Constructing health meanings in blue spaces: a blue mind perspective on water-based leisure in Türkiye

Although research on blue spaces has expanded considerably, existing studies have largely emphasized their restorative and therapeutic functions, offering limited insight into how individuals construct health-related meanings through water-based leisure experiences. Drawing on Blue Mind theory, which proposes that contact with water promotes psychological and emotional well-being, this study aimed to examine how individuals in Türkiye who regularly participate in water-based leisure activities interpret and construct their experiences in relation to psychological, cognitive, bodily, ecological, and social health dimensions. This qualitative study was conducted with 10 participants from different regions of Türkiye who regularly engaged in a variety of water-based leisure activities, including sailing, surfing, scuba diving, fishing, camping, and stand-up paddleboarding. Participants were recruited using purposive criterion sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured online interviews conducted via Zoom between July and August 2025. Interview data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using inductive content analysis following established qualitative analysis procedures. Coding and theme development were conducted independently by two researchers and refined through consensus discussions to enhance analytical credibility. The analysis revealed five overarching themes: psychological regulation space, cognitive effects of the aquatic environment, reconstruction of perceived bodily competence, development of ecological sensitivity through proximity to water, and strengthening of social bonds. Participants described blue spaces as multifunctional experiential domains that facilitated emotional regulation, stress reduction, resilience, cognitive clarity, creativity, problem-solving, bodily awareness, perceptions of vitality and youthfulness, ecological responsibility, and social connectedness. Findings further demonstrated that water-based leisure experiences supported not only individual well-being but also identity reconstruction, environmental stewardship, and selective social withdrawal for psychological replenishment. Rather than functioning solely as passive restorative settings, blue spaces emerged as active relational contexts through which individuals negotiated meanings associated with health, selfhood, and social belonging. The findings extend Blue Mind theory beyond restoration-oriented interpretations by conceptualizing water-based leisure as a multidimensional and culturally embedded process of meaning-making. Blue spaces appear to function as public health resources that support psychological, cognitive, physical, ecological, and social well-being. The study highlights the importance of developing accessible and sustainable water-based leisure opportunities that may contribute to holistic health promotion and environmental awareness in rapidly urbanizing societies.