Education that instills healthy habits has acquired much attention in recent years due to concerns related to obesity and the sedentary lifestyle of the scholastic population. Extracurricular sports activities can contribute to the creation of healthy habits and can promote active lifestyles. These positive habits provide social benefits and are a facilitator of sustainable development. Thisstudy had two objectives: To assess the quality and value of extracurricular sports activities offered by schools, as well as the satisfaction of the participants and their future intentions to participate; and to assess the relationship between these constructs, with the aim of identifying factors that encourage schoolchildren to be active. Information was gathered from 1080 children in secondary education in Spain (n = 1080) (65.90% boys, 13.76 ± 1.39 years). The instruments used were the Scale of Perception of Sports Organizations (EPOD2) and a future intentions scale. The evaluation of satisfaction, quality, and value, as well as the intentions expressed by the young athletes to continue participating in extracurricular sports activities were positive, with average values close to the maximum. The best-rated quality variables were human resources. A significant association was identified between communication and loyalty, and response capacity and sports spaces. Likewise, perceived satisfaction and value were related to loyalty and price. In short, student perceptions establish a clear relationship between evaluations of activities and the intention to continue practicing sports in schools.

Environmental sustainability has often been associated with increased organizational profitability, efficiency, and competitiveness. A related example is green practices which have become a central component of many companies’ marketing strategies and day-to-day management. The current study aims to develop and validate a scale for use in sport organizations and activities. An item bank derived from past literature was prepared, which was then assessed by a group of experts and pilot-tested. Two waves of data collection were then collected (N = 1165 and N = 567). An exploratory factor analysis was performed with the data from wave 1, and a one-dimensional solution was presented. Then, a confirmatory factor analysis followed by a multigroup analysis was performed with the data from wave 2. The results confirmed the six-item one-dimensional scale with high levels of reliability and validity and optimal fit indices. The scale is important to green practices adopted by sport organizations regarding the customer–organization relationship.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine how an instrument – designed to assess quality, value, and satisfaction – works, and compare results obtained in female users of unisex sports services and fitness centres and female users of exclusively female sports services and fitness centres. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 745 women belonging to 62 sports services and fitness centres took part in this study; 36.60 per cent were members of female-exclusive centres. The average age was 32.97±14.11 years. In total, 38.70 per cent of the women surveyed used the sports services and fitness centres twice a week for 66.37±32.87 minutes on average. The EPOD2 questionnaire was used. This instrument is made up of 25 items and measures quality, value, and satisfaction. The invariance of the factorial structure in the two groups was verified and regression coefficients were calculated for the relationships in the model. Findings: The model is stable in both of the groups. Quality is a predecessor of value and satisfaction. Value is related to a large extent to Satisfaction. The dimensions of quality (activity, sports instructors, service personnel, and space) are directly related to value and/or satisfaction. There are significant differences in the standardised values that relate quality and its dimensions with the value and satisfaction between women users of female-exclusive centres and women users of unisex centres. Originality/value: This paper is important because the findings of this study can be applicable to help sports services and fitness centres, whether unisex centres or female-exclusive centres, obtain better assessments from female users.

Los gestores deportivos buscan conocer las percepciones e implantar programas que garanticen la satisfacción y continuidad de los clientes, debido al incremento de práctica de actividad física y de la competitividad de los servicios deportivos. Objetivo: constatar la existencia de diferencias en el modelo que relaciona calidad, satisfacción y valor percibido en función del género y la edad de los usuarios de actividades deportivas organizadas. Método: 1.654 personas (44.9 % mujeres), con una edad media de 32.52 ± 14.70 años participaron en el estudio. El instrumento utilizado fue el cuestionario EPOD2 y como pruebas estadísticas se realizaron análisis exploratorios, correlaciones, alfa de Cronbach, AVE, FC, invariancias factoriales y coeficientes de regresión. Resultados: La valoración de la actividad fue positiva, siendo la satisfacción la percepción más puntuada, seguida por valor y calidad. Las mujeres valoraron mejor el servicio, encontrándose diferencias significativas por género en la valoración de calidad, y diferencias significativas en función de la edad y sexo en la evaluación de valor. La calidad tiene relación directa y significativa con el valor, siendo ambos conceptos un antecedente de la satisfacción. Conclusiones: el usuario de actividades deportivas organizadas tiene una percepción muy positiva del servicio. Las mujeres valoran en mejor medida la calidad y el valor. A menor edad, menor estimación del valor. Los resultados del estudio justifican el establecimiento de estrategias de gestión para la mejora de la calidad y valor percibido con el fin de satisfacer y fidelizar al cliente. Sports managers try to understand customer perceptions and to implement programmes that guarantee clients satisfaction and continuity, because of the increase in the practice of physical activity and the competitiveness of sports services. Objective: to determine the existence of differences in the model that relates quality, satisfaction and perceived value according to the gender and age of the users of organized sports activities. Method: 1.654 people (44.9% women), with a mean age of 32.52 ± 14.70 years participated in the study. The instrument used was the EPOD2 questionnaire and exploratory tests, correlations, Cronbach's alpha, AVE, composite reliability, factorial invariances and regression coefficients were used as statistical tests. Results: the activity assessment was positive, with satisfaction as the highest rated perception, followed by value and quality. Women rated the service better, finding significant differences by gender in the assessment of quality, and significant differences according to age and sex in the assessment of value. Quality has a direct and significant relationship with value, both concepts being an antecedent of satisfaction. Conclusions: the user of organized sports activities has a very positive perception of the service. Women rate quality and value more highly. The younger the age, the lower the value assessment. The results of the study justify the establishment of management strategies for the improvement of quality and perceived value in order to satisfy customers and build customer loyalty.

Physical activity is an important tool for promoting women’s health. Increasing adherence to physical activity is a challenge for governments and private entities. One of the main objectives of the fitness sector is to build customer loyalty. Their behavioural intentions according to gender and age may be a determining factor. The aim of this study was to establish a model that relates the fitness centre’s quality as perceived by female customers, these customers’ future intentions, satisfaction, and age. A total of 745 women participated in this study, with a mean age of 32.97 ± 14.11, divided into three age groups. A confirmatory analysis, a factor invariance analysis, and a multi-group analysis were conducted to verify the validity and reliability of the model. The results revealed that quality is an antecedent of both perceived value and satisfaction in the three age groups. Perceived value is a precursor of satisfaction, except in the group of women over 45 years old. The only antecedent to adaptation to price is quality, except in the older age group. Finally, perceived value was found to be related to adaptation to price. These results will facilitate the development of strategies to promote physical activity among women according to their age.

Los modelos conceptuales facilitan la gestión de los servicios deportivos que explican, pero los desarrollados en otros países no ofrecen garantías para ser reproducidos correctamente en España. El objetivo del estudio fue comprobar la reproducibilidad del modelo de evaluación de los servicios deportivos propuesto por Murray y Howat (2002), en el contexto de las organizaciones deportivas en España. En una muestra de 2667 usuarios de servicios deportivos españoles, se relacionaron los conceptos calidad, valor percibido y satisfacción, utilizando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales. Los resultados indicaron el papel de la calidad como antecedente del valor percibido y de la satisfacción de los usuarios. No se encontró relación entre el valor y la satisfacción. Este estudio supone un paso hacia el desarrollo de modelos más integrales, para ayudar a los administradores de los servicios deportivos españoles a establecer estrategias que incrementen la satisfacción y fidelidad del usuario.