The Mediating Role of Physical and Psychosocial Benefits in the Effect of Leisure Interests on Happiness

Year 2025, Volume: 16 Issue: 3, 581 - 609, 26.12.2025

Abdullah Çuhadar , Yusuf Er , Mehmet Demirel

https://doi.org/10.54141/psbd.1675149

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of physical and psychosocial benefits in the relationship between leisure interest and happiness among individuals who participate in sports activities at fitness centers in Konya. The sample of the study consists of (n = 640) participants who gained experience by doing sports activities in fitness centres operating in Konya province, determined by a purposive sampling method. In collecting the data of the study, ‘Leisure Involvement Scale’ was used to assess the level of leisure interest, ‘Oxford Happiness Scale’ to measure happiness levels, ‘Physical Benefits’ and ‘Psychosocial Benefits’ scale among the sub-dimensions of ‘Health Belief Scale Regarding Sportive Recreational Activities’ and sociodemographic information form were used to measure physical and psychosocial benefits. The IBM SPSS Statistics 25 package program and IBM AMOS 24 program were used for data analysis. In the study, a structural equation model was developed and tested to determine the mediating role of physical and psychosocial benefits in the relationship between leisure interest and happiness. Results demonstrated that physical and psychosocial benefits significantly mediate the relationship between leisure involvement and happiness.

Keywords

Activity , Fitness Centres , Sports Event Experience

Ethical Statement

This study was reviewed and approved by Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University Ethics Committee (29.11.2022, No. 250).

Thanks

We thank all study participants for their contributions. The present study was prepared from the first author's PhD thesis, which is titled " The Mediating Role of Physical and Psychosocial Benefits in the Effect of Leisure Interests on Happiness", at Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Leisure Management.

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