Sport and maximisation of the subjective perception of wellbeing: A trend analysis of sporting practises at the start of the 21st century.

Abstract

We have seen a transformation in the development of sporting activities over recent decades. There are a number of social factors behind this. In this article, we report a longitudinal study of sporting activities in Spain between 1995 and 2014 among the population aged 18 and over, including both sexes, examining the social relationships that arise in sporting activities. Our analysis is based on national databases and analysis of trends in sporting activities. It demonstrates the main hypothesis of the study, which is that individual sporting activities have increased compared to group activities with family and friends. We also examine changes in sporting activities depending on the primary relations established in the sport, by sex, age, habitat, occupation, educational level, the form in which the sport is practised, the degree of competition, frequency, the sports facilities used, the type of sport, hours of free time and the subjective sensation of happiness.