Abbas Naghizadeh Baghi - department of physical education and sport sciences,University of Mohaghegh Ardabili
masoud imanzadeh - Department of sport management.islamic azad university of ardabil branch
Mitra Lalfam - Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran
farzad nobakht sareban - Assistant Professor, Department of physical education and sport sciences, Faculty of education sciences and psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
Majid Javid - Ph.d in sport management, Department of Physical Education and Sport science, university of Tehran, Iran

Background: Gymnasiums need to identify and strengthen the factors influencing customer attraction to grow and survive. Examining and recognizing the factors that lead to attracting people to such places is important in sports management. The purpose of this study was to identify and classify the factors affecting the selection of women's gymnasium using factor analysis method. Methods: The research method is applied and the main strategy of the research is a mixed-method and it was implemented in the field. The statistical population of the study includes all customers of       Ardabil women's gyms. Using the Cochran's formula, the sample size was ۳۸۴ people and the random sampling method was used to select the sample units. The measuring tools included interviews and questionnaires. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling for the interview and theoretical saturation was reached when the number of participants reached ۱۲. Open coding was performed using MAXQDA۱۲ software and a research questionnaire was developed using ۴۴ codes. The data were analyzed by SPSS۲۶ software using Exploratory Factor Analysis test. Findings:    The results showed that ۴۴ final characteristics affecting the selection of the gym were factorized into ۸ factors by factor analysis and these factors explain ۶۷% of the total variance. Conclusion:   Factors influencing the selection of women's gymnasiums in order of priority include Physical Evidence, process, Place, price, product, People, Promotion and Privacy.

factor analysis, Gym, Selection, women, Ardabil