An Investigation into Awareness Status and Sanitary and Environmental Interest among Zabul Citizens and its Relationship with the Level of their Participation in Physical Activities

In 1997, Sport and Environment Commission was established in an attempt to reduce destructive effects resulted sports activities in environment by raising awareness among athletes, managers, authorities, and organizers of sports events in order for the athletes be able to carry out their sports activities in a healthy environment. The present study was carried out in order to examine the awareness status and sanitary and environmental interest among Zabul citizens and its relationship with the rate of their participation in physical activities. The statistical population included the outdoor and indoor sports spaces (a minimum of 250 m2) and the citizens of Zabul, Hamoon, and Zahak. The study sample consisted of 38 sports places and 380 participating citizens. The sample size was determined based on the proportion of the society to the minimum required sample size with an appropriate error limit. Data collection tools included a researcher-designed questionnaire and two data collection forms. The reliability coefficient of the sports participation questionnaire was 0.743 and the reliability of the sanitary and environmental checklist was 0.952. Descriptive statistics was employed in order to analyze the collected data, and one sample t-test and Pearson Correlation Coefficient were used to analyze correlation using SPSS 20.0. The results of the present study indicated that the level of awareness of the environmental and sanitary status of the sports places among the citizens was favorable. However, there was no significant relationship between awareness and sanitary and environmental interest and the level of participation in physical activities among Zabul citizens [p = 0.601, r = 0.079 and p = 0.712, r = 0.11, respectively). Moreover, there was no significant relationship between the citizens' participation in physical activities and demographic characteristics of gender and education level (p = 0.725, r = 0.31); however, it was significant between age and participation in physical activities (p = 0.008, r = 0.430). Therefore, according to the results of the present study, it is recommended that sports managers and planners of Zabul attempt to maintain and raise the citizens' awareness of an interest in environmental and sanitary status of sports places and provide different age groups with various choices in order to motivate them to participate in sports activities.