Research Article

AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES

Volume: 7 Number: 2 August 31, 2026
TR EN

AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine whether university students' health beliefs regarding sports and recreational activities differ according to variables such as gender, department, grade level, exercise habits, alcohol and tobacco use, and living arrangements. A quantitative survey model was employed in the study. Data were collected using the 21-item Health Belief Scale developed by Ertüzün et al. (2013), which consists of five subscales: perceived severity, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, physical benefits, and psychosocial benefits. Independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were applied to analyze group differences; Tukey's post-hoc test was used to identify the source of significant differences. No significant differences were found in the subdimensions of health beliefs based on gender, grade level, sports participation frequency, competitive purpose, or housing status. A significant difference was detected only in the psychosocial benefit dimension between students who use alcohol and those who do not. Regarding the department variable, a significant difference was identified solely in the perceived severity dimension; students from other departments scored higher than those enrolled in Sports Management. These findings suggest that university students' health beliefs are largely consistent across demographic and lifestyle variables, with the exception of alcohol use and departmental affiliation, highlighting the need for targeted health promotion interventions in higher education settings. In conclusion, fostering positive health beliefs about sports and recreational activities among university students is important for increasing participation in physical activity and promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors. It is recommended that universities expand practices to encourage student participation in sports and recreational activities and plan health promotion programs that take individual differences into account.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

The necessary approvals for this study were obtained from the …………… University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee via its decision dated 02/11/2025 and numbered 8500.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Exercise and Sports Psychology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

August 31, 2026

Submission Date

May 7, 2026

Acceptance Date

July 23, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 7 Number: 2

APA
Sitti, S., Köroğlu, Y., & Özcan, B. (2026). AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 7(2), 154-163. https://izlik.org/JA24EC25ZC
AMA
1.Sitti S, Köroğlu Y, Özcan B. AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES. CUSPOR. 2026;7(2):154-163. https://izlik.org/JA24EC25ZC
Chicago
Sitti, Samet, Yaşar Köroğlu, and Buşra Özcan. 2026. “AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES”. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 7 (2): 154-63. https://izlik.org/JA24EC25ZC.
EndNote
Sitti S, Köroğlu Y, Özcan B (August 1, 2026) AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 7 2 154–163.
IEEE
[1]S. Sitti, Y. Köroğlu, and B. Özcan, “AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES”, CUSPOR, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 154–163, Aug. 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA24EC25ZC
ISNAD
Sitti, Samet - Köroğlu, Yaşar - Özcan, Buşra. “AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES”. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi 7/2 (August 1, 2026): 154-163. https://izlik.org/JA24EC25ZC.
JAMA
1.Sitti S, Köroğlu Y, Özcan B. AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES. CUSPOR. 2026;7:154–163.
MLA
Sitti, Samet, et al. “AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES”. Sivas Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, vol. 7, no. 2, Aug. 2026, pp. 154-63, https://izlik.org/JA24EC25ZC.
Vancouver
1.Samet Sitti, Yaşar Köroğlu, Buşra Özcan. AN ANALYSIS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ HEALTH BELIEFS REGARDING SPORTING RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN RELATION TO CERTAIN VARIABLES. CUSPOR [Internet]. 2026 Aug. 1;7(2):154-63. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA24EC25ZC

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