Mindfulness training is associated with improved quality of life in female collegiate athletes.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effects of a mindfulness intervention on health-related quality of life in female Division I collegiate athletes.

Participants: 135 female collegiate athletes, ages 18 - 23 years.

Methods: Health related quality of life (HRQoL) was reported twice/year in approximately January and July from January 2017 to 2020 with the 12-question Veterans Rand survey (VR-12). Twenty-three of the participants received a 6-week, in-person, group mindfulness training in spring 2019, while 112 did not.

Results: A significant interaction between time and mindfulness was identified with respect to the mental component score of the VR-12 of the VR-12 (MCS; β = 3.86 ± 1 .56, p = 0.012) but no significant relationships were identified with respect to time (pre-mindfulness: β = -2.36 ± 1.38, p = 0.074), mindfulness (yes: β = -2.26 ± 1.54, p = 0.14) or season (winter: β = -0.84 ± 0.57, p = 0.14). With respect to the physical component score (PCS), no significant relationships were identified with respect to time (pre-mindfulness: β = -1.09 ± 1.21, p = 0.37), mindfulness (yes: β = 1.30 ± 1.31, p = 0.32), season (winter: β = 0.50 ± 0.50, p = 0.32), or the interaction between time and mindfulness (β = 0.35 ± 1 .36, p = 0.80).

Conclusions: Among female collegiate athletes, mindfulness training is associated with significant improvements in mental HRQoL, but not physical HRQoL.