Association of watching sports games with subsequent health and well-being among adults in Japan: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach

Objective: Although the health benefits of playing sports are well-known, the association between watching sports and health is not well understood. We examined the longitudinal association of watching sports with 20 different health and well-being outcomes.

Methods: Three-wave cohort data from 6327 adults (4851 workers) in the Meiji Yasuda LifeStyle study were used to draw causal inferences. We assessed the frequency of watching sports games on media or in-person using a self-reported questionnaire in 2018. Outcomes, including health behaviors, physical, mental, and work-related outcomes, were evaluated in 2019. In 2017, sociodemographic factors, prior exposure, and outcome values were evaluated and used as covariates. Three different statistical models (logistic, modified Poisson, or linear regression) were used according to the nature of the outcome variable.

Results: Watching sports on media had a favorable dose-response association with a lower risk of becoming physically inactive and skipping breakfast, as well as higher happiness (p for trend < 0.05). Conversely, watching sports on media had an adverse dose-response association with higher body mass index and increased risks of developing hypertension and diabetes (p for trend < 0.05). Watching sports in-person had a dose-response association with lower risks of exhibiting the precontemplation stage of health behavior change, moderate/severe psychological distress, and dyslipidemia (p for trend < 0.05).

Conclusions: Despite the observed detrimental association between watching sports and cardiometabolic health, which should be interpreted cautiously and studied further, the study findings suggest that watching sports could be a new modifiable protective factor for developing healthy lifestyles and improving mental well-being.