Journal of Foresight and Health Governance

Identifying indicators affecting the development of health and lifestyle using the social marketing approach in sport

Nasim Momenpour Machiani iD , Nima Majedi ^* iD , Zahra Nobakht Ramezani iD

The aim of this research was to identify the effective indicators on the development of health and lifestyle using the social marketing approach in sport. The present research based on the paradigm was interpretative research, from the perspective of the goal fundamental and exploratory one, and it was a qualitative research that hidden content analysis tactics was used. The statistical population of this research was professors of sports management, senior and middle managers of the line and staff areas of the deputy of sports and health and the ministry of sports and youth, the heads committees of public sports and the officials of sports in the field of health and sports marketing specialists. By using the purposeful sampling method 15 people were considered as the sample. The data collection method was in-depth and semi-structured interviews, and after theoretical saturation by using the results of recoding, the reliability of 0.78. was calculated for the interviews. The results showed that among the 88 primary propositions with a frequency of 110, 5 main categories and 18 concepts were counted as effective indicators on sports social marketing with the approach of health development and lifestyle. The results of the Shannon matrix showed that the position of exercise in a person's life and doing physical activities with an importance coefficient of 30 had the most frequency among the counted categories. After that, the categories of environmental and cultural and social conditions had the highest importance coefficients among the categories with 24 and 23 importance coefficients, respectively. Officials in the field of health and wellness, as well as the Ministry of Youth Sports, should interact with advertising organizations and national and social media in order to improve the level of individual knowledge of families and individuals and their education level, media literacy and information sources, taking into account social factors.

Development of a Retention Model for Nursing and Medical Staff in the Healthcare Sector with a Quality of Work Life Enhancement Approach

Hassan Reza Anbarloo iD , Nabiollah Mohammadi ^* iD , Homa Doroudi iD , Arshad Farahmandian iD

To develop an expert-informed model of nursing and medical staff retention that incorporates quality-of-work-life considerations. This applied, cross-sectional study used a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making framework. A panel of 23 purposively selected experts assessed the proposed factors through fuzzy Delphi rounds. A subgroup of five experts provided pairwise judgments for fuzzy DEMATEL analysis, followed by DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP) weighting. Content validity was assessed using the content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI). The proposed framework comprises five dimensions, 12 components and 42 indicators. In the reported DEMATEL results, the organizational (D−R = 0.53), technological/process-related (0.31), and psychological (0.28) dimensions were classified as net influencing factors, whereas the work environment (−0.89) and individual (−0.28) dimensions were classified as net influenced factors. These classifications represent expert-assessed influence relationships rather than experimentally demonstrated causation. Organizational arrangements and process improvement emerged as priorities within the expert-derived influence network. Practical retention strategies should also address clinical working conditions, workload, professional development and psychological support. Further empirical validation is required before the model can be interpreted as predictive of observed staff retention.

A Psychological Model of Self-Reported Physical Health in Insufficiently Active Adults: The Roles of Mindfulness, Body Image, and Perceived Social Acceptance

Ezzatolah Kordmirza Nikoozadeh iD , Mojgan Agahheris iD , Afagh Saleh ^* iD , Maryam Abdolkarimy Nazary iD

This study aims to test a cross-sectional structural model linking mindfulness and perceived social acceptance with self-reported physical health, directly and indirectly through body image, among insufficiently active adults. This descriptive-correlational study included 400 adults aged 18–59 years in Tehran, Iran, recruited through multistage cluster sampling in 2026. Insufficient physical activity was defined as <600 MET-min/week on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form. Mindfulness, body image, perceived social acceptance, and self-reported physical health were assessed using questionnaires. The hypothesized pathways were tested using structural equation modeling in SPSS and AMOS; indirect effects were evaluated with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. Body image was the strongest direct correlate of physical health (β = .43). Mindfulness and perceived social acceptance were positively associated with body image (β = .39 and β = .32, respectively), and both had smaller direct associations with physical health (β = .18 and β = .13). The standardized indirect effects through body image were .168 (95% CI [.120, .224]) for mindfulness and .138 (95% CI [.094, .188]) for social acceptance. The model accounted for 34% of the variance in body image and 48% of the variance in physical health and showed acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.18, CFI = .941, TLI = .933, RMSEA = .055, SRMR = .052). In this cross-sectional sample, mindfulness and perceived social acceptance were associated with better self-reported physical health partly through more favorable body image. Longitudinal research using objective health and activity measures is required before causal or intervention claims can be made.

Modeling the Pragmatic Legitimacy of Public Organizations Based on Good Governance Principles

Marjan Lashkari iD , Ali Reza Modanlo Joibari ^* , Changiz Mohammadizadeh iD

As public expectations become more complex and scrutiny of public-sector performance intensifies, organizational legitimacy and good governance have become central concerns for managers and policymakers. Inefficiency, limited transparency, internal resistance, and political pressure can weaken the legitimacy of public organizations and erode public trust. This study develops a context-sensitive model of pragmatic legitimacy for Iranian public organizations based on good-governance principles. An applied qualitative design using grounded theory was adopted. Fourteen academic and executive experts in public administration, public policy, and governance were selected through purposive sampling supported by snowball referrals, with recruitment continuing until theoretical saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. Initial coding produced 362 preliminary labels; after comparison, removal of duplication, and conceptual consolidation, 336 retained open-code statements were organized into six axial categories and 18 selective themes. The model identifies sociocultural, governance-administrative, and international-technological drivers; structural reform, transparency, accountability, anti-corruption, and public-participation strategies; cultural-social, structural-institutional, and legal-regulatory contextual conditions; external intervention, intra-organizational resistance, and systemic inefficiency as intervening conditions; and transparency, citizenship rights, efficiency, and organizational development as the core phenomenon. Expected outcomes include stronger legitimacy and public trust, greater transparency and accountability, lower corruption, improved efficiency, and higher service quality. The findings show that pragmatic legitimacy is not a single organizational attribute but a dynamic outcome of alignment among institutional conditions, stakeholder expectations, administrative capabilities, and credible governance practices.

Developing a Model for a Chivalrous Lifestyle with Emphasis on School Sports

Najmeh Torabi Ghahfarokhi ^* iD , Ahmadreza Askari iD , Shahram Aroufzad iD

This study aimed to develop a model for promoting and institutionalizing a chivalrous lifestyle with emphasis on school sports. A qualitative grounded-theory design based on the systematic approach of Strauss and Corbin was used. The participants comprised Farhangian University faculty members and sport specialists in Isfahan who were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Data were generated through exploratory semi-structured interviews, complemented by a structured review of relevant scholarly and documentary sources. Data analysis proceeded through open, axial, and selective coding. The findings identified the institutionalization of a chivalrous lifestyle in school sports as the core phenomenon. The model included causal conditions, notably teacher competence, students' individual readiness, family support, and educational governance; contextual factors; intervening factors; strategies including cultural institutionalization, strategic planning, infrastructure development, and support and facilitation; and consequences including development of chivalrous sport, comprehensive health promotion, holistic growth and development, increased commitment and responsibility, and development of cultural and social capital. The expert-derived model suggests that educational policymaking, cultural development, and coordinated participation by families, schools, and relevant institutions may be important for developing and sustaining chivalrous values in students' lifestyles.

An Expert-Informed Grounded Theory of Health-Oriented Participatory Sports Competitions in Iran: From Episodic Competition to Sustainable Health-Promoting Participation

Mohammad Amin Shahidi Bonjar , Zahra Nobakht Ramezani ^* iD , Mehdi Naderi Nasab iD , Seyed Abbas Biniaz iD , Arefeh Jamshidi iD

Participatory sport events can provide an accessible entry point to physical activity, social connection, and health promotion; however, one-off competitions do not necessarily generate sustained participation. This qualitative study aimed to develop an expert-informed grounded theory explaining how health-oriented participatory sports competitions in Iran may be organized to support sustained, health-promoting participation. Classical grounded theory with Glaser’s emergent approach was used. Fifteen experts in sport management, sport-for-all, public health, physical activity, and participatory sport-event organization were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. In-depth semi-structured interviews continued until theoretical saturation. Interviews were audio-recorded with participants’ agreement, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed through constant comparison, open coding, selective coding, theoretical coding, and memo writing. Analysis generated 106 initial codes, 41 subcategories, and 13 main categories organized into four overarching dimensions: (1) institutional and strategic requirements; (2) participation and health architecture; (3) assurance of responsible implementation; and (4) learning and health legacy. The core category was “transforming episodic competition into sustainable health-promoting participation.” The emergent model suggests that intersectoral governance and evidence-based planning provide the conditions for inclusive and health-centered design; responsible implementation supports safety, service quality, communication, and sustainability; and post-event monitoring creates a feedback mechanism through which anticipated physical, psychological, social, behavioral, and organizational legacies may be strengthened. The findings conceptualize these competitions as recurring, learning-oriented components of a broader participation system rather than isolated events. The model provides a context-sensitive framework for sport and public-health policymakers, municipalities, sport federations, and event organizers seeking to connect event participation with longer-term opportunities for physical activity.

From Individual Agency to Structural Empowerment: A Grounded Theory Model of Women’s Leadership Transformation in Sport Organizations

Afsaneh Honarmandnia iD , Mehdi Naderi Nasab ^* iD , Vahid Moghaddam iD , Mostafa Soltani iD

Women remain underrepresented in senior leadership across many sport organizations despite sustained attention to gender equity. Research has often treated this problem either as a deficit in women’s preparation for leadership or as a consequence of organizational barriers. The present study develops a process-oriented explanation that connects individual agency with the organizational and institutional conditions required for structural empowerment. This article presents a focused secondary analysis and theoretical synthesis of the qualitative phase of a larger doctoral study on women’s leadership transformation in Iranian sport organizations. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews with women holding managerial or executive experience in sport and experts in sport management were analyzed in the original study using a Glaserian grounded theory approach based on constant comparison, open coding, selective coding, and theoretical coding. The full study produced 133 refined initial codes, 43 subcategories, 15 main categories, and five overarching dimensions. The present paper does not claim a new dataset or a new coding system; its distinct contribution is to isolate and integrate the transition-oriented categories that explain how individual capability may become substantive and potentially durable organizational influence: individual agency, competence development, support and networking, inclusive climate, structural empowerment, institutional accountability, transformation strategies, and transformation outcomes. The findings suggest that agency and competence are important but insufficient on their own. Their practical significance is shaped by access to professional networks, senior support, psychological safety, information, resources, decision authority, transparent rules, and monitoring. Structural empowerment was interpreted as a key bridge between holding a managerial title and being able to exercise organizational influence. Sustainable transformation was associated by participants with coordinated structural redesign, cultural change, and coalition building. Because the study is qualitative, these relationships should be read as an interpretive process model rather than as experimentally tested causal effects. The model shifts attention from “fixing women” to aligning individual capability with organizational power structures and accountability mechanisms.

Designing a Human Resource Management Ecosystem Model in Sport Organizations

Maryam Chitsaz Qazvini iD , Mahdi Naderi Nasab ^* iD , Seyed Abbas Biniaz iD , Ali Khorjahani iD

Human resource management in sport organizations is increasingly shaped by interdependence among federations, clubs, public agencies, universities, professional associations, technology providers, coaches, referees, medical staff, volunteers, and other specialist actors. Traditional organization-centered HRM approaches do not fully explain how knowledge, talent, professional capability, and employment relationships move across these boundaries. This study aimed to develop a human resource management ecosystem model for sport organizations and obtain preliminary empirical support for its proposed structure. An applied-developmental exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was used. In the qualitative phase, systematic grounded theory was conducted with 15 experts in sport management and human resource management selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Semi-structured interviews continued until theoretical saturation and were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. The qualitative analysis generated 120 initial codes, 30 subcategories, and 15 main categories. In the quantitative phase, a researcher-developed 120-item questionnaire was administered online to 400 respondents drawn from sport organizations and related professional groups. Content validity was examined by 15 experts, a pilot reliability assessment was conducted with 30 respondents, and the measurement and structural models were examined using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The model included causal conditions (sport workforce complexity and institutional fragmentation), a core phenomenon (human capital networking and sport value co-creation), contextual conditions (sport institutional environment and sport performance culture), intervening conditions (sport transformation readiness and strategic sport support), strategies (professional sport empowerment, talent-cycle engineering, and ecosystem performance steering), and outcomes (flourishing professional capital, empowered sport organizations, excellent sport services, and sustainable sport development). The specified structural relationships were positive and statistically significant in the study sample. Causal conditions were strongly associated with the HRM ecosystem (beta = 0.95, t = 120.95, R2 = 0.917). The HRM ecosystem (beta = 0.96), contextual conditions (beta = 0.78), and intervening conditions (beta = 0.95) were associated with strategies, explaining 93.7% of their variance; strategies were strongly associated with outcomes (beta = 0.96, t = 183.84, R2 = 0.936). Because these coefficients and R2 values are unusually high for organizational research and the instrument was derived directly from the qualitative categories, the quantitative findings should be interpreted as preliminary internal support rather than independent external validation. The findings support a provisional conceptualization of HRM in sport organizations as a networked and multi-actor ecosystem rather than a set of isolated intra-organizational functions. The proposed model emphasizes coordination of specialist actors, shared capability development, strategic support, digital readiness, trust, talent-cycle integration, and multi-level performance governance. Independent psychometric replication and additional discriminant-validity and predictive assessments are required before the model can be considered externally validated.

Journal of Foresight and Health Governance

About the Journal

Current Issue

Articles

A Psychological Model of Self-Reported Physical Health in Insufficiently Active Adults: The Roles of Mindfulness, Body Image, and Perceived Social Acceptance

Modeling the Pragmatic Legitimacy of Public Organizations Based on Good Governance Principles

Developing a Model for a Chivalrous Lifestyle with Emphasis on School Sports

An Expert-Informed Grounded Theory of Health-Oriented Participatory Sports Competitions in Iran: From Episodic Competition to Sustainable Health-Promoting Participation

From Individual Agency to Structural Empowerment: A Grounded Theory Model of Women’s Leadership Transformation in Sport Organizations

Language

Issues

Indexing & Abstracting

Make a Submission

Editorial Board

Journal Statistics Summary

Keywords

Identifying indicators affecting the development of health and lifestyle using the social marketing approach in sport

Development of a Retention Model for Nursing and Medical Staff in the Healthcare Sector with a Quality of Work Life Enhancement Approach

A Psychological Model of Self-Reported Physical Health in Insufficiently Active Adults: The Roles of Mindfulness, Body Image, and Perceived Social Acceptance

Modeling the Pragmatic Legitimacy of Public Organizations Based on Good Governance Principles

Developing a Model for a Chivalrous Lifestyle with Emphasis on School Sports

An Expert-Informed Grounded Theory of Health-Oriented Participatory Sports Competitions in Iran: From Episodic Competition to Sustainable Health-Promoting Participation

From Individual Agency to Structural Empowerment: A Grounded Theory Model of Women’s Leadership Transformation in Sport Organizations

Designing a Human Resource Management Ecosystem Model in Sport Organizations