The factors that has an effect on the attendance and location choice of the visitors to the parks and recreations centers for physical activities

The purpose of this study is to examine the factors influencing the visitors coming to parks and recreation areas for physical activity.The universe of the research consists of the visitors of parks and recreation centers who are over 16 and living in Ankara. The selection the universe in addition to the sample choice is purposive sampling. 603 people took part in the research voluntarily out of the group mentioned as the universe of the research. When the data gathered from them was studied, some responses turned out to be invalid, and therefore the number of the individuals forming the sample decreased to 412 (aged 16-63 (x= 26.80, ss= 7.609), % 59.5 (245) male, % 40.5 (167) female).FAMDÖ, whose adaptation was done for this research and whose validity is proved, was used as the means of collecting data. 2 sub-dimension (choice of place of physical activity, factors preventing participation in physical activity) and consisting of 33 items FAMDÖ, is 5-point Likert-type, as a venue for participants to choose physical activity in parks and recreation areas and elements of push factors preventing participation in physical activity measures in these places. For data analysis descriptive statistics and univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent samples T-test (Independent Samples T-Test) method was used.According to the findings of the research, the causes of not participating in the physical activities in parks and recreational centers indicates a meaningful difference with regards to visitors gender, level of education and being a smoker or a non-smoker; however, gender, age, level of education, body mass index and being a smoker or not does not have an influence on the location choice of the people who come to parks and recreation centers. With regard to independent variables dealt within the research, the factors that motivate people to choose parks and recreation centers as places to involve in physical activity as well as the ones prevent or discourage people to go these places were detected and suggestions for minimazing the latter were made to the local authorities.Keywords: Location Choice, Parks, Recreation, Physical activity.