The Effect of Physical Activity Applied to Housewives on their Well-Being and Happiness Levels

Physical activity is the whole of daily living activities, recreational activities, exercises and sports activities that occur with energy consumption using skeletal muscles and joints. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of regular Physical Activity Programs (PAP) on the general well-being and happiness levels of women who started doing sports for the first time within the scope of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality’s Mother City Project. Thirty-five women (age: 42.91±7.269) participated voluntarily in this study. Participants took part in Pilates, Zumba and step aerobics sessions for one hour, three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). A PAP, consisting of an 8-kilometer walking program, was applied on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for 12 weeks. The Well-Being Scale and Happiness Scale were administered to the participants before and after the PAP. The SPSS 25 software package was used for data analysis. A dependent two-sample t-test was used to compare pretest-posttest data. Descriptive statistics values were also included. According to the analysis results, a statistically significant difference was detected between the pretest and posttest scores of the total Well-Being Scale and its sub-dimensions: Positive Emotions, Positive Relationships, Happiness, Engagement, Meaning, Accomplishment and Health (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference was detected in the other sub-dimensions: Negative Emotions and Loneliness (p>0.05). Additionally, a statistically significant difference was found in the Happiness Scale in the pretest and posttest comparison (p<0.05). As a result, it has been observed that regular physical activity programs positively affect the general well-being and happiness levels of housewives. In this context, it is recommended that housewives participate in more physical activities