The importance given in fitness according to the participants income

Abstract

Participation in health clubs and fitness centres have gained prevalence in the overall Portuguese sport participation ratios over the past years, and gym and health club owners compete to attract even more clients to their facilities. Knowledge about what clients expect from fitness services plays a key role in adjusting fitness services to their target population. The aim of this study is to characterise and compare the importance given to the quality of instructors, the quality of services and reasons for practice of fitness clients, according to income. 560 fitness clients participated in this study, divided in 7 income groups. The questionnaire “Importance given in Fitness - Reasons for Practice, Service Quality and Quality of Instructors” was used. Overall results show that clients with higher income show higher values in all three dimensions of the questionnaire, particularly in Reasons for Practice. “To stay or improve health or wellbeing” is regarded as more important for higher income clients (F = 2.440; p = 0.025; η2 = 0.027), as it is “to mentally relax” (F = 3.815; p = 0.001; η2 = 0.042). In the dimension Instructor Quality, “empathy” is more relevant for higher income clients (F = 2.196; p = 0.042; η2 = 0.024). Gym and health club owners may use these results to adapt their services to the clients’ needs and expectations.