Explaining the Health-Related Factors Affecting the Institutionalization of Sports in Iranian Families

Introduction: The family is the first social institution and sport as a social phenomenon can be institutionalized in the shadow of this small unit. This study aims to explain the health-related factors affecting the institutionalization of sports in Iranian families. Methods: The present study seeks to discover the main and sub-main categories with interpretive paradigm and inductive logic with a qualitative approach. The interview used 7 open-ended and semi-structured questions for data collection tools. Experts participating in the study were selected by purposive and snowball sampling and the criterion for selecting experts was to have knowledge and awareness of the literature and the development of health-oriented sports in families. Immediately after each interview, data transcription and extraction were performed simultaneously. Finally, by reviewing the interviews, 21 categories were theoretically saturated in the interview and continued until interview 23. The data were analyzed by content analysis method and coding method. Results: In this study, 165 primary extracted codes in the form of 41 sub-main categories and 11 main categories were categorized. They included sports policy, financial support, infrastructure factors, prevention and health, women's sports development, civic sports, educational sports development, cultural attitude, health technology, enacting  supportive and incentive laws, and management and planning. Conclusions: The results will help the country sport policy makers in order to establish a culture of prevention and maintain the physical and mental health of families. By national planning, sustainable development will be achieved in order to have healthy and effective people.