{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T02:25:28Z","timestamp":1777861528987,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777507200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Although sports participation is recognized for its psychological benefits, it remains unclear whether participation in competitive sports may produce different effects on these symptoms among sexual minority university students compared to their heterosexual peers. This study aimed to compare anxiety and depression symptoms between 524 undergraduate students engaged and not engaged in sports competitions by sexual orientation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>With cross-sectional design, this study included 524 undergraduate students, categorized as engaged in sports participation or not engaged, and by sexual orientation (bisexual, gay\/lesbian, and pansexual). Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Sexual minority students (bisexual, gay\/lesbian, and pansexual) with sports participation had a significantly higher prevalence of moderate to severe anxiety (50.5% vs. 30.2%) and depression symptoms (50.5% vs. 35.6%), as a higher risk for anxiety (OR\u202f=\u202f2.4 95% CI: 1.38 to 4.03,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.002) and depression symptoms (OR\u202f=\u202f1.8 95% CI: 1.09 to 3.13,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.022) compared to heterosexual students with sports participation. Gay\/lesbian students with sports participation had significantly higher anxiety (11.4\u202f\u00b1\u202f5.4 vs. 7.8\u202f\u00b1\u202f4.7,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.007) and depression scores (13.2\u202f\u00b1\u202f7.0 vs. 8.7\u202f\u00b1\u202f5.9,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u202f=\u202f0.006) than heterosexual students with sports participation. However, there was no significant difference in the students without sports participation.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Sports participation did not appear to minimize anxiety or depression symptoms among sexual minority students, particularly among gay\/lesbian, highlighting the need for more inclusive and supportive university sports environments.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1838233","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,30]],"date-time":"2026-04-30T04:22:37Z","timestamp":1777522957000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Does sports participation reduce disparities in anxiety and depression symptoms among sexual minority and heterosexual undergraduate students? A cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Andr\u00e9 Felipe Oliveira","family":"da Cruz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pedro Victor Felisberto","family":"da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]},{"name":"Graduate Program in Movement Science - Interunits, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mateus Sanches","family":"Jokura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jessenia Marise Sales","family":"Campos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]},{"name":"Graduate Program in Movement Science - Interunits, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marcelo Augusto Alves","family":"dos Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tha\u00eds Aparecida Medeiros","family":"Amorim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giovanni Henrique","family":"Quizzini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]},{"name":"Graduate Program in Movement Science - Interunits, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Matheus Augusto Martins","family":"Correia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ana Paula Rodrigues","family":"Rocha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]},{"name":"Unidade de Pesquisa Cl\u00ednica, National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescents Health Fernandes Figueira (IFF), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ)","place":["Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Camila","family":"Buonani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sueyla Ferreira","family":"da Silva dos Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health and Movement Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Andrea","family":"Deslandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro","place":["Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lucas Melo","family":"Neves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Graduate Program in Movement Science - Interunits, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]},{"name":"Laboratory of Physical Activity, Sport, and Mental Health (LAFESAM), S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP), Institute of Bioscience","place":["Rio Claro, Brazil"]},{"name":"Bipolar Disorder Program (PROMAN), Department of Psychiatry, University of S\u00e3o Paulo Medical School","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]},{"name":"Graduate Program Human Development and Technologies, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["Rio Claro, Brazil"]}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fabricio E.","family":"Rossi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Sports and Strength Exercise Research Group, Department of Physical Education, Faculty of Science and Technology, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil"]},{"name":"Graduate Program in Movement Science - Interunits, S\u00e3o Paulo State University (UNESP)","place":["S\u00e3o Paulo, 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