ABSTRACT

Rationale/purpose:

This study investigated how COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions impacted member perception of the necessity of their fitness centre membership with a focus on drivers of this perception pre, during and post-COVID-19 lockdowns.

Design/methodology/approach:

Three survey-based data collections were assessed (before COVID-19 lockdowns, in early-stage reopening, and in a “COVID-19 normal” environment). A correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis (OLS) explored the drivers of perceived necessity of fitness centre membership.

Findings:

Results support a consistent perception of the necessity of fitness centre membership, despite drivers varying over the course of the study. Early-stage reopening saw determinants diverge from familiar drivers (such as member characteristics and exercise frequency) to include uncertainty regarding COVID-19. Findings support the enduring necessity of fitness centre membership and articulate a deviation and subsequent return to familiar drivers of member attitudes and perceptions.

Practical implications:

Practically, understanding the drivers of perceived membership necessity can assist fitness centre managers to construct and deliver member communications, as well as services and support.

Research contribution:

Theoretically, the findings add to the limited research that focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on individual leisure activity engagement and assists in assessing how drivers of engagement evolve under differing pandemic circumstances.

中文翻译：

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在全球不确定性时期健身中心的持久必要性

摘要

理由/目的：

本研究调查了 COVID-19 封锁和限制如何影响会员对其健身中心会员资格的必要性的看法，重点是在 COVID-19 封锁之前、期间和之后这种看法的驱动因素。

设计/方法论/方法：

对三项基于调查的数据收集进行了评估（在 COVID-19 封锁之前、重新开放的早期阶段以及“COVID-19 正常”环境中）。相关分析和多元回归分析 (OLS) 探讨了健身中心会员资格认知必要性的驱动因素。

发现：

尽管在研究过程中驱动因素各不相同，但结果支持了对健身中心会员资格的必要性的一致看法。重新开放的早期阶段，决定因素与熟悉的驱动因素（例如会员特征和锻炼频率）有所不同，其中包括有关 COVID-19 的不确定性。调查结果支持健身中心会员资格的持久必要性，并阐明了会员态度和看法的偏差和随后回归熟悉的驱动因素。

实际影响：

实际上，了解会员必要性的驱动因素可以帮助健身中心经理构建和提供会员沟通以及服务和支持。

研究贡献：

从理论上讲，这些发现补充了有限的研究，这些研究侧重于 COVID-19 对个人休闲活动参与度的影响，并有助于评估参与度驱动因素在不同的大流行情况下如何演变。