The Effect of Sports Participation on the Social Health of Employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq
Keywords:
sports participation, social health, employees, IraqAbstract
Considering the goals of the establishment of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq, attention to the determinants and predictors of physical well-being and social health has gained increasing importance. This research, arising from the significance of this issue, sought to provide strategies for enhancing physical well-being and social health among the employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, who are the main authorities responsible for sports in the country. This study is a field study with a descriptive and applied design, aiming to investigate the impact of sports participation on the social health of employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq. The statistical population included all employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq, and the sample size was estimated according to the Krejcie and Morgan table. A convenience sampling method was employed. Data collection was carried out using the standard Social Well-Being Questionnaire developed by Keyes at the MacArthur Foundation in the United States in 2004. Regarding reliability, Argyle and Lu (2006) reported a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .90 with 347 participants, and Furnham and Brownick reported a Cronbach’s alpha of .87 with 101 participants. For data analysis, descriptive statistics including mean, standard deviation, and frequency distribution tables were applied, and structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Sports participation had a significant effect on the social health of the employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq. An active lifestyle, along with having a sports plan and engaging in sports participation, can improve social well-being and its dimensions. Specifically, an active lifestyle and participation in physical activities lead to higher and more effective activity levels among employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. This study contributes to providing strategies for promoting social health through sports participation among employees of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Iraq. The findings of this research may serve as guidance for sports officials and managers.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Rogayee Adeh Hamid (Author); Yaghoub Badriazarin; Vajiheh Javani (Author)
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