Coping with COVID-19: Can a Sense of Coherence and Social Support Play a Protective Role in the Perception of COVID-19 by Polish Women Football Players? A Cross-Sectional Study

Anna Ussorowska-Krokosz, Jan Blecharz, Malgorzata Siekanska and Monika Grygorowicz ()
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Anna Ussorowska-Krokosz: Women’s Football Science Research Group, Department of Women’s Football, Polish Football Association, 02-366 Warsaw, Poland
Jan Blecharz: Department of Psychology, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Malgorzata Siekanska: Department of Psychology, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Monika Grygorowicz: Women’s Football Science Research Group, Department of Women’s Football, Polish Football Association, 02-366 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 13, 1-14

Abstract: Introduction: Athletes have demonstrated a significant increase in anxiety and stress connected to the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the theory of salutogenesis, this study examined the relationship between the sense of coherence and social support and competitive elite-level athletes’ perception of the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Materials and Methods: The perceived secondary gains associated with the pandemic were analysed with a quasi-qualitative research methodology. The sample consisted of 204 competitive elite-level female football players aged 14–36 (M = 17.61, SD = 4.42) who completed the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29), the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), and the researchers’ own questionnaire to assess the perception of the COVID-19 situation. Results: The results confirmed a relationship between a sense of coherence and coping better with the difficult situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. No protective role of social support in the adaptive perception of the pandemic situation was identified. Conclusions: The data from the quasi-qualitative study testify to the use of the adversity of the pandemic to grow in many areas of female football players’ lives. The sense of coherence was a protective factor in mitigating the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Keywords: pandemic; COVID-19; coping; female football players (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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