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e‑ISSN 2148-905X Open Access · CC BY 4.0
Vol. 13 · Issue 1 · 2026 Mar 15, 2026 Research Article

Sex Differences in Athletes’ Mindfulness Levels: A Meta-Analysis Study on the Turkish Population

YA
Yasin Altin Corresponding Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Sivas, Türkiye yasinaltin91@gmail.com Turkey
BO
Burhan Ozkurt Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Sivas, Türkiye Turkey
Pages21-40 PublishedMar 15, 2026 LicenseOpen Access
PDF (Türkçe)
VOL 13 · ISS 1 · 2026 Sportive Perspective: Journal of Sports and Educational Sciences View issue

Abstract

This meta-analysis aimed to systematically examine sex differences in mindfulness levels among athletes and to determine the overall effect size related to these differences. The study was limited to research conducted within the Turkish population. Twenty-six studies that met the inclusion criteria were incorporated into the meta-analysis. The sample sizes of these studies ranged from 182 to 532, and data were obtained from a total of 8,238 participants. Based on the 26 studies, 75 effect sizes were calculated and included in the analyses. All analyses were conducted in R (4.5.1) using the metafor and psych packages. Hedge’s g effect sizes were computed for all variables across studies, and random-effects models were established for mindfulness, awareness, non-judgment, and refocusing variables. The potential impact of moderators was examined using mixed-effects models. The findings indicated that sex had a small and non-substantial effect on overall mindfulness and its subdimensions (awareness, non-judgment, and refocusing). The most notable outcome of the moderator analyses was the negative predictive effect of mean age and age standard deviation on effect sizes related to sex differences in mindfulness. Overall, the findings suggest that the influence of sex on mindfulness is limited. Age-related effects indicate that sex differences may become more pronounced in younger samples and in homogeneous groups with a narrow age range.

Keywords

#Athlete #awareness #sex differences #meta-analysis #mindfulness

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