well-being and emotional loneliness–romantic (p > .05). Conclusions. As students’ psychological well-being levels increase, their loneliness levels decrease. University students are recommended to participate in leisure-time physical activities. Programs encouraging participation in such activities should be increased at universities. In this way, students' psychological well-being can be supported, and their loneliness levels can be reduced.