Relationship Analysis of Destination Image, Sports Involvement, Event Quality and Travel Motives as an Antecedent Factors on Revisit Intention in Recurring Running Sports-Event

The research aimed to examine the relationship between destination image, sports involvement, quality of sport events, and travel motives as antecedent factors to predict repeat visit intentions of marathon events. This was a further study of the trends that occur in society regarding the changing perception that sport is not only for health purposes, but also as a profitable tourism subject. Data was collected using quantitative, non-probability, purposive sampling methods. The research instrument was an online questionnaire which was distributed to tourists and athletes who took part in running sport-events. The data analysis method uses Structural Equation Modelling with Smart PLS 3.0. The test results show that not all research hypotheses are accepted. Sport-event quality (SQ) has a positive relationship but has no significant effect on revisit intention (RI) from repeated sporting events. The positive effect of travel motive (TM) on the intention to revisit a repetitive sporting event (RI) is proven. Travel motive (TM) also has a positive and significant effect on destination image (DI). Sports involvement (SI) has a positive and significant effect on revisit intention (RI). The same positive and significant effect is also shown in the relationship between sports event quality (SQ) and destination image (DI) variables. Revisit intention (RI) of repeated sporting events was found to be positively influenced by destination image (DI). There is a significant indirect effect of sport-event quality on intention to revisit repeated sporting events (RI), mediated by destination image.

The Use of Sports Apps for Engaging in Physical Activity

Background. As healthy lifestyle and physical activity become more relevant, sports apps are receiving more attention as one of the most convenient tools for monitoring one’s physical condition. While activity-related apps are thought to be effective tools for health care and management, there is still a lack of information on the key factors that motivate individuals to download and use them. Seeing the large selection of different sports apps with similar functions, it can be assumed that other factors, such as certain characteristics of the apps or the user’s characteristics can also influence the consumer’s choice. Methods. The study included 410 physically active subjects who were using sports apps (137 men and 273 women). To establish sports app usage, the questionnaire developed by Ha, Kang, and Ha (2015) was used. The statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS. Results. In the analysis of different factors, the perception of sports apps was assessed the most positively. All these factors were more likely to be assessed positively by women than by men (p ≤ .05). The strongest correlations with intentions were found between perceptions of sports apps (enjoyment, ease of use, usefulness, reliability) (r > .5, p ≤ .01) while with other variables correlations were slightly lower. Conclusions. Women are more positive about the use of sports apps, in their perceptions and their connection to the smart device. Intentions to use sports apps are most influenced by perceptions of sports apps and personal innovativeness, which not only directly affects the intentions themselves, but also influences the perceptions that influence the intentions. Keywords: smartphones, smart devices, sports involvement, innovation, perception.

A Comprehensive Overview of the Physical Health of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD) Cohort at Baseline

Physical health in childhood is crucial for neurobiological as well as overall development, and can shape long-term outcomes into adulthood. The landmark, longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development StudySM (ABCD study), was designed to investigate brain development and health in almost 12,000 youth who were recruited when they were 9-10 years old and will be followed through adolescence and early adulthood. The overall goal of this paper is to provide descriptive analyses of physical health measures in the ABCD study at baseline, including but not limited to sleep, physical activity and sports involvement, and body mass index, and how these measures vary across demographic groups. This paper outlines how the physical health of the ABCD sample corresponds with that of the US population and highlights important avenues for health disparity research. This manuscript will provide important information for ABCD users and help guide analyses investigating physical health as it pertains to adolescent and young adult development.

Social Bonding to School and Educational Inequality: Race/Ethnicity, Dropping Out, and the Significance of Place

Social bond theory suggests that strong bonds to school influence better outcomes on measures of educational progress and success. However, we know little about the relationship between social bonding to school and dropout for racial/ethnic minorities, or how this relationship varies across school settings. We examine how five types of social bonding (attachment, academic and sports involvement, commitment, and belief) influence the likelihood of dropout for racial/ethnic minorities in urban, suburban, and rural schools using national survey data. Results suggest that strong social bonds to school have the potential to mitigate some of the observed racial/ethnic gaps in dropout risk; however, the opportunity to form such bonds, as well as the strength of their protective effects, vary by student race/ethnicity, type of social bond, and school location.

The effects of high-tech cameras on sports consumers' viewing experiences: the moderating role of sports involvement

PurposeBased on the limited-capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP), this study aims to examine the effects of different camera types on the viewing experiences of sports consumers and their intention to follow social media channels, depending on their level of sports involvement.Design/methodology/approachThe design for this experiment utilized 2 (highly involved vs less involved sports consumers) × 2 (high-tech vs non-high-tech cameras) between-subjects design. Overall, 289 US-based sports consumers participated in this experiment.FindingsThe results indicate that sports videos recorded by high-tech cameras lead to greater perceived novelty than those recorded by non-high-tech cameras, thus enhancing sports consumers' intention to follow social media channels, especially when consumers are highly involved with the target sports. However, sports consumers who are less involved with particular sports become distracted during their viewing experiences when high-tech cameras are used to broadcast games; these consumers' intentions to follow social media channels are not strengthened.Originality/valuePrevious studies have focused mainly on the positive effects of high-tech cameras on the viewing experiences of sports consumers. Based on the LC4MP, the authors extend the existing literature not only by examining the mechanism that underpins the positive effects of high-tech cameras, but also by identifying a situation where the use of high-tech cameras results in a negative viewing experience for sports consumers.

Sexuality, Sports-Related Mistreatment, and U.S. Adults’ Sports Involvement

Sexual stigma and prejudice exist in sport and leisure (Herek, 2009). This study employs descriptive and regression analyses of the National Sports and Society Survey (N = 3,993) to examine the patterns and implications of sexual stigma and prejudice in sports contexts by focusing on U.S. adults’ reports of sports-related mistreatment and involvement. Results indicate that about 1/3 of adults perceive sports as unwelcoming to LGBT athletes and nearly 40% report experiencing sports-related mistreatment; adults who identify as a sexual minority are particularly likely to perceive sports as unwelcoming and to report personal mistreatment. They are also less likely than self-identified heterosexuals to play, spectate, and talk about sports; sports-related mistreatment and childhood sports histories do not explain these patterns. Overall, the findings suggest that more action is needed to offset the presence and influence of sexual stigma and prejudice and to provide more welcoming sports environments for all.

The National Sports and Society Survey Methodological Summary

The 2018-19 National Sports and Society Survey (NSASS) was designed to be a unique social science data collection effort to enable quantitative research on important but under-researched issues. In particular, its intent was to provide comprehensive empirical evidence of sports involvement patterns and contexts, sports-related public opinions and ideologies, and indicators of well-being, social patterns, and the more general social contexts of adult Americans ages 21-65. Respondents were also asked to report on the sports involvement histories and contexts, family and school experiences, and health and well-being of a child between 6 and 17 years old if they had such a child who also shared a residence with them. A targeted sample of 4,000 adults was established using members of the American Population Panel (APP) so that important subgroup analyses could be undertaken, and to allow for follow-up interviews to be conducted with sufficient numbers in today’s climate of declining survey responses. The NSASS was designed and enacted by Prof. Chris Knoester (PI), with support from the College of Arts and Sciences, the Sports and Society Initiative, and CHRR at The Ohio State University. CHRR worked closely with the PI to design the study, navigate Institutional Review Board protocols, construct and polish the survey instrument, program the online interface, and collect, document and disseminate the data. This document summarizes the survey design and data collection efforts of the NSASS.