A Comparative Study of Self-Esteem, Quality of Life, Health, and Physical Satisfaction among Active and Inactive Iranian Elite Athletes After Early Retirement Due to Sports Injuries

Most athletes retire young and severe sports injuries can be considered one of the most important reasons for psychological problems in sports retirees. This study aimed to investigate the impact of early retirement due to sports injuries on the physical condition, quality of life, health, self-esteem, and body-esteem of both active and inactive Iranian elite athletes.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on forty elite retired Iranian athletes, primarily from skiing, wrestling, and mountaineering, with an average age of 66.62 ± 4.65 years, height of 166.70 ± 3.66 cm, and weight of 66.15 ± 4.88 kg. The participants were divided into two groups, active (n = 20) and inactive (n = 20), based on their current level of sports activity. The Nordic, SF-36, Rosenberg, and Mendelson questionnaires were utilized to determine musculoskeletal pain, quality of life, self-esteem, and body image.
The results indicated that participants in the active group reported a higher quality of life score than those in the inactive group (P = 0.001). Furthermore, the active group scored significantly higher in terms of body image (P = 0.001) and self-esteem (P = 0.001) than the inactive group.
Based on the study's results, it is recommended that sports health and psychology experts pay increased attention to the post-exercise period of elite athletes. Furthermore, it is suggested that elite sports retirees continue to engage in light sports activities even after retiring from professional sports.