Sport participation moderates association between bullying and depressive symptoms in Italian adolescents

Background: A high rate of bullying episodes has been reported in Italian schools, as well as its association with psychopathology in adolescents. However, information regarding moderators of this interaction are still lacking. This study explored whether gender, exercise frequency, and sport participation exerted a protective effect on the association between bullying and depressive symptoms in Italian students.

Methods: Researchers obtained data from 4,829 Italian youth ages 13 to 21 using the self-report Epidemiologia dell'Infortunistica Stradale survey (EDIT) developed by the Regional Health Agency of Tuscany, Italy. Three structural equation models were run to assess moderators of the association between bullying and depressive symptoms. Moderators examined in the models included gender, exercise frequency, and sport participation.

Results: The association between bullying and depressive symptoms was stronger for females (B=0.95, SE=0.04, p< .001) than for males (B=0.45, SE=0.00, p< .001) and for students who did not play sports (B=0.74, SE=0.09, p< .001) than for those who played sports (B=0.61, SE=0.06, p< .001). Females may be more affected by the depressive effects of bullying than males.

Conclusions: Participation in sports buffers against the effects of bullying and may prove a helpful strategy for increasing exercise, positive peer interactions, and mood in adolescents.

Limitations: The cross-sectional nature of the study, the possible role of BMI as a confounding factor and the use of a not widely used measure of depression.