Investigation of serious lesiure perceptions and perceived health outcomes of athletes playing in Turkish wheelchair basketball league

This study was conducted to understand the leisure perceptions and perceived health outcomes of individuals playing in the Turkish Wheelchair Basketball Leagues. The survey results will highlight the benefits disabled athletes gain from sports, laying a crucial foundation for wider participation and support for sports within society. The study population consists of 320 licensed athletes, including 71 females and 248 males, who play in the Turkish Wheelchair Basketball Super League, First League, and Second League. The "Serious Leisure Scale" and "Recreational Health Outcomes Scale" were used for evaluation in this study. In this thesis study, data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 statistical software. Statistical methods such as mean, standard deviation, percentages, and frequency analysis were used. Additionally, Cronbach's alpha calculations were performed to assess the internal consistency of the scales. As the data did not follow a normal distribution, non-parametric tests including Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for analysis. According to the research results, the majority of the participants in the study were male (73.6%), and the largest age group was in the range of 25-29 years, accounting for 21.5% of the participants. The distribution of participants based on their disability levels is as follows: 1-1.5 (30.8%), 2-2.5 (29.9%), 3-3.5 (17.4%), and 4-4.5 (21.8%).According to the research, the highest representation based on the league level is in the Super League (45.8%). Significant differences were found between the "Serious Leisure Scale" sub-dimensions and the variable of the league level. However, no significant difference was observed between the "Recreational Health Outcomes Scale" and the league level. Moreover, a significant relationship was found between the "Serious Leisure Scale" and the "Perceived Health Outcomes Scale" among the participants.