2023, Volume 19

Stress levels among winter swimmers, firefighters, martial arts athletes in Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain

Karol Görner¹, Ryszard Makarowski², Radu Predoiu³, Andrzej Piotrowski⁴, Alexandra Predoiu⁵, Maurizio Bertollo⁶, Selenia di Fronso⁶, Romualdas Malinauskas⁷, Zermena Vazne⁸, Doina Croitoru³, Ole Boe⁹, Andrei Bitang¹⁰, Dumitru Barbu¹¹, Márta Miklósi¹², Klára Kovács¹³, Néstor Vicente-Salar<sup>14

1</sup>Faculty of Sports, University of Presov, Presov, Poland
²Faculty of Administration and Social Sciences, Academy of Applied Medical and Social Sciences in Elblag, Elblag, Poland
³Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Teachers\' Training Department, National University of Physical Education and Sports, Bucharest, Romania
⁴Institute of Psychology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland | Institute of Pedagogy, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
⁵Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Sports and Motor Performance Department, National University of Physical Education and Sports, Bucharest, Romania
⁶Behavioral Imaging and Neural Dynamics Center, Department of Medicine and Aging Sciences, University G. d’Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
⁷Department of Physical and Social Education, Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania
⁸8Department of Sport and Training Theory, Education Psychology and Education Internship, Latvian Academy of Sport Education, Riga, Latvia
⁹Department of Business, Strategy and Political Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway
¹⁰Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Aurel Vlaicu University of Arad, Arad, Romania
¹¹Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Craiova, Craiova, Romania
¹²Department of Pedagogical Psychology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
¹³Institute of Educational Studies, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
¹⁴Biochemistry and Cell Therapy Unit, Institute of Bioengineering, University Miguel Hernandez, Elche, Spain | Department of Applied Biology-Nutrition, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL-FISABIO Foundation), University Miguel Her, Elche, Spain


Author for correspondence: Alexandra Predoiu; Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Sports and Motor Performance Department, National University of Physical Education and Sports, Bucharest, Romania; email: alexandra.predoiu@yahoo.com

Full text

Abstract

Background & Study Aims: Pro-health behaviours may have the form of habits and goal-oriented activities. The first are mainly shaped by social influence and have the form of long-term patterns of automatized behaviours (e.g., bodily hygiene, eating habits). On the other hand, goal-oriented activities are shaped during the course of individual development and the self-creation of one’s lifestyle. The aim of the current study was  knowledge about stress levels between winter swimmers and martial arts athletes (pro-health behaviours) on the one hand, firefighters and non-athletes having a sedentary behaviour (anti-health behaviours) on the other.

Material & Methods: The study was carried out in Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,  Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Spain. A total of 542 individuals participated, including 72 winter swimmers, 358 martial arts athletes, 49 professional firefighters, and 63 non-athletes. The Perception of Stress Questionnaire by M. Plopa and R. Makarowski (2010) was used to measure emotional tension, external stress, and intrapsychic stress.

Results: From among the 11 samples, the highest total stress levels and external stress levels were reported by firefighters. The lowest levels of external and intrapsychic stress were reported by winter swimmers, while the lowest levels of emotional tension were reported by Lithuanian martial arts athletes. The lowest total stress levels were reported by winter swimmers and Lithuanian martial arts athletes. Male martial arts athletes from Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia reported higher stress levels than female athletes.

Conclusions:  Physical fitness alone, possessed by professional firefighters, is an insufficient buffer against stress, in contrast to winter swimmers. Pro-health behaviours, that is, training in martial arts and winter swimming, lowers external stress, intrapsychic stress, and emotional tension. If conditions permit it, winter swimming together with training in martial arts may lower stress.

Key words: emotional tension, external stress, intrapsychic stress, pro-health behaviours