Regular Sports Participation, Physical Activity, and Effective Communication Skills among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

This cross-sectional study examined whether physical activity, sedentary behav-iour, and regular sports participation were associated with effective communication skills among university students. Participants were 431 students (280 women, 151 men) who completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form and the Effective Communication Skills Scale. Group differences were evaluated using t tests and analyses of variance; Pearson correlations, Spearman sensitivity analyses, and multiple linear regression were conducted. The mean communication score was 120.84 ± 24.89 and mean physical activity was 3782.41 ± 3111.98 MET-min/week. Communication scores did not differ by sex, age group, regular sports participation in unadjusted analysis, or physical activity category. Total physical activity showed a weak negative Pearson correlation with communication (r = −.108, p = .025), but the Spearman result was not significant (ρ = −.095, p = .118); sitting time was unrelated to communication. The re-gression model was not significant (F[8, 422] = 1.73, p = .088, R² = .032). Within that model, non-participation in regular sports (B = −6.61, p = .027) and total physical activity (B = −0.0010, p = .025) had significant coefficients. These findings require caution. The social context of organised sport may matter more than total activity volume, but longitudinal research is needed.