Outdoor sports and activities onthe way of green consumption

This study was conducted to determine outdoor athletes' intentions of purchasing green products. In this sense, it was tried to determine the effect of personal environmental norms, environmental attitudes and environmental concerns of outdoor athletes on the intention of purchasing green products. In accordance with the results obtained, it is aimed to determine some strategies and suggestions that will enable proximity to nature, that is, doing outdoor sports, to lead the way in increasing green consumption by determining the effect of outdoor sports on green consumption. In the study, the Structural Equation Model method was used to test the causal relationships between observed and unobserved (latent) variables. The sample of the study is formed by the licensed outdoor athletes in Turkey (n = 396). Sample selection was made by using stratified sampling method, which is one of the probable sampling methods. The study data were collected face-to-face and via e-mail through a demographic information form containing four different scales and personal information, adapted to Turkish by the researcher. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis methods were used in the Turkish adaptation of the scales. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage and arithmetic mean were used in the analysis of the personal information of outdoor athletes. For exploratory factor analysis and descriptive statistical information the SPSS 25.0 package program and for confirmatory factor analysis and structural model test, the AMOS 24.0 package program was used for. In the research, measurement model and structural model were tested first. Results of the analysis regarding the model (p values and modal fit values) showed that all the paths in the model are meaningful, the model is compatible with the data and the model is verified. In the results of the analysis, the personal environmental norms of outdoor athletes, their intention to purchase green products, their environmental attitudes and environmental concerns; It was observed that their environmental attitudes and environmental concerns positively and significantly affect the intention to purchase green products. In addition, the mediating role of environmental attitude and environmental concern in the relationship between the personal environmental norms of outdoor athletes and the intention to buy green products was tested according to the principles of causality and contemporary approach, and it was seen that there was a partial mediating role according to both approaches. All analysis results have proven that the proposed green product purchase intention model was verified. The data obtained as a result showed that the personal environmental norms, environmental attitudes and environmental concerns of the outdoor athletes have an effect on the intention to purchase green products. Considering the results of the previous study on personal norm, environmental attitude, environmental concern and participation in outdoor sports and the results obtained in this study, participation in outdoor sports is thought to be an important factor affecting the intention to purchase green products.