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Physical activity can contribute to societal health and prevent antisocial behaviors. This study explored the driving forces facilitating these goals in Iran’s socio-cultural context. Through a literature review, investigation of available political documents, interviews with experts and consensus of the research team, seventy-three driving forces were explored from different domains and then categorised via the STEEPV framework. This framework considers drivers from Social, Technological, Environmental, Economic, Political, and Value/Cultural dimensions. The “sport/sport sciences” domain was also considered as an additional domain. In the next step, a questionnaire with an answer scale of 1 to 7 was distributed among experts. The fuzzy Delphi method was used to analyse the collected data. Results showed eighteen drivers from five domains (social, environmental, economic, technological and sport/sports sciences) dramatically influenced leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in Iran. “Physical activity opportunities for vulnerable groups” was identified as the most important driver for participation in LTPA. Results suggest the need for a multidimensional and thorough consideration by organisations, leisure managers and policymakers to discover methods to promote health-related physical activities in the future.

The present study aimed to examine the effect of serious leisure on travel intention and place attachment among Iranian trekking tourists. The participants of the study were the trekking tourists of Mount Tochal that stayed at least 12 nights a year in this mountain resort. PASS software was used to determine the sample size of the study. Finally, 275 people participated in the present study. The questionnaires of serious leisure, travel intention, and place attachment were used to collect the data. The descriptive and inferential statistical methods were applied to analyze the data. The results showed that serious leisure and place attachment can predict approximately 24% of the changes in travel intention. Therefore, place attachment is one of the important factors to increase the travel intention of individuals for leisure activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The participation of women in adventure tourism in recent decades is remarkable, and this challenges gender stereotypes, traditional norms, and discrimination against women in some societies. Given their unique and attractive nature, leisure activities, including adventure tourism, can be considered to improve women's living conditions and to empower them. This study examined the effect of self-expression on Iranian women's empowerment in adventure trips. For the purpose of this study, 223 adventure tourists were selected as the sample and structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The findings acknowledged that participation in leisure activities such as adventure tourism can lead to women's self-expression, which directly affects their empowerment in various dimensions and can improve their social, economic, physical, and political status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Leisure behavior and its associated factors are complex and manifold. The present study sought to investigate the effects of serious leisure (perseverance, effort, career, identity and ethos) and recreation specialization (economic commitment, experience and lifestyle) on place attachment (place dependence, social bonding and place identity) of individuals (n = 334) participating in leisure activities in Iran. The results showed that 59% of individual differences in recreation specialization and 21% of place attachment variations were due to differences in individual serious leisure behavior, while 20% of differences in place attachment were realized through the participants' recreation activities. Besides, the structural equation model, the effect of serious leisure and recreation specialization on place attachment of individuals was found to have a desirable and adequate fit (SRMR 0.091). The findings of the present study also indicated that the Iranians' leisure behavior is mainly affected by the systematic follow-up of leisure time, recreation specialization and also place attachment to sporting recreational spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we determined the causal relationship between some of the predictors and outcomes of sports tourists' satisfaction using structural equation modeling. Motivation and involvement as predictors and behavioral intentions (WOM and intention to revisit) were considered as outcomes. The results indicated the significant mediating role of destination image in the relationship between involvement and satisfaction. So, Event organizers need to pay special attention to the psychological characteristics of tourists, such as their motivations and involvement. As a result, they can take some benefits in behavioral outcomes, such as word of mouths and intention to revisit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates perceived leisure constraints and motivations among Iranian gamers, employing the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM). Targeting recreational gamers under 30 years old, dedicating 1 to 6 hours per week to gaming, we utilised (D. Funk et al. 2008) PCM stages questionnaire, Crawford’s et al. (1991) perceived hierarchical leisure constraints questionnaire, and Cianfrone et al. (2011) motivations questionnaire. Our analysis, featuring One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for constraints and motivations across PCM stages and Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) for psychological communication, revealed compelling insights. Results indicate a noteworthy increase in perceived constraints with PCM progression (p < 0.05), highlighting significant differences in dimensions such as interest, time involvement, facilities, cost, and interpersonal aspects (p < 0.05). Concurrently, motivations progressively rise with PCM advancement, showcasing significant variations in competition, diversion, fantasy, and social interaction dimensions (p < 0.01). This study’s significant findings illuminate the evolving landscape of constraints and motivations across distinct PCM stages, offering valuable implications for comprehending gaming behaviours within this demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abuse is a social concern in all life affairs including sports. This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore the lived experience of Iranian athletes who had been abused in sports. The participants were six athletes who had experienced abuse in sports. Due to the sensitivity of the issue, they were selected through the purposeful snowball sampling method. The results of the research showed seven main themes in the Iranian athletes' experience of abuse in sports: (1) stigma, (2) suppressed hatred and anger, (3) psychological pendulum of continuing and abandoning sport, (4) trampled emotions, (5) ambiguity and imposed harassment, (6) victimhood, and (7) feelings of self-blame. Our findings indicate that abuse among athletes is a multifaceted issue that can take different angles. A better understanding of abuse in sports can help prevent and manage this phenomenon.