Safe sport and health promotion: elite youth athletes' perspectives at the Winter Youth Olympic Games.

Abstract

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) combines competition with educational initiatives for elite youth athletes. Despite the benefits of sport participation, young athletes face risks related to health and interpersonal violence (IV). The 'Mind, Body & Me' initiative at the 2024 Gangwon YOG was designed to promote holistic athlete health and safe sport. This study assessed youth athletes' understanding of health-related rights, perceptions of safe sport and awareness of safeguarding services. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1211 YOG athletes. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and χ² tests to identify differences based on sex, continent, sport and language. Content analysis was performed for qualitative responses. Most athletes felt that their health-related rights were respected; however, they reported discomfort seeking mental health support. Athletes described healthy sport as 'fun,' 'safe' and 'good,' while unhealthy sport was linked to 'bad,' 'bullying' and 'negative,' with regional variations. Bullying was the most widely recognised form of IV, particularly in female athletes, who were more aware of IV than males. Male athletes and those from Europe and Oceania expressed greater discomfort with reporting IV. While 74% were aware of the International Olympic Committee's safeguarding services, knowledge gaps existed among female athletes and non-English speakers. Athletes asked for more interactive tools, mental health programmes and improved accessibility to resources. Our findings highlight the importance of a holistic, athlete-centred approach, the need to improve access to health support services, the value of culturally tailored safeguarding strategies and the imperative of integrating safeguarding into broader health policies in youth sport.