Research interests: Health and safety, Sport management. See full profile.
Publications
Industry guidelines and reports
- Sekendiz, B. (2025). Work Health and Safety Guide for Exercise and Active Health Businesses. AUSactive.
- Dietrich, J., Eickhoff-Shemek, J., Finch, C., Keyzer, P., Norton, K., & Sekendiz, B. (2014). The Australian Fitness Industry Risk Management Manual. https://bp-fitnessaustralia-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/uploaded_file/file/14884/The-Australian-Fitness-Industry-Risk-Management-Manual.pdf
- Exercise and Sport Sciences Australia (ESSA). (2019). 2019 Future Workforce Report. ESSA. Retrieved from https://www.essa.org.au/
Industry journals/media
- Kelaiditis, D., & Sekendiz, B. (September 19, 2025). Under heat and hard courts: Why athlete wellbeing is key to a sustainable Australian Open for all. Scholarly Impact. International College of Management, Sydney. https://www.icms.edu.au/scholarly-impact/business-and-management/athlete-wellbeing-sustainable-australian-open/
- Sekendiz, B. (August 14, 2024). Athletes are at increased risk of online abuse as AI on social media grows. Scholarly Impact. International College of Management, Sydney. https://www.icms.edu.au/scholarly-Impact/business-and-Management/athletes-Risk-Online-Abuse-Ai/24.
- Sekendiz, B. (August, 2024). Occupational injury risks among health and fitness professionals. Reactivated. AUSactive. https://mobimag.co/REACTIVATED/issue-10/4
- Sekendiz, B. (July 26, 2024). Scholarly impact beyond higher education. Scholarly Impact.International College of Management, Sydney. https://www.icms.edu.au/scholarly-Impact/scholarly-Impact-Higher-Education/
- Sekendiz, B. (July 15, 2024). Fundamentals of Membership Contracts for Health and Fitness Businesses. What`s New in Fitness. https://whatsnewinfitness.com.au/fundamentals-of-membership-contracts-for-health-and-fitness-businesses/
- Sekendiz, B. (May 5, 2023). Should you have an AED in your gym? What`s New in Fitness. https://whatsnewinfitness.com.au/should-you-have-an-aed-in-your-gym/
- Sekendiz, B. (2022). Gone too far? Dr Betul Sekendiz questions limitations of liabilities. Australasian Leisure Management, (153), 36–39. https://www.ausleisure.com.au/magazine/
- Sekendiz, B. (2018). The time is now. Australasian Leisure Management, (129), 40-43.
Peer-reviewed journals
- Sekendiz, B. (in-press). Investing in safety culture for long-term success in health and fitness. ACSM`s Health and Fitness Journal.
- Sekendiz, B. (2021). Incidence, bystander emergency response management and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest at exercise and sport facilities in Australia. Emergency Medicine Australasia, 33, 100-106. https://doi.org/10.1111/1742-6723.13595
- Sekendiz, B. (2020). An epidemiological analysis of yoga-related injury presentations to emergency departments in Australia. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 1-5. https://doi:10.1080/00913847.2020.1717395
- Sekendiz, B. (2018). Fit for kids: Risk management for health/fitness facilities. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 22(3), 33-36. https://doi:10.1249/FIT.0000000000000382
- Sekendiz, B., Norton, K., Keyzer, P., Dietrich, J., Coyle, I. R., Gray, S., & Finch, C. F. (2018). Emergency preparedness in fitness facilities: Bridging the gap between policy and practice. International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 8(1), 71-85. http://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=90595
- Sekendiz, B. (2018). Utilisation of formative peer-assessment in distance online education: a case study of a multi-model sport management unit. Interactive Learning Environments, 26(5), 682-694. https://doi:10.1080/10494820.2017.139622
- Del Vecchio, L., & Sekendiz, B. (2017). Managing risks of training with kettlebells to achieve optimum benefits. ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, 21(2), 8-12. https://doi:10.1249/FIT.0000000000000279
- Gray, S., Sekendiz, B., Norton, K., & Finch, C. (2017). A comprehensive observational audit tool for use in Australian fitness facilities. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 18(4), 306-317. https://doi:10.1080/1463922X.2016.1265692
- Sekendiz, B., Ammon, R., & Connaughton, D. P. (2016). An examination of waiver usage and injury-related liability claims in health/fitness facilities in Australia. Journal of Legal Aspects of Sport, 26(2), 144-161. https://doi:10.1123/jlas.2014-0025
- Sekendiz, B., Gray, S. E., Norton, K., Keyzer, P., Dietrich, J., Eickhoff-Shemek, J. M., & Finch, C. F. (2016). Safety alert for treadmills in health & fitness facilities in Australia: Results from a pilot study of an observational audit tool. Journal of Fitness Research, 5(1), 24-28.
- Sekendiz, B. (2016). Risks of treadmills in health/fitness facilities: ready, steady, go?. ACSM`s Health and Fitness Journal., 20(4), 10-14. https://doi:10.1249/FIT.0000000000000216
- Gray, S., Sekendiz, B., Norton, K., Dietrich, J., Keyzer, P., Coyle, I., & Finch, C. (2016). The development and application of an observational audit tool for use in Australian fitness facilities. Journal of Fitness Research., 5(1), 29-38.
- Gray, S., Keyzer, P., Norton, K., Dietrich, J., Sekendiz, B., Coyle, I., & Finch, C. (2015). The role of equipment, the physical environment and training practices in customer safety within fitness facilities: The perspectives of fitness industry employees. Journal of Fitness Research, 4(2), 26-33.
- Sekendiz, B., Gass, G., Norton, K., & Finch, C. (2014). Cardiac emergency preparedness in health/fitness facilities in Australia. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 42(4), 14-19.
- Sekendiz, B. (2014). Implementation and perception of risk management practices in health/fitness facilities. International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management., 5(3), 165-183.
- Keyzer, P., Coyle, I., Dietrich, J., Norton, K., Sekendiz, B., Jones, V., & Finch, C. (2014). Legal risk management and injury in the fitness industry: The outcomes of focus group research and a national survey of fitness professionals. Journal of Law and Medicine, 21, 826-844.
- Sekendiz, B. (2014). Personal fitness trainers giving tough love: Risks and consequences. ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, 18(3), 8-11.
- Dietrich, J., Keyzer, P., Coyle, I., Norton, K., Sekendiz, B., Jones, V., & Finch, C. (2013). Train the trainers: Maintaining standards to minimise injuries and avoiding legal liability in the fitness industry. ANZ Sports Law Journal, 8(1), 89-106.
- Sekendiz, B., & Quick, S. (2011). Use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in managing risk and liability in health/fitness facilities. International Journal of Sports Management and Marketing, 9(3-4), 170-184.
- Sekendiz, B., Cuğ, M., & Korkusuz, F. (2010). Effects of Swiss-ball core strength training on strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance in sedentary women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(11), 3032-3040.
- Sekendiz, B., Kocak, M., & Korkusuz, F. (2009). The status of the professional development programmes of the health and fitness industry in Turkey. International Journal of Sports Management and Marketing, 5(4), 465-476.
- Sekendiz, B., Altun, O., Korkusuz, F., & Akın, S. (2007). Effects of Pilates exercise on trunk strength, endurance and flexibility in sedentary adult females. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 11(4), 318-326.
- Sekendiz, B. (2013). Book review : W. Jennings, Olympic Risks, Palgrave MacMillan (2012). p. 263, ISBN: 978-0-230-30006-4. Sport Management Review, 16, 409-410.
Conferences
- Sekendiz, B. (2024). Risk of online abuse in social media: Legal and safety risk management strategies for athlete welfare in a technology-driven era. [Poster presented at Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) and Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) Conference, Melbourne, Victoria, 16-19 October 2024]. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 27, S25–S25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2024.08.185
- Sekendiz, B., Maskey, R., & McMorran, V. (2023). An analysis of academic stress and academic integrity issues in online higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. European Conference on Education 2023, 13 – 17 July, London, UK.
- Sekendiz, B. & Del Vecchio, L. (2022). An epidemiological analysis of boxing-related injuries at fitness facilities presented to emergency departments in Queensland, Australia. ESSA Research to Practice 2022, 19 – 21 May 2022 (virtual conference]
- Sekendiz, B., & Scanlan, A. (2020). An investigation of the quality and safety of work-integrated learning programs in exercise and sport sciences. 25th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science [virtual conference COVID19]
- Sekendiz, B., & English, P. (2019). An analysis of the efficacy of incident reporting systems for sustainable development in the health/fitness industry: the case of a public multipurpose fitness facility. [Paper presented at Sports Medicine Australia (SMA) Conference, Twin Waters, Queensland, 2019]. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22, S17–S74. https://doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2019.08.276
- Seger, D., Millett, C., Shim, A., & Sekendiz, B. (2019). Does a relationship exist between core endurance and static balance scores in adult female college women?. In V. Bunc, & E. Tsolakidis (Eds.), 24th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science: Book of abstracts (pp. 367). http://ecss-congress.eu/2019/19/
- Sekendiz, B. (2019). Privacy and confidentiality in exercise and sports sciences work placements: Legal and ethical considerations. In V. Bunc, & E. Tsolakidis (Eds.), 24th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science: Book of abstracts (pp. 108). http://ecss-congress.eu/2019/19/
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Grants
- Project Title: Bridging the Digital Divide – Cyber Security for the Elderly
Project Team: Assoc.Prof. Betul Sekendiz (Project Lead), Dr Patrick Shearman.
Funded by a Cyber Security Awareness Grant of the Department of Home Affairs between 2024-2026; $35,000.
- Project Title: An Analysis of Academic Stress and Academic Integrity Issues in Online Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Project Team: Dr Betul Sekendiz (LCI), Dr Reenu Maskey, Ms Valerie McMorran.
Funded by a Scholarly Activity Grant (SAG) at International College of Management Sydney (ICMS) between January – December 2023; $5,000.
- Project Title: An Investigation of Safety and Quality of Student Experiences at Work Placements.
Project Team: Dr Betul Sekendiz (LCI), Dr Aaron Scanlan.
Funded by a Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (SoLT) Grant at CQUniversity between January 2018 – May 2020; $12,000.
- Project Title: Legal Risk Management of Adverse Health Outcomes and Injury in the Fitness Industry: Developing Evidence-Informed Regulation that Improves Safety [Australian Fitness Industry Risk Management (AFIRM) Project]
Project Team: Prof Patrick Keyzer (LCI), Prof Caroline Finch (CI), Prof Kevin Norton (CI), Prof Joachim Dietrich, Dr Betul Sekendiz (CI).
A Linkage Project (LP120100275) funded by the Australian Research Council and partner organisations AUSactive (then Fitness Australia) and Sports Medicine Australia between January 2012 – December 2015; $388,000.
Service & Leadership
- Chairperson, Health and Fitness Industry Standards Council, AUSactive (2017 – current)
- Judge/Head Judge, National Awards Program, AUSactive (2021 – 2025)
- Expert Reference Group Member, Pre- and Post-Natal Pregnancy Guidelines for Exercise Professionals, AUSactive (2022 – 2023)
- Steering Committee Member, ESSA 2019 Future Workforce Report, Exercise and Sport Science Austarlia (ESSA) (2018 – 2019)
Awards
- Vice Chancellor`s Awars for Outstanding Contributions to Learning & Teaching, CQUniversity, Rockhampton, Australia, 2018, $5,000
- Vice Chancellor’s Awars for Exemplary Practice in Learning & Teaching, CQUniversity, Rockhampton, Australia, 2018, $1000
Supervision (Research Higher Degree)
- Thesis Title: An investigation into the risk management of pre-existing medical conditions to minimise fatal and nonfatal drowning incidents within Australian aquatic facilities.
Student’s Degree: Master of Health Science
Awarding Institution: Central Queensland University
Role: Principal Supervisor
Year: 2019 – 2023
Status: Completed - Dissertation Title: The Development of Fitness Facilities Grading System and Emergency Policies for Malaysian Fitness Industry
Student’s Degree: Doctor Of Philosophy
Awarding institution: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia
Year: 2021
Role: Expert supervision
Status: Completed - Dissertation Title: Identifying injury causing hazards in fitness facilities
Student’s Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Awarding institution: Monash University
Role: Associate Supervisor
Year: 2012 – 2016
Status: Completed