An investigation of the relationship between recreational fitness participants' health perceptions and recreational awareness levels

This study aims to investigate the relationship between health perceptions and recreational awareness levels of individuals participating in recreational fitness centers. As the importance of healthy living and physical activity continues to rise, participation in fitness centers plays a crucial role in individuals' efforts to maintain and improve their health. This research analyzes the experiences of participants in fitness center activities, how these experiences reflect on their health perceptions, and their impact on recreational awareness levels. The study employed a quantitative relational scanning model with a sample of 308 participants from fitness centers in the Pamukkale district of Denizli. Data collection included a personal information form, the 'Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation Scale' (RASÇÖ) developed by Gomez, Hill, Zhu, and Freidt (2016) and adapted to Turkish by Yerlisu Lapa et al. (2017), comprising 16 items and 3 sub-dimensions. Additionally, the 'Recreation Awareness Scale' (RFÖ) by Ekinci and Özdilek (2019), consisting of 41 items and 3 factors, was utilized. Data were analyzed using SPSS 24.0 software, with distribution assessed through Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and relationships between variables evaluated using Independent Samples Test and One Way ANOVA. Analysis revealed that demographic variables such as gender, marital status, and employment status generally did not have significant effects on the RFÖ and RASÇÖ sub-dimensions. However, free time duration and income level showed significant differences in certain sub-dimensions. Specifically, the effects of free time duration were prominent in the "Pleasure and Entertainment" and "Social Achievement" sub-dimensions of RFÖ, while income level had a notable impact on the "Self-Development" sub-dimension. Furthermore, there were medium-level positive significant relationships between the sub-dimensions of RASÇÖ and RFÖ. These findings highlight the importance of the duration of recreational activities and income level on health perceptions and recreational awareness, underscoring the relevance of strategic applications in this field.