Children’s Feelings of Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction: Relationship to Measures of Physical Fitness and Activity

Abstract

Approximately 600 elementary school children (Grades 1-6) completed a loneliness rating scale and several fitness tests. Children who scored within low, average, and high ranges on the loneliness scale were compared to determine whether there were differences in levels of reported performance on fitness tests. ANCOVA tests revealed that lonely children were less physically fit and physically active than were those who were not lonely. Grade-specific analyses revealed that the relationship between levels of loneliness and physical fitness/physical activity appears to be most profound at the third- and fourth-grade levels. The results from this study suggest that lonely children may lack the social and/or physical skills necessary to effectively interact and function in group settings (physical activity is often a social activity for children). This could potentially perpetuate a cycle of poor social interaction, rejection or withdrawal, reduced physical activity, and reduced physical fitness.

Development of a cohesion inventory for children's sport teams.

“…Finally, research in the area of child sport has consistently emphasized the importance of social factors for children's enjoyment, adherence, feelings of self-worth, and competence (e.g., Page, Frey, Talbert, & Falk, 1992;. The CSCQ enables researchers to quantify the degree to which children perceive the social (and task) bonds within their sport teams.…”

Loneliness predicts reduced physical activity: Cross-sectional & longitudinal analyses.

“…A cross-sectional study of loneliness in 1,289 Australian adults between 18 and 89 years of age revealed that those in the lonely group were more likely than those in the nonlonely group to be smokers and overweight, and were less likely to believe that walking was a desirable way to lose weight (Lauder, Mummery, Jones, & Caperchione, 2006), although the groups did not differ in the proportion classified as sedentary. Page, Frey, Talbert, & Falk (1992, Page & Hammermeister, 1995; Page & Tucker, 1994), on the other hand, found that loneliness was associated with lower levels of physical activity among grade school (Grades 1–6), high school (Grades 9–12), and college age students. In the current study, we examine the degree to which loneliness predicts physical activity cross-sectionally and prospectively in a population-based sample of middle-age adults.…”

Sport Participation and Loneliness in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Perceived Social Competence

“…With respect to positive outcomes, sport and physical activity involvement have been linked to higher level of psychological well-being (Callaghan 2004;Fox 1999;Saxena et al 2005) and lower level of psychological distress (Calfas and Taylor 1994;Tomson et al 2003). The few studies that have examined the link between physical activity and/or sport participation and loneliness generally report an inverse relationship (Page et al 1992;Page and Page 1994;Page and Zarco 2001;Poulsen et al 2008;Taliaferro et al 2010).…”

“…Larson et al 2006). Sport activities that foster affiliation, good peer relations, and friendship opportunities (Fletcher et al 2003) may be seen as favorable in the development of social self-perception (Harter 1999) and reduced feelings of loneliness (Page et al 1992). Hence, opportunities of positive social relationships with peers may be reflected in satisfaction in the social domain of life, whereas the opposite may lead to feelings of loneliness and negatively impact social development (Hymel et al 1990;Parker and Asher 1987).…”