Running on a high: parkrun and personal well-being

Grunseit, A

Running on a high: parkrun and personal well-being

Grunseit, A

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Publisher:: BioMed Central
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BMC Public Health, 2018, 18, (1), pp. 1-11
Issue Date:: 2018

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Grunseit, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0783-4596
dc.date.accessioned	2022-09-06T05:21:00Z
dc.date.available	2017-07-21
dc.date.available	2022-09-06T05:21:00Z
dc.date.issued	2018
dc.identifier.citation	BMC Public Health, 2018, 18, (1), pp. 1-11
dc.identifier.issn	1471-2458
dc.identifier.issn	1472-698X
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/161435
dc.description.abstract	Background Sporting or physical recreation event participation can affect different domains of mental and social well-being if sufficiently frequent, yet previous research has focused mainly on the physical health benefits of single-location or infrequent mass-participation events. We examined overall and domain specific subjective well-being of adult participants of “parkrun”, a weekly, community-based, highly accessible and widespread running event. Methods Data were from a national online survey of 865 adult Australian parkrunners. Scores on nine individual measures and the global Personal Well-being Index (PWI) were compared to national, normative data. Regression models tested associations between personal well-being and perceived benefits of parkrun (mental health and connection to community). Results Of 100 scores, 28% of means for parkrunners fell outside overall and age and gender subgroups normative ranges. Satisfaction with health was higher for male, those aged over 45 and overall parkrunners; only parkrunners aged 18–24 fell below their age group norm. Satisfaction with life as a whole was positively associated with perceived mental health benefits of parkrun, but not perceived community connection for women, and neither measure for men. PWI was positively associated with perceived community connection for men and with mental health benefit for women. Conclusions Australian parkrunners mostly reflect the general population on personal well-being, except report superior satisfaction with physical health. Women’s personal well-being may benefit from parkrun through improved mental health and men’s from community connectedness. parkrun may facilitate positive expression of identity and continuation of healthy habits among athletes, and non-demanding, health enhancing activity and social interaction for non-athletes.
dc.format	Electronic
dc.language	eng
dc.publisher	BioMed Central
dc.relation.ispartof	BMC Public Health
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1186/s12889-017-4620-1
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services
dc.subject.classification	Public Health
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Age Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Aged, 80 and over
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Personal Satisfaction
dc.subject.mesh	Running
dc.subject.mesh	Sex Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Humans
dc.subject.mesh	Personal Satisfaction
dc.subject.mesh	Age Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Sex Factors
dc.subject.mesh	Running
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent
dc.subject.mesh	Adult
dc.subject.mesh	Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Aged, 80 and over
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged
dc.subject.mesh	Australia
dc.subject.mesh	Female
dc.subject.mesh	Male
dc.subject.mesh	Young Adult
dc.title	Running on a high: parkrun and personal well-being
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	18
utslib.location.activity	England
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Public Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2022-09-06T05:20:56Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	18
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Background Sporting or physical recreation event participation can affect different domains of mental and social well-being if sufficiently frequent, yet previous research has focused mainly on the physical health benefits of single-location or infrequent mass-participation events. We examined overall and domain specific subjective well-being of adult participants of “parkrun”, a weekly, community-based, highly accessible and widespread running event. Methods Data were from a national online survey of 865 adult Australian parkrunners. Scores on nine individual measures and the global Personal Well-being Index (PWI) were compared to national, normative data. Regression models tested associations between personal well-being and perceived benefits of parkrun (mental health and connection to community). Results Of 100 scores, 28% of means for parkrunners fell outside overall and age and gender subgroups normative ranges. Satisfaction with health was higher for male, those aged over 45 and overall parkrunners; only parkrunners aged 18–24 fell below their age group norm. Satisfaction with life as a whole was positively associated with perceived mental health benefits of parkrun, but not perceived community connection for women, and neither measure for men. PWI was positively associated with perceived community connection for men and with mental health benefit for women. Conclusions Australian parkrunners mostly reflect the general population on personal well-being, except report superior satisfaction with physical health. Women’s personal well-being may benefit from parkrun through improved mental health and men’s from community connectedness. parkrun may facilitate positive expression of identity and continuation of healthy habits among athletes, and non-demanding, health enhancing activity and social interaction for non-athletes.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/161435