Development and Validation of a Subjective Health Status Scale for Collegiate Athletes

Background: Accurate assessment of athletes’ health status is essential for effective nutritional education and condition management. However, existing quality of life instruments do not adequately capture sport-specific health issues experienced by athletes. This study aimed to develop a subjective health status scale for collegiate athletes and examine its reliability and validity. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 432 collegiate athletes from two private universities in Tokyo, Japan. Six health-related items concerning gastrointestinal, skin, fatigue, and recovery conditions were developed based on semi-structured interviews with athletes and coaches. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to determine the factor structure, followed by assessments of internal consistency and associations with training satisfaction. Results: Two factors were identified: “Gastrointestinal/Skin condition” and “Fatigue Recovery/Reduction”. Both subscales demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.76 for each) and were positively correlated with training satisfaction (r = 0.44–0.55, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that both factors significantly predicted training satisfaction (adjusted R2 = 0.35, p < 0.001), with “Fatigue Recovery/Reduction” showing a stronger predictive effect (β = 0.45). Conclusions: The newly developed scale demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity and may provide a practical, non-invasive tool for monitoring athlete health and evaluating nutritional education and condition management programs.