A Systematic Review of Factors Influencing Women's Sports Participation

Abstract

With the continuous rise in global chronic diseases, public health issues have attracted more attention. Women's health is particularly prominent in this regard. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that "regular engagement in physical exercise is fundamental to health maintenance." However, recent research indicates that approximately one-third of women worldwide fail to meet the physical activity levels recommended by health experts. This situation has made women mass sports participation an important topic in academic research. According to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), individual behavior is directly influenced by behavioral intention. Behavioral intention is shaped by several interrelated factors. Using this theoretical framework, this study employs a systematic review to identify factors influencing women's intentions to participate in mass sports and align them within the TPB model. This provides a theoretical basis for promoting female engagement in sports. Based on a qualitative analysis of the 30 included studies, this research identifies four categories of factors influencing women's intention to participate in mass sports: attitude toward sports participation, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and other relevant factors. Among these, perceived behavioral control demonstrates the most significant association with women's intention to engage in mass sports. To advance this field, future research should use theory-driven longitudinal designs to improve the accuracy of participation predictions. Mixed-methods approaches are also recommended to gain a deeper understanding of women's experiences and their subjective views on influencing factors.

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