ArticleBMC psychology2025
Social anxiety among young adults in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study on associations with sports and social support.
Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Relationship among physical activity, social anxiety, and autistic traits in female college students: a variable-and person-centered analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between sport type and social anxiety in adolescents.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Social Challenges on University Campuses: How Does Physical Activity Affect Social Anxiety? The Dual Roles of Loneliness and Gender.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThis cross-sectional study examined the relationship of sports and perceived social support with social anxiety in young adults. We aimed to find out whether participation in sports and good social support were associated with lower social anxiety symptoms in individuals aged 18-40 years in Switzerland.
methodsParticipants aged 18-40 years were recruited through an online panel, which included company data pools, mail/email invitations, and social media. The survey included validated instruments: the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI) for social anxiety, the Physical Activity and Sports Questionnaire (BSA-F) for sports participation, and the German Questionnaire for Social Support (F-SozU). Sociodemographic data and sports duration were also collected, with sports classified by type and duration. We fitted linear regression models to explore associations between social anxiety, sports type, duration, and perceived social support. Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics.
resultsA total of 104 participants (51% female; mean age = 30.2 years, SD = 6.2) completed the survey, with 65.4% reporting recent sports participation, averaging 4.5 h/week. Social anxiety scores did not differ significantly across no sport, individual sport, or group sport participants. However, longer sports duration was associated with lower social anxiety scores, even after adjusting for perceived social support and sociodemographic factors. Social support was independently and negatively associated with social anxiety, highlighting its protective role regardless of sport type or duration.
conclusionOur findings suggest that sports involvement and supportive social networks are associated with lower social anxiety. Sports and social support should be considered to treat social anxiety, along with primary treatments such as psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy.
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