Qualitative explanation of the grounds and conditions of participation of female students in public sports (Case study: Payame Noor University of Kerman)

It is necessary to study the   grounds of public sports in order to prevent physiological injuries, especially poor mobility and psychological problems and social harm among the female students. Following data collection, this study was conducted with a qualitative approach to explain the effective social conditions and contexts of the female students of Payam Noor University in Kerman participating in public sports in 2019. The participants in the research were 31 female students studying in this university, who were targeted  using a convenience sampling method. Semi-structured interviews have been used as  a data collection tool. To achieve the criterion of reliability, three methods have been used: control or validation by members, analytical comparisons, and the use of audit techniques. The collected data have been analyzed consistent with grounded theory, in three stages of open, selective and selective (pivotal) coding. After analyzing the research findings, the categories of economic crisis, social support and social capital as the most important indicators were found. Causal conditions, personal management of the body / cultural expectations / sports infrastructure as intervening conditions, and healthy lifestyle as the most important background were recognized. Building infrastructure / environmental security / motivation of officials as action-interactions and control of violence in society have been identified as the most important consequences of participation in public sports. The result indicates that women's participation in sports and public sports activities is formed under the influence of the cultural and social context in society and would increase by the raise of society’s awareness of its benefits.