A Cross-Sectional Comparative and Correlational Study of Physical Fitness and Psychological Distress among University Basketball Student-Athletes in China and Malaysia

Abstract

This study compared physical fitness and psychological distress among male university basketball players in China and Malaysia and examined the relationship between the two. A total of 60 male basketball players participated, including 30 from Zhengzhou University of Technology (ZUT), China, and 30 from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia. Physical fitness was assessed through agility, balance, and power, while psychological distress was measured using the DASS-21 scale. Mann–Whitney U tests and Spearman rank correlation analyses were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the ZUT group performed significantly better than the UTM group in agility, balance, and power (all p < .05). The UTM group had significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression than the ZUT group (both p < .05), while the difference in stress was not statistically significant (p > .05). Correlation analysis showed that, in the overall sample and the China group, power was significantly negatively correlated with stress, anxiety, and depression (all p < .05), whereas no significant correlation was observed in the Malaysia group. The findings suggest that the China group had better physical fitness performance, while the Malaysia group had higher levels of psychological distress; power may be an important physical fitness indicator related to psychological distress.