Objective: This study aimed to explain the psycho-social factors affecting sports policymaking in medical sciences universities in Iran and to design a model based on Glaser's grounded theory.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using a grounded theory approach based on the original Glaserian paradigm. Participants included 18 managers, officials, and executives involved in sports policymaking in medical sciences universities, along with academic instructors and sports science specialists with at least 10 years of relevant experience, selected through purposive and theoretical sampling, with data collection continuing until theoretical saturation was achieved. The primary tool for data collection was semi-structured interviews. To enhance the trustworthiness and validity of the findings, Lincoln and Guba's four criteria—credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability—were used. In addition, inter-coder agreement indices were calculated to assess coding reliability. Data analysis was performed through substantive coding (open and selective) and theoretical coding using relevant software.
Results: A total of 515 basic concepts were derived from 18 interviews, of which 182 duplicate codes were removed from the process cycle, and 333 concepts were identified as open codes. The results of the analysis indicate that from the 333 initially extracted codes, 85 constructing themes (level 1), 16 organizing themes (level 2), and 4 overarching main themes were derived, which explained the final model. The findings demonstrated that psychological dimensions (such as perception, self-efficacy, attitude, and individual characteristics of policymakers) and social dimensions (such as interpersonal interactions, organizational culture, social support, and institutional norms) play a key and foundational role in shaping the sports policymaking process in these universities. The values obtained for the inter-coder agreement indices were all at an optimal level.
Conclusion: The results indicate that psycho-social factors, as the central core and influential variables of sports policymaking, determine that policymaking in medical sciences universities is not a purely technical and linear process, but rather a complex, multi-level system dependent on human perception and social context. The proposed model reveals that the success of sports policies depends not only on formal programs but also on the psychological empowerment of policymakers, improved social interactions, crisis management, and the promotion of organizational culture. In this regard, aligning psycho-social factors with a preventive approach based on physical activity is one of the fundamental requirements for achieving policy objectives in the health system.