Is presenteeism behavior a predictor of physical and psychological health and performance in high school and college athletes? A longitudinal study

Student-athletes prioritize athletic activities over physical and psychological well-being, important social events, and personal commitments such as weddings, funerals, academic studies, and certification exams. Against this background, this study defines presenteeism among athletes as “participating in practice despite having physical or psychological issues and engaging in a practice without taking part in desired social activities.” Building upon previous research, we investigated whether presenteeism behavior predicts the physical and psychological health, as well as the subjective performance, of student athletes. A three-time-point longitudinal survey was conducted with 156 high school and university athletes in Japan’s Kanto region. Structural equation modeling using a cross-lagged model revealed that presenteeism behavior at Time 1 positively predicted somatic symptoms and burnout at Time 2. Subsequently, the somatic symptoms predicted performance decline at Time 3; the indirect effects indicate that presenteeism behaviors contribute to performance decline through somatic symptoms. Furthermore, somatic symptoms and performance decline showed a cyclical relationship; presenteeism behaviors may initiate a spiral of somatic symptoms and performance decline. Moving forward, identifying athletes who exhibit presenteeism behavior and implementing targeted interventions to address their physical symptoms will be crucial. Such support may help mitigate the negative effects of presenteeism and ultimately enhance athletic performance.