Trends of international research on “sport and well-being”: An examination of multiple review methods

An examination of international research findings on sport and well-being (WB) was conducted to identify trends and issues for future empirical research. To this end, we adopted 3 review methods: 1) a quantitative review, 2) a review of "review articles", and 3) a scoping review of empirical studies. The results are summarized as follows. 1) Counting of keywords in the review articles revealed that words related to sport, such as "exercise" and "physical activity", were used more frequently than those associated with WB, such as "quality of life". In connection with sports, many studies used the terms "well-being", "play", and "leisure". In relation to WB, many studies used the term "quality of life", "exercise", "physical activity", and "fitness". 2) Through collection of review articles and collation of their contents, we identified (1) medical clients, (2)children, (3) older adults, (4) adults, (5) athletes and coaches, and (6) families as target categories. In addition, we characterized each category on the basis of indicators and research methods used for assessment of exercise/sports. 3) It was suggested that empirical studies of sports and WB still need to organize the definition and theoretical framework of WB and the methods used for measuring and analyzing sports activities. For example, "time", "content", and "orientation" were used to varying extents for measurement of sports concepts. Empirical research on sports and WB must focus on the quality of the measured sports activity and the context of life in which it takes place. There is a need for typology and taxonomy of sports that reflect the lives of individuals practicing them. It is also necessary to continue exploring the impact of such sports throughout an individual's lifetime.