Introduction: Having a healthy and happy society depends on the mental and physical health of its members, and leisure time and recreational sports are very important in the physical and mental improvement of people. Based on this, the aim of the present study was to model the structural relationships between happiness and general health with sports participation in the free time of teachers in Taft city.
Methods: Analytical and correlational analytical method was implemented. The statistical population was 110 teachers of Taft city, of which 86 participated in this research by sampling based on the obvious variables observed. The research tools including standard questionnaires of Sharkley (2007), happiness of Oxford (1989) and general health of Goldberg and Hiller (1979) were obtained with acceptable reliability. Descriptive and inferential statistics and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data.
Results:  The results showed that at the confidence level of 95%, sports participation had a positive and significant effect on happiness (t = 13.055) and the intensity of its effect was equal to 0.693, and sports participation had an intensity of 0.671 on public health. also has a positive and significant effect (t = 12.807) between sports participation and five variable components of happiness (positive mood, life satisfaction, health, self-esteem and efficiency) and general health components (physical symptoms, anxiety symptoms, symptoms depression and social functioning) there was also a positive and significant relationship. The goodness of fit index in the Smart PLS software is identified with the Gof index, which was equal to 0.467 in the case of the conceptual model of the present study.
Conclusion: It can be said that having suitable free time can increase physical and mental health and cause happiness and general health.