Running on empty: a longitudinal global study of psychological well-being among runners during the COVID-19 pandemic

TY - JOUR

T1 - Running on empty

T2 - a longitudinal global study of psychological well-being among runners during the COVID-19 pandemic

AU - Vistisen, Helene Tilma

AU - Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar

AU - Dinesen, Peter Thisted

AU - Brund, René Børge Korsgaard

AU - Nielsen, Rasmus Østergaard

AU - Østergaard, Søren Dinesen

N1 - MJ.

PY - 2022/9/2

Y1 - 2022/9/2

N2 - Objectives There are indications that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound negative effect on psychological well-being. Here, we investigated this hypothesis using longitudinal data from a large global cohort of runners, providing unprecedented leverage for understanding how the temporal development in the pandemic pressure relates to well-being across countries. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Global. Participants We used data from the worldwide Garmin-RUNSAFE cohort that recruited runners with a Garmin Connect account, which is used for storing running activities tracked by a Garmin device. A total of 7808 Garmin Connect users from 86 countries participated. Primary and secondary outcome measures From 1 August 2019 (prepandemic) to 31 December 2020, participants completed surveys every second week that included the five-item WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Pandemic pressure was proxied by the number of COVID-19-related deaths per country, retrieved from the Coronavirus Resource Centre at Johns Hopkins University. Panel data regression including individual- and time-fixed effects was used to study the association between country-level COVID-19-related deaths over the past 14 days and individual-level self-reported well-being over the past 14 days. Results The 7808 participants completed a total of 125 409 WHO-5 records over the study period. We found a statistically significant inverse relationship between the number of COVID-19-related deaths and the level of psychological well-being - independent of running activity and running injuries (a reduction of 1.42 WHO-5 points per COVID-19-related death per 10 000 individuals, p<0.001). Conclusions This study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the psychological well-being of the affected populations, which is concerning from a global mental health perspective.

AB - Objectives There are indications that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound negative effect on psychological well-being. Here, we investigated this hypothesis using longitudinal data from a large global cohort of runners, providing unprecedented leverage for understanding how the temporal development in the pandemic pressure relates to well-being across countries. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Global. Participants We used data from the worldwide Garmin-RUNSAFE cohort that recruited runners with a Garmin Connect account, which is used for storing running activities tracked by a Garmin device. A total of 7808 Garmin Connect users from 86 countries participated. Primary and secondary outcome measures From 1 August 2019 (prepandemic) to 31 December 2020, participants completed surveys every second week that included the five-item WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5). Pandemic pressure was proxied by the number of COVID-19-related deaths per country, retrieved from the Coronavirus Resource Centre at Johns Hopkins University. Panel data regression including individual- and time-fixed effects was used to study the association between country-level COVID-19-related deaths over the past 14 days and individual-level self-reported well-being over the past 14 days. Results The 7808 participants completed a total of 125 409 WHO-5 records over the study period. We found a statistically significant inverse relationship between the number of COVID-19-related deaths and the level of psychological well-being - independent of running activity and running injuries (a reduction of 1.42 WHO-5 points per COVID-19-related death per 10 000 individuals, p<0.001). Conclusions This study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative effect on the psychological well-being of the affected populations, which is concerning from a global mental health perspective.

KW - COVID-19/epidemiology

KW - Humans

KW - Longitudinal Studies

KW - Pandemics

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Universities

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85139085472&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063455

DO - 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063455

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36194449

SN - 2044-6055

VL - 12

JO - BMJ Open

JF - BMJ Open

IS - 9

M1 - e063455

ER -