Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Publication Date

Fall 12-13-2025

Abstract

This study developed a prediction model of judicial outcomes in fitness exercise-related injury lawsuits to identify key factors influencing fitness centers’ success in litigation. Using 209 U.S. court cases from Westlaw, Phase One employed text mining and content analysis to identify legal variables. Phase Two applied descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression to evaluate the combined influence of these variables on judicial outcomes. For the multiple logistic regression analysis, the sample size was reduced to 184 cases after excluding 25 remanded cases.

Results showed that victim behavior, hazardous facility conditions, and enforceable waivers or exculpatory clause defenses significantly predicted judicial outcomes. Fitness centers implementing staff training, providing warnings of risks, conducting facility and equipment inspections with maintenance, and utilizing enforceable membership agreements demonstrated a higher likelihood of prevailing in litigation. These findings offer a data science-driven framework for refining risk management practices and fostering a safety culture in fitness environments.

Keywords

Risk Management, Negligence, Fitness Center, Workout, Data Science, Prediction Modeling

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Physical Education, Sports and Exercise Science

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences

First Committee Member (Chair)

Todd L. Seidler, Ph.D.

Second Committee Member

Lunhua Mao, Ph.D.

Third Committee Member

Daniel P. Connaughton, Ed.D.

Fourth Committee Member

Timothy B. Kellison, Ph.D.

Fifth Committee Member

JoAnn M. Eickhoff-Shemek, Ph.D.

Download

Share

COinS