Development and Validation of a Questionnaire for Assessing Sustainability in Sporting Events in Natural Areas: A Mixed Approach with Qualitative Validation and Preliminary Quantitative Analysis

This study presents the development and validation of a questionnaire to measure sustainability in the organization of sports events in natural areas. The research was structured into three studies: (i) item generation and validation (ii) pre-testing, and (iii) preliminary reliability assessment. In Study 1, items were generated based on a literature review. A panel of experts evaluated the items to ensure their content validity. In Study 2, cognitive interviews were conducted with sports event organizers to assess the clarity and understanding of the items. In Study 3, a preliminary reliability analysis was carried out to evaluate the internal consistency of the questionnaire. The final result was the validation of 44 items across 7 dimensions. These items were classified into non-mandatory items validated in the qualitative process and non-mandatory items validated in the quantitative process. The questionnaire provides a useful tool for event organizers to assess and improve their sustainability practices.