Pain, Fatigue and Sleep Quality of E-Athletes

Investigation of Factors Associated With Pain, Fatigue and Sleep Quality in E-Athletes

E-Sports, which attract great attention in the media and social networks, brings health problems and some risks, depending on the attractiveness of games and the time spent in the digital world. When the investigators examine the literature, although different studies are showing that E-Athletes experience pain and sleep problems, no study examines the factors related to pain and sleep quality together. Therefore, our study was planned to examine the factors associated with pain, fatigue, and sleep quality in E-Athletes.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: E-Athletes
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Assessment

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 86

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Balıkesir
    • Bandırma, Balıkesir, Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Melike Sumeyye Ozen

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

E-sports players over the age of 18 who have participated in professional matches for at least one year will be included in the study.

Description

The inclusion criteria were: (1) being between 18 and 35 years of age, (2) being under contract with a professional gaming corporation, (3) being primarily engaged in esports through a computer-based game, (4) having at least one year of professional gaming experience, and (5) volunteering to participate in the study.

The exclusion criteria were: (1) being retired from esports and (2) having any systemic, orthopedic, or neurological disease.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Cohort
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
E-Athletes; E-Athletes who are over the age of 18, have participated in professional matches for at least one year, and have an E-sports license were evaluated.	Other: Assessment; Assessment of pain, fatigue, sleep quality, physical activity status, and e-sports-specific features

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index	It is used to assess sleep quality. The total score ranges from 0 to 21. The sleep quality of people with a total score of less than 5 is "good"; For those with more than 5, it means "poor" sleep quality.	baseline
Epworth Sleepiness Scale	It is used to evaluate daytime sleepiness. The scoring method is the same for all questions, 0 if there is no probability of falling asleep, 1 if there is a low probability of falling asleep, 2 if there is a medium probability, and 3 if there is a high probability of falling asleep. A score of 10 or more indicates the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness.	baseline
Pain assessment	The area where the pain is experienced, the situation of applying to a health institution for pain, the situation of applying to a physiotherapist for pain, and pain severity (with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) will be questioned. NRS: The number 0 is defined as "no pain" and the number 10 as "unbearable pain".	baseline
Fatigue severity	Fatigue severity will be evaluated using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), where 0 will indicate "no fatigue" and 10 will indicate "worst possible fatigue." Participants will report the degree of fatigue they will have felt during the past 24 hours, reflecting their overall daily experience.	baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Demographic variables	Age, gender	baseline
Esports-related characteristics	duration of professional gaming, daily computer use, game branch, place of competition, and game type	baseline
Physical activity status	will be classified as active if they engage in ≥150 min/week	baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 1, 2023
• Study Completion (Actual): December 1, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 5, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 13, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): December 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 16, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 8, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: pain; fatigue; sleep quality; E-Athletes
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Pain; Fatigue; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders; Investigative Techniques; Therapeutics; Behavior Control; Immobilization; Restraint, Physical
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2022-84

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No