Modeling the Factors Promoting Women's Participation in Public Sports in Northeast Iran Based on Territorial Planning

This study aimed to model the factors promoting women's participation in public sports in Northeast Iran based on territorial planning. The statistical population consisted of experts and practitioners in women's public sports in the Khorasan Razavi, North Khorasan, and South Khorasan provinces. Using convenience sampling and Cochran’s formula, 300 participants were selected. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire comprising 81 items across seven dimensions: transportation flow, natural attractions and events, socio-cultural factors, infrastructure and accommodations, managerial-executive factors, laws and policies, and climatic conditions. The validity of the instrument was confirmed through face and content validity by experts, and its reliability was established using Cronbach’s alpha and Composite Reliability (CR) coefficients, all of which exceeded the acceptable threshold of 0.7. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) via Smart PLS software. The results indicated that the proposed model had a good fit, with factor loadings above 0.4, Average Variance Extracted (AVE) above 0.5, and reliability coefficients above 0.7. Key factors influencing participation included natural attractions and events (effect coefficient 0.95), infrastructure and accommodations (0.92), climatic conditions (0.91), socio-cultural factors (0.88), managerial-executive factors and transportation flow (0.86), and laws and policies (0.70), in descending order of impact. These findings highlight the importance of integrating geographical, cultural, and managerial factors in territorial planning. It is recommended to enhance local infrastructure, promote sports events, and reform policies to increase women's participation in public sports