Associations among sleep quality, physical activity enjoyment, and burnout in elite male taekwondo athletes: a structural equation modeling study

Özer Ş. C., Erdoğan A., Keskin M. T., Gözen İ., Temur E.

BMC Psychology, vol.14, no.1, 2026 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 14 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2026
  • Doi Number: 10.1186/s40359-026-04430-8
  • Journal Name: BMC Psychology
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, IBZ Online, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Keywords: Burnout, Elite Athletes, Physical Activity Enjoyment, Sleep Quality
  • Gazi University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine, within a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework, the associations of sleep quality with enjoyment derived from physical activity and burnout among elite male taekwondo athletes. The study was conducted using a quantitative research design, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. Surveys were administered to 215 elite taekwondo athletes competing in various cities across Türkiye; after excluding six invalid questionnaires, a total of 209 responses were retained for analysis. The results revealed that poorer sleep quality was strongly associated with higher burnout levels (β = 0.54, p <.001), and that enjoyment was significantly associated with lower burnout levels (β = –0.30, p <.001). In line with these findings, sleep quality and enjoyment emerged as significant predictors of burnout: poorer sleep quality was associated with increased burnout, while greater enjoyment was associated with lower levels of burnout.