Testing the Relationship Between Perceived Constraints and Recreational Sport Participation Levels in an Urban Environment in Greece

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to test the relationship between perceived constraints and recreational sport participation in an urban environment. The data were collected from an on-site survey in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece, with a sample of one thousand individuals, participants in recreational sport activities. The Leisure Constraints Questionnaire was used to measure sport related constraints, following the hierarchical model of leisure constraints. The results indicated that the Lack of Interest, Psychological Factors, Lack of Knowledge and Previous Experience had statistically signicant differences among participants and non-participants. All these dimensions can be categorized within the psychological constraints, which is in line with the hierarchical model of leisure constraints. These results propose that these constraints should be targeted by sport policy makers in their effort to promote recreational sports in a more effective way among citizens.