Physical and Mental Well-Being in Former Collegiate Soccer Athletes

Collegiate soccer may carry a high risk of injury during one's career. Although the long-term health outcomes of injuries in professional athletes have been well documented, less is known about the short- to mid-term health and physical activity levels of former collegiate soccer players. This study aimed to evaluate the activity levels as well as the physical and mental well-being of these athletes, with a secondary focus on the impact that injury status has on these outcomes.

We conducted a retrospective survey-based study involving former male and female collegiate soccer athletes who competed between 2011 and 2021. Participants completed a general survey assessing demographics, injury history, current physical activity levels using the Tegner Activity Scale (TAS), and self-reported health outcomes using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scale. A follow-up survey was administered to participants who reported injuries, focusing on joint-specific outcomes.

Thirty-nine participants completed the initial survey with 86 injuries reported. Among reported injuries were foot/ankle (22), knee (20), hip (12), back (6), upper extremity (5), and other (21). The average physical activity quantity and TAS scores were 5.08 and 4.84, respectively. Average raw mental and physical PROMIS scores were 15.5 ± 1.7 and 15.6 ± 1.7, respectively. Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores averaged 76.7 in the affected limb and 89.1 in the unaffected limb. Physical PROMIS scores showed a positive correlation with affected and unaffected limb SANE scores (P = 0.02 and P = 0.04, respectively), and affected limb SANE scores showed a positive correlation with physical activity quantity (P = 0.04). Of the injury-specific outcomes, the only significant correlation with activity levels was the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale score with the TAS score (P = 0.03).

Although physical activity decreases in former collegiate soccer players, their overall mental and physical health remains stable. Future research should focus on larger cohorts to further explore the impact of specific injuries on long-term health outcomes in this population.