Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Sleep Quality in Esports Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined the association between musculoskeletal complaints and sleep quality in esports players and investigated whether regular physical exercise moderates this relationship.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among university students engaged in esports at Adıyaman University using convenience sampling. The final sample consisted of 238 participants. An a priori power analysis indicated that at least 194 participants were required (80% power, α = 0.05). Musculoskeletal complaints were assessed using a questionnaire based on the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Spearman correlation, Mann–Whitney U tests, and multiple linear regression with an interaction term were used for statistical analysis (p < 0.05).

Results: Musculoskeletal complaints were reported by 68.1% of participants, and 72.7% had poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5). The number of musculoskeletal complaint regions was positively associated with PSQI score (ρ = 0.228, p = 0.010). Participants with musculoskeletal complaints had poorer sleep quality (p < 0.001). The association was weaker among participants who reported regular physical exercise. In regression analysis, musculoskeletal complaints and daily gaming duration independently predicted poorer sleep quality.

Conclusion: Musculoskeletal complaints were associated with poorer sleep quality in esports players, and regular physical exercise appeared to attenuate this relationship. Ergonomic adjustments, scheduled breaks, and structured exercise programmes may help improve health outcomes; however, causal relationships cannot be inferred due to the cross-sectional design.

Keywords

• Esports
• musculoskeletal complaints
• sleep quality
• exercise
• psqi

Espor Sporcularında Kas-İskelet Sistemi Semptomları ile Uyku Kalitesi Arasındaki İlişki: Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma, espor oyuncularında kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyetleri ile uyku kalitesi arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemeyi ve düzenli fiziksel egzersizin bu ilişki üzerindeki olası düzenleyici (moderatör) rolünü değerlendirmeyi amaçlamıştır,

Yöntem: Bu kesitsel çalışma, Adıyaman Üniversitesi’nde espor faaliyetlerine katılan üniversite öğrencileri arasında kolayda örnekleme yöntemi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Nihai örneklem 238 katılımcıdan oluşmuştur. Önceden yapılan güç analizi, en az 194 katılımcının gerekli olduğunu göstermiştir (%80 güç, α = 0.05). Kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyetleri, Standartlaştırılmış Nordic Kas-İskelet Sistemi Anketi’ne (NMQ) dayalı bir anket ile değerlendirilmiş; uyku kalitesi ise Pittsburgh Uyku Kalitesi İndeksi (PUKİ) kullanılarak ölçülmüştür. Analizlerde Spearman korelasyon analizi, Mann–Whitney U testi ve etkileşim terimi içeren çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır (p < 0.05).

Bulgular: Katılımcıların %68.1’i kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyeti bildirmiş, %72.7’sinde ise kötü uyku kalitesi (PUKİ > 5) saptanmıştır. Kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyetlerinin görüldüğü vücut bölgelerinin sayısı ile PUKİ skoru arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmuştur (ρ = 0.228, p = 0.010). Kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyeti olan katılımcıların uyku kalitesi, şikâyeti olmayanlara kıyasla daha kötü bulunmuştur (p < 0.001). Bu ilişkinin düzenli fiziksel egzersiz yapan katılımcılarda daha zayıf olduğu gözlenmiştir. Regresyon analizinde kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyetleri ve günlük oyun süresi, daha kötü uyku kalitesinin bağımsız yordayıcıları olarak belirlenmiştir.

Sonuç: Espor oyuncularında kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyetleri daha kötü uyku kalitesi ile ilişkili bulunmuş ve düzenli fiziksel egzersizin bu ilişkiyi zayıflatabileceği görülmüştür. Ergonomik düzenlemeler, planlı molalar ve yapılandırılmış egzersiz programları sağlık sonuçlarının iyileştirilmesine katkı sağlayabilir; ancak çalışmanın kesitsel tasarımı nedeniyle nedensel çıkarımlar yapılamamaktadır.

Keywords

• espor
• kas-iskelet sistemi şikâyetleri
• uyku kalitesi
• egzersiz
• puki

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