*3.6.4 Comparison of overall well-being in sports-active and sports-inactive boys, and sports-active and sports-inactive girls*

The comparison of the overall well-being from EPOCH showed statistical significance: between sports-active boys and sports-inactive boys (U = 662, p < .001) in favour of sports-active boys; between sports-active boys and sports-active girls (U = 1087, p = .009) in favour of sports-active boys; between sports-active boys and

### **Figure 25.**

*Overall well-being from EPOCH in sports-active boys and girls, and sports-inactive boys and girls.*


**Table 9.**

*Number of comparisons and the statistical significance obtained.*

sports-inactive girls (U = 630.5, p < .001) in favour of sports-active boys; between sports-active girls and sports-inactive girls (U = 1134.5, p = .004) in favour of sportsactive girls; between sports-active girls and sports-inactive boys (U 1064.5, p = .004) in favour of sports-active girls.

No statistical significance was found between sports-inactive girls and sports-inactive boys (**Figure 25**).

When counting all mentioned comparisons from this research, we found that out of 41 possible comparisons, the sports-active boys obtained statistical significance in the differences of these comparisons in up to 34, which represents 82.93% of that (**Table 9**). In these comparisons, sports-active girls obtained statistical significance in 26 cases, which represents 63.42% of that. Sports-inactive boys along with sports-inactive girls obtained only 2.44% of statistically significant differences from possible comparisons. In the overall acquisition of statistically significant differences in comparison, 54.84% obtained sportsactive boys, 41.94% sports-active girls and 3.22% sports-inactive boys and girls.

### **4. Discussion**

This study examined the well-being and feelings of happiness in boys and girls, in sports-active boys and girls and sports-inactive boys and girls. It is very important to measure feelings by focusing on positive feelings.

Emotional well-being was discussed by [43], and there were higher scores for positive emotions than for negative emotions. One of the contributing factors to positive emotions and feelings of happiness is physical activity and sport.

Subjective well-being and engagement in sport are the content of an article [44]. They found very similar results to our results.

Investigation of the effects of sports participation on young adolescents´ emotional well-being of feelings and well-being presented [45]. Their findings gave evidence that greater participation in sports is positively associated with emotional well-being and presented that exercise and sport link with psychological health. The findings [46] supported the statement that physical activity can have long-term effects on well-being. Greater participation in sports was associated with higher odds of happiness and lower odds of socio-emotional difficulties in the study of [47].

All EPOCH factors were related to greater life satisfaction and less depression [28], more optimism, connectedness and happiness than engagement or perseverance. The next result of the research of the authors is that physical activity was more strongly related to perseverance, optimism and happiness than to engagement and connectedness. In several samples of their research, the connectedness, optimism and happiness factors were very strongly correlated with one and another and finally as positive

### *Well-Being and Happiness Feelings in Sports-Active and Sports-Inactive Adolescents DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108957*

sociability factors. The findings [8] resulted in outcomes, which are statistically significant that sporting activity has a more positive impact on subjective dimensions of quality of life in adolescent sports-active boys and girls than in adolescent sports-inactive boys and girls.

The decrease in physical activity during the last time in period of the COVID-19 pandemic brought evidence that the lack of sporting activities was mainly represented by activities related to outdoor sports (outdoor exercising, swimming in the pool, downhill skiing), exercising in a fitness centre or playing sports games, where the presence of other players is required (football in men and volleyball in women) [10]. In the review [48], happiness is regarded as a correlate of genetic determinants (genes, personality), circumstantial and demographic factors (gender, age, intelligence, wealth, religion, societal condition, health) and individual control (social relationship, marriage and children, leisure, goals). We also as Refs. [49, 50] get the result that boys are more optimistic than girls. The results [51] indicated that participation in recreational physical activity is positively associated with well-being during adolescence. Young people who participated in any recreational physical activity are more likely to have better well-being and there appeared to be an additional benefit for each additional hour of participation [51]. However, their findings suggest that organised sports participation was even more strongly associated with the outcomes of wellbeing in adolescence.

In summary, participation in organised sports appears to offer a unique benefit to well-being above and beyond participation in other recreational physical activities. Therefore, while quality experiences of recreational physical activity are evidently beneficial for well-being, promoting participation in organised sports can offer greater value to those who are already active [51].

The results of Ref. [52] from the EPOCH questionnaire used showed that most of the developmental assets experienced by Iranian female adolescents were in the moderate range and the overall scores of subjective well-being were in the good range.

The focus on well-being and happiness is also growing in the research of experts in psychology, education, sociology and philosophy. In the discussion, we can present the question by Deleuze [53] ´Is pleasure the filling of a lack, or the perfection of an activity?´ We all know that physical activity and sports sometimes hurt and here we can join next Deleuze's idea that one must suffer for a while because happiness without suffering is inherent. A little pain for a happy life is only a very small price that one should pay. In many cases, exercise is overcoming certain feelings that are related to the inadequacy of some not adapted organs of the body that participate in the movement. But the feeling of mastering the exercise brings the emotion of happiness and mastering the exercise even with certain obstacles ultimately gradually causes the body and its organs to adapt to such movement. And as philosopher [54] wrote that ´Happiness is the feeling that power increases – that resistance is being overcome´, and that is exactly how we described suffering by exercising. The same author [55] in his book argued that happiness is not found by default but is achieved as the result of hard work. Nietzsche was aware of the theme of happiness in his works and thoughts [54–56]. We should bear in mind as Nietzsche that happiness is made of moments not years, there in life are happy moments but not happy ages. If we are happy all the time, the feelings of happiness would lose their value that's why we need to have also obstacles to be overcome so that our power can increase. Exercising and sports can increase our inner power not only our muscle strength. Exercising and sports can increase our happiness and well-being. The evidence is in this study.
