Quality of life among female runners in Slovakia: The role of running experience, purpose, age and weekly running habits

Abstract

Introduction: Regular physical activity, such as running positively influences several aspects of quality of life. This study investigated differences in various quality of life domains among healthy adult amateur female runners based on their length of running experience and running purpose, distinguishing between recreational and performance-oriented runners. Additionally, the study aimed to identify potential relationships between quality of life levels and variables including chronological age, running experience duration, and weekly running volume. Methods: A total of 37 female runners from Slovakia participated in the study. Participants were grouped according to running experience (novice versus experienced) and running purpose (recreational versus performance-oriented). Correlation analyzes were performed on the combined sample of the 37 runners. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used to assess quality of life in multiple domains. Results: Experienced runners reported significantly higher satisfaction with overall quality of life (p < .01) and overall health satisfaction (p = .05), as well as score in satisfaction with social relationships domain (p = .05) compared to novice runners. Positive correlations were found between running experience and several quality of life domains. While no significant differences were observed based on running purpose, exploratory analyses revealed trends indicating potential benefits of sustained running engagement on quality of life. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of long-term participation in improving quality of life, particularly in terms of overall satisfaction with quality of life. These results can inform strategies to promote sustained physical activity and improve quality of life among female runners. Longitudinal studies are warranted to further elucidate the causal relationships between length of running experience and the diverse domains of quality of life.