Relationship between Sport Participation and Social Capital in Veterans and Disabled People; Case Study of Kerman City, Iran

Abstract

Aims: Acquiring social capital through participation in sports activities is very important for all segments of society, especially the veterans and disabled people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between sports participation and social capital of veterans and disabled people. Instrument & Methods: In this descriptive-correlational study in 2015, A total of 170 war veterans and disabled male and female sportsmen of Kerman (92 veterans and 78 disabled persons) were studied using the available sampling method. The used instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire on sports participation and social capital of veterans and disabled, which validity and reliability were confirmed. Data were analyzed by SPSS 19 software using Pearson correlation coefficient test. Findings: There was a positive significant correlation between sport participation and social participation (r=0.292) and also between sports participation and social capital (r=0.176) in veterans and disabled people (p0.05). Conclusion: The sports participation of veterans and disabled people in Kerman has a direct and positive correlation with their social capital.

Keywords

• sports
• social capital
• veterans
• disabled persons