Investigating the effect of media on women's participation in public sports with the mediating role of social support

Najafi, Parisa; Ramezaninezhad, Rahim; Goharrostami, Hamid Reza; Maleki, Zahra

doi:10.22089/rws.2025.17521.1044

Investigating the effect of media on women's participation in public sports with the mediating role of social support

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Parisa Najafi ¹

Rahim Ramezaninezhad ²

Hamid reza Goharrostami ³

Zahra Maleki ⁴

¹ Master of Science in Sports Management, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

² Professor of Sports Management, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

³ Assistant Professor of Sports Management, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

⁴ PhD student in Sports Management, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22089/rws.2025.17521.1044

Abstract

Introduction: The present study was conducted to explain the effect of media on women's participation in mass sports with the mediating role of social support. Methodology: The research method was descriptive-analytical. The statistical population of this study included all women participating in mass sports in Rasht. Based on the Cochran formula, 384 people participated in the study as a statistical sample and the data were collected using questionnaires measuring the level of physical activity, the role of media in mass sports and social support and analyzed using SPSS and PLS software. Results: The findings showed that mass media has a significant effect (T-values: 5.694) on women's participation in mass sports. Among the dimensions of mass media, the educational and cultural dimensions also had a significant effect on women's participation. Also, based on the results of the structural equation model, the effect of social support on women's participation in sport for all is significant with a path coefficient of (6.048) (T-values: at a significance level of 0.05). Among the dimensions of social support, social support from significant others had a significant effect on women's participation in sport for all. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be said that the media can help by broadcasting educational programs, advertising and informing, and reflecting the problems of women in sport for all as well as changing people's views and attitudes about women's sports. Ultimately, increasing social support increases women's participation in sport for all.

Keywords

family support

Media

Sport for all

social support

Sport participation

1. Abdavi, F., & Fakhri, F. (2011). The role of media in the development of sports culture in women's leisure time. Communication Research Quarterly, 18(68), 31. (In Persian).

1. Aghakhanbabaei, M., Mozafari, S. A., & Poursoltani, H. (2016). The role of self-efficacy as a mediator between social support and physical activity participation of students. Contemporary Studies on Sport Management, 6(11), 63-71. https://doi.org/10.22084/Smms.2016.1612 (In Persian).

3. Ahmadi, M., & Molana, Y. (2023). Presentation of conceptual model of media coverage from Iranian women athletes. Sport Management Journal, 15(3), 129-149. https://doi.org/10.22059/JSM.2021.331555.2825 (In Persian).

1. Şahin, A., Soylu, D., Toktas, E., & Köse, N. (2024). The impact of media representation on female athlete identity and self-perception. International Journal of Sport Studies for Health, 7(3), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.61838/kman.intjssh.7.3.1

5. Barker, J., Smith Byrne, K., Doherty, A., Foster, C., Rahimi, K., Ramakrishnan, R., ... & Dwyer, T. (2019). Physical activity of UK adults with chronic disease: Cross-sectional analysis of accelerometer-measured physical activity in 96,706 UK Biobank participants. International Journal of Epidemiology, 48(4), 1167-1174.

6. Bissell, K., Chou, S., & Dirks, E. (2024). Elite but struggling: Mediated narratives of women athletes and mental health disclosures. Journalism & Communication Monographs, 26(1), 4-63.

7. Sainz-de-Baranda, C., Adá-Lameiras, A., & Blanco-Ruiz, M. (2020). Gender differences in sports news coverage on Twitter. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(14), 5199.

8. Eydi, H., Bakhshi Chenari, A. R., & Fadaeii Deh Cheshmeh, M. (2019). The role of the media on the attitude of Iranian women toward the participation of Muslim women in the Olympic and world championships. Communication Management in Sport Media, 7(1), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.30473/jsm.2019.42463.1278 (In Persian).

9. Ghasemi, H., & Kashkar, S. (2011). The role of trust in sports media in its effect on student athletes. Research in Sports Biology, 2(5), 75-89. (In Persian).

10. Golnabi, M., Hoseini, M., & Rezaii Soufi, M. (2018). Comparison between the views of mass media officials and sport officials regarding media coverage of women's sports. Applied Research of Sport Management, 6(4), 72-82. (In Persian).

11. Goudarzi, M., Hosseini, M., Bastaki, M., & Shahrian, R. (2022). Investigating the role of security in motivating women's participation in public sports activities. A Journal of Police University and Women Police Training Center, 16(37). (In Persian).

Hagiwara, G., Iwatsuki, T., Isogai, H., Van Raalte, J. L., & Brewer, B. W. (2017). Relationships among sports helplessness, depression, and social support in American

1. college student-athletes. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 17(2), 753-757.

2. Hashemi Motlagh, S., Aslankhani, M. A., & Safania, A. M. (2018). The effect of perceived environment and social support on participation in leisure-time physical activity of staff in Islamic Azad University (District 13). Journal of Sports Studies, 6(21), 95-104. (In Persian).

3. He, L., Ishii, K., Shibata, A., Adachi, M., Nonoue, M., & Oka, K. (2013). Mediation effects of social support on relationships of perceived environment and self-efficacy with school-based physical activity: A structural equation model tailored for Japanese adolescent girls. Journal of Preventive Medicine, 3(1), 42-50.

1. Hosseini, E., & Farzan, F. (2018). An examination of the role of social support in women’s sport commitment to sports. Sport Management Journal, 10(1), 137-148. https://doi.org/10.22059/jsm.2018.203847.1606 (In Persian).

5. Irajpour, A., Mojarrad, N., & Dabbagh Rezaieh, F. (2016). Investigating the role of mass media in cultural development of Iran amateur and professional sports. Sport Management and Development, 5(2), 36-52.

6. Irwin, P. M. (2022). Physical activity among older women living in rural areas in Canada: A scoping review. Journal of Population Ageing, 15(1), 1-47.

7. Javan, M., Badri Azarin, Y., Jafari, S., & Akbari, B. (2018). A comparison of the viewpoints of physical education teachers and students on social support behavior and its characteristics and the effectiveness of physical education classes. Sport Physiology & Management Investigations, 10(2), 83-99. (In Persian).

1. Karami, A., Qasemi, H., & N’emati Anaraki, D. (2012). Content analysis of TV women sports programs. Communication Research, 19(69), 135-155. https://doi.org/10.22082/cr.2012.23360

9. Khajovi, D., & Shahbazi, N. (2016). Prediction of physical activity of female students based on sources of perceived social support. Knowledge and Research in Applied Psychology, 17(2), 108-116. (In Persian).

10. Khorshide, M., & Nemati, N. (2024). The role of mass media on the participation of students in sports activities. Second International Conference for Students of Sports Sciences and Physical Education. (In Persian).

11. Maleki, A., Parsamehr, M., & Ghasemi, H. (2018). The relationship between socio-economic status and type and degree of sport participation (Case study: Women in Ilam). Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development), 13(1), 119-148. (In Persian).

12. Mazyari, M., Kashef, S. M., & Seyyed Ameri, M. H. (2016). Investigating amotivation reasons of high school students to participate in physical education activities and its relationship with social support. Sport Physiology & Management Investigations, 8(1), 119-132. (In Persian).

13. Naghdi, A., Balali, E., & Imani, P. (2011). A study on socio-cultural barriers of women's participation in sports (Case study: 20-40 year-old female athletes and non-athletes in Hamedan province). Woman in Development & Politics, 9(1), 147-163. (In Persian).

14. Njegovan, B. R., Bunčić, S., & Šiđanin, I. (2022). Media and sport: Mutual benefit. In Industrial Innovation in Digital Age (pp. 261-268). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

15. Norouzi, A., Maleki, A., Parsamehr, M., & Ghasemi, H. (2018). The relationship between socio-economic status and type and degree of sport participation (Case study: Women in Ilam). Quarterly Journal of Social Development (Previously Human Development), 13(1), 119-148. https://doi.org/10.22055/Qjsd.2018.14016

16. Osborne, J., Kavanagh, E., & Litchfield, C. (2021). Freedom for expression or a space of oppression? Social media and the female @thlete. In The Professionalisation of Women’s Sport (pp. 157-172).

17. Pearson, E., & Misener, L. (2024). Informing future Paralympic media approaches: The perspective of Canadian Paralympic athletes. Communication & Sport, 12(2), 254-276.

18. Portela-Pino, I., Brea Castro, M., Vila-Suarez, H., & Alvariñas-Villaverde, M. (2024). Examining social support and self-esteem in high-performance sportswomen in Spain. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 19(3), 702-709.

19. Rasekh, N., Sajjadi, S. A., Razavi, S. M. H., & Dousti, M. (2018). Analysis of the educational sport structure in Iran. Research on Educational Sport, 6(14), 17-44. (In Persian).

20. Saeidpour, S. S., Saffari, M., Norouzi Seyed Hossini, R., & Aghaei, N. (2024). The role of security and social support in the leisure physical activity of adult women in Tehran. Sport Management Journal, 56(1), 1-20. (In Persian).

21. Shabani, A., & Rezaei Soofi, M. (2014). The environmental analysis of sport for all in Iran. Scientific Journal of Organizational Behavior Management in Sport Studies, 1(4), 25-34. (In Persian).

22. Shahbazipour, M. M., & Behzad Nesab, M. A. (2018). Analyzing the state of media policy in the Islamic Republic of Iran; A case study of women's sports. Promotional Article of Bi-quarterly Scientific Journal of Culture and Communication, 2(4), 45-64. (In Persian).

23. Smith, G. L., Banting, L., Eime, R., O’Sullivan, G., & Van Uffelen, J. G. (2017). The association between social support and physical activity in older adults: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 56.

1. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2009). The UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics (FCS). https://doi.org/978-92-9189-075-0

25. Tian, Y., Yang, P., & Zhang, D. (2023). The relationship between media use and sports participation behavior: A meta-analysis. Digital Health, 9, 20552076231185476.

26. Yen Yen, Y. S., Chen, M. C., & Su, C. H. (2020). Social capital affects job performance through social media. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 120(5), 903-922.

1. Zameni, L., Bahram, A., Khalaji, H., Ghadiri, F., & Hasani, G. (2017). Biological maturation and physical activity among female adolescents in Mazandaran, Iran, in 2017: Moderating role of social support. Medical Journal of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 60(3), 528-538. https://doi.org/10.22038/mjms.2017.10135

28. Zand, A., & Imanzadeh, R. (2024). The role of mass media in social vitality and sports participation: A study of Pars Oil Refinery employees. Olympic Studies, 2(2), 55-63.

29. Zar, A., Safari Jafarloo, H., Maleknasab, M., & Sadeghipur, H. (2022). Investigating the relationship between social welfare and social health and the intention of sports participation among women. Journal of Health, 13(2), 189-198.

30. Zhu, M., Li, S., Gao, H., & Zuo, L. (2023). Social media use, thriving at work, and employee well-being: A mediation model. Current Psychology, 43(2), 1052-1066.

31. Saeidpour, S. S., Saffari, M., Norouzi Seyed Hossini, R., & Aghaei, N. (2024). The role of security and social support in the leisure physical activity of adult women in Tehran. Sport Management Journal, 56(1), 1-20. (In Persian).

32. Shabani, A., & Rezaei Soofi, M. (2014). The environmental analysis of sport for all in Iran. Scientific Journal of Organizational Behavior Management in Sport Studies, 1(4), 25-34. (In Persian).

33. Shahbazipour, M. M., & Behzad Nesab, M. A. (2018). Analyzing the state of media policy in the Islamic Republic of Iran; A case study of women's sports. Promotional Article of Bi-quarterly Scientific Journal of Culture and Communication, 2(4), 45-64. (In Persian).

34. Smith, G. L., Banting, L., Eime, R., O’Sullivan, G., & Van Uffelen, J. G. (2017). The association between social support and physical activity in older adults: A systematic review. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 56.

35. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. (2009). The UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics (FCS). https://doi.org/978-92-9189-075-0

36. Tian, Y., Yang, P., & Zhang, D. (2023). The relationship between media use and sports participation behavior: A meta-analysis. Digital Health, 9, 20552076231185476.

37. Yen Yen, Y. S., Chen, M. C., & Su, C. H. (2020). Social capital affects job performance through social media. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 120(5), 903-922.

38. Zameni, L., Bahram, A., Khalaji, H., Ghadiri, F., & Hasani, G. (2017). Biological maturation and physical activity among female adolescents in Mazandaran, Iran, in 2017: Moderating role of social support. Medical Journal of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 60(3), 528-538. https://doi.org/10.22038/mjms.2017.10135

39. Zand, A., & Imanzadeh, R. (2024). The role of mass media in social vitality and sports participation: A study of Pars Oil Refinery employees. Olympic Studies, 2(2), 55-63.

40. Zar, A., Safari Jafarloo, H., Maleknasab, M., & Sadeghipur, H. (2022). Investigating the relationship between social welfare and social health and the intention of sports participation among women. Journal of Health, 13(2), 189-198.

41. Zhu, M., Li, S., Gao, H., & Zuo, L. (2023). Social media use, thriving at work, and employee well-being: A mediation model. Current Psychology, 43(2), 1052-1066.