Examination of the relationship between sports awareness and happiness levels of physically disabled individuals

This study was conducted to examine the relationship between the awareness and happiness levels of individuals with physical disabilities. As the research model for this review, descriptive and relational methods, which are among the quantitative research techniques, were preferred. While the universe of the research consisted of 586 physically disabled individuals, the sample was 387 randomly selected by sampling method. The data were obtained from the questionnaire form sent to the physically handicapped individuals selected by random and voluntary participation method. As a data collection tool, the "Personal Information Form" consists of 9 questions prepared by the researchers, the "Sports Awareness Scale (SFÖ)" includes 30 items developed by Uyar and Sunay (2019) with validity and reliability, and the Turkish version developed by Hills and Argyle (2002) Doğan and Akıncı The "Oxford Happiness Scale Short Form (OMÖ-F)" made by Çötok (2010) was used. Data collection process: The survey questionnaire, which was created with two scales and the added personal information form, was uploaded to 'Google', and sent to the participants on the internet, and the returned data was automatically dropped into the data pool on 'Google Drive'. The data were analysed using the SPSS 22.00 package program, using frequency, percentage statistical analysis, t-test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests. In the analyses made with the findings obtained from the data; participants' sports awareness and happiness levels show a normal distribution according to gender and the presence of a sports person in the family. According to the age variable of the participants, the relationship between sports awareness and happiness is weak (r=0.21). According to the variables of the participants' sports awareness level and happiness level, occupation, education level, monthly income, adequacy of leisure time and how the income situation makes them feel, statistically significant difference. According to the variable of the participants' relationship with sports; It is seen that there is no statistically significant difference. In general, in the analyses made at the inter-scale level; It is seen that there is a moderately positive relationship between the happiness levels of the participants and "sports knowledge and distinguishing knowledge (r=0.452), social and individual benefit (r=0.512), and sports awareness (r=0.492)". With this, it is found that there is a very high positive correlation between the level of sports awareness and both sports knowledge and distinguishing knowledge (r=0.981) and social and individual benefit (r=0.897). As the level of sports awareness increases, the level of sports knowledge and discrimination, and the social and individual benefits of sports, increase by influencing each other. Keywords: Physically handicapped individuals, sports awareness scale, sports awareness, happiness scale.