ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Leisure involvement, social inclusion, and happiness in Türkiye: a mediational analysis
Provisionally accepted
Davut Budak1
ELVAN DENİZ YUMUK2*- 1Atatürk University, Sports Sciences Faculty, Erzurum, Türkiye
- 2Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University Sports Sciences Faculty, Antalya, Türkiye
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Background: Engagement in meaningful leisure activities is increasingly recognized as an essential factor for promoting psychological well-being and happiness. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain underexplored. This study examines the mediating effect of social inclusion in the relationship between leisure involvement and happiness among Turkish adults. Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional survey design and included 595 adult participants from various regions in Türkiyewho were recruited from seven regions of Türkiye. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires comprising the Leisure Involvement Scale (LIS), the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire–Short Form (OHQ-SF), and the Social Inclusion Scale (SIS). Mediation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 4) was conducted to assess the mediating role of social inclusion in the relationship between leisure involvement and happiness. Results: Leisure involvement was positively associated with both social inclusion (r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and happiness (r = 0.37, p < 0.001). Social inclusion was also strongly correlated with happiness (r = 0.50, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that social inclusion partially mediated the correlation between leisure involvement and happiness. The total effect of leisure involvement on happiness was β = 0.37, with a direct effect of β = 0.21 and an indirect effect through social inclusion of β = 0.16. Conclusion: Social inclusion is a significant psychological mechanism that enhances the positive impact of leisure involvement on happiness. Promoting socially inclusive leisure opportunities may serve as an effective public health strategy for improving subjective well-being across diverse community settings. These findings suggest that community programs, urban planning, and public policies should prioritize accessible and inclusive leisure activities to strengthen social connections and enhance happiness, particularly among marginalized groups.
Keywords: Leisure involvement, social inclusion, happiness, mediation effect, Türkiye 5
Received: 01 Sep 2025; Accepted: 11 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Budak and YUMUK. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: ELVAN DENİZ YUMUK, elvandenizyumuk@gmail.com
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