ABSTRACT

Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine the state-trait anxiety of athletes during Covid-19 pandemic.

Method: The study was performed by using survey method. The research population is composed of a total of

224 adult athletes (  age=26.24±8.50) as 139 males (  age=27.71±9.81) and 103 females (  age=24.25±5.72)

engaged in individual and team sports in different branches in Marmara region (Istanbul, Kocaeli and Sakarya).

The athletes have 13.73±8.65 years of experience in sports. ―State-Trait Anxiety Inventory‖ developed by

Spielberger et al. (1970) and adapted into Turkish by Öner and Le Compte (1983) and ―Personal Information

Questionnaire‖ prepared by the researchers were used as the data collection tool. Data were analyzed by using

descriptive statistics, independent groups T-test, one-way variance (ANOVA) analysis and Pearson correlation

analysis.

Findings: State anxiety scores of athletes significantly differ by such conditions as being a national athlete, fear

of Covid infection, damaged performance in Covid infection, doing exercise at home during Covid infection and

weight change during Covid (p<.05) while they do not significantly differ by gender and monthly income

perception (p>.05). Trait anxiety scores of athletes significantly differ by being a national athlete, fear of Covid

infection, damaged performance in Covid infection, doing exercise at home during Covid infection, monthly

income perception and weight change during Covid (p<.05) while they do not significantly differ by gender

(p>.05). Moreover, significant negative relationship was established between state anxiety scores of athletes and

the time of exercise during pandemic (p<.05) while no significant relation was found regarding age, year of sports

and duration of sleep during pandemic (p>.05). Negative significant relationships were found between trait anxiety

scores and age, year of sports, and time and day of exercise; positive significant relationships were found

between trait anxiety and duration of sleep in pandemic period (p<.05).

Conclusion: It has been concluded that state anxiety scores of athletes are over average, their trait anxiety

scores are below average and state-trait anxiety scores differ by some demographic variables while they are in

relation with some others.

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic, athlete, state-trait anxiety