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Study: Team sports increases some unhealthy behaviors in male teens
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A new study links team sports with increased fighting among teen boys.
Team sports don't necessarily result in teenage boys adopting healthier behaviors, according to new research. Instead, they are associated with increased fighting and drinking.
The study was presented Monday at the American Public Health Association’s 137th Annual Meeting & Exposition. More than 13,000 high school students across the United States were surveyed to determine the relationship between team sports and risky behaviors.
For young men, sports team participation had mixed results. Boys reported increased levels of fighting, drinking and binge drinking. But they also reported decreased levels of depression and smoking.
Benefits of team sports were more clear for female high school students. Being part of a sports team was associated with decreased fighting, depression, smoking, marijuana use and unhealthy weight loss practices.
“Sports team participation appears to have both protective and risk-enhancing associations,” said Susan M. Connor, PhD, lead researcher on the study. “These results indicate that healthy lifestyle benefits are not universal and do not apply equally across genders.”
More information:
Advantages of Sports and Teens
When Teens Obsess About Weight
Tips for Teens: The Truth about Alcohol
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