Pickleball Communication and its Influence on Male Office Workers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The rapid growth of pickleball in Vietnam has created a need to develop communication approaches tailored to different target groups. This study aimed to assess current patterns of information access, identify relevant communication content factors, and analyse the influence of communication on pickleball participation decisions among male office workers in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). A mixed-methods approach was employed, comprising document analysis, a survey of 220 male office workers aged 22–55, in-depth interviews with 15 experts, digital media content analysis, and statistical methods. Communication content factors were selected using an expert consensus threshold of ≥73.3%, and relationships were examined using Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis.

The results showed that YouTube (82.7%) and Facebook (79.5%) were the two primary channels through which participants accessed pickleball-related information. Seven communication content factors were identified, of which advanced technical and tactical videos and information on tiered tournament systems achieved 100% expert consensus. The self-reported level of communication influence on participation decisions was 4.23/5.0, and communication exposure was positively correlated with participation behaviour (r = 0.67; p < 0 xss=removed xss=removed xss=removed xss=removed>