This study seeks to investigate the interrelationships among leadership in sports, perceived social support, and health consciousness through the application of structural equation modeling (SEM). Data were gathered from individuals actively engaged in various sports, including football, basketball, volleyball, and athletics, and were assessed using the Leadership Behavior Scale (LSS), the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (MSPSS), and the Health Awareness Scale (PHS). The internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach's α) for these scales were determined to be 0.79, 0.61, and 0.78, respectively. The results of the structural equation model reveal that the direct effect of leadership in sports on health consciousness is negative and significant (β = -0.161, p .001). Nonetheless, the mediating role of perceived social support is significant (indirect effect β = 0.066, p .001) and accounts for 29.1% of the total effect. The model's fit indices suggest that the theoretical framework is empirically substantiated. Perceived social support emerges as a crucial variable in comprehending how individuals interpret their leadership experiences and how these experiences influence their health-related cognitive awareness. These findings imply that effective leadership practices across various domains may exert indirect effects on the development of health awareness through social support mechanisms, offering significant implications, particularly for the psychosocial development of young adults.
Vural et al. (Mon,) studied this question.