The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation
BackgroundCollege students commonly exhibit low levels of physical activity participation, which not only impacts physical health but also negatively affects mental well-being and academic performance. Although existing research has focused on the effects of sports preference, sports achievement emo...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1565998/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850176817853366272 |
|---|---|
| author | Yi Sun Yang Zhao Jie Yang |
| author_facet | Yi Sun Yang Zhao Jie Yang |
| author_sort | Yi Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundCollege students commonly exhibit low levels of physical activity participation, which not only impacts physical health but also negatively affects mental well-being and academic performance. Although existing research has focused on the effects of sports preference, sports achievement emotions, and exercise motivation on physical activity participation, the interactive mechanisms among these three factors have yet to be systematically explored.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate how college students’ sports preferences, sports achievement emotions, and exercise motivation influence physical activity participation through mediating effects.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted online, recruiting 801 undergraduates (58.18% female). The study utilized a sports preference scale, a sports achievement emotion questionnaire, an exercise motivation scale, and the number of days per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to measure the variables. After controlling for demographic characteristics, mediation effect analysis was performed using Stata 17.0.ResultsSports preferences (SP) had a significant positive direct effect on physical activity participation (PAP) among college students (B = 55.494, p < 0.001). Positive sports achievement emotions (PSAE) significantly mediated the relationship between SP and PAP (indirect effect = 5.644, p < 0.001). Exercise motivation (EM) also exhibited a significant mediating effect (indirect effect = 2.304, p < 0.001). Moreover, a positive correlation between PSAE and EM was observed, creating a chain mediation effect (SP → PSAE → EM → PAP), with an indirect effect of 1.424 (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that sports preferences not only directly enhance physical activity levels but also promote physical activity participation through a multi-level pathway involving positive emotions and exercise motivation.ConclusionCollege students’ sports preferences significantly predict physical activity participation, with positive sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation playing crucial roles as mediators and chain mediators. Future research should incorporate longitudinal designs or intervention experiments and include more diverse evaluation indicators to further validate and extend the findings of this study. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-04d24c555bd642f680cba1f4cbf2c17a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-04d24c555bd642f680cba1f4cbf2c17a2025-08-20T02:19:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-04-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15659981565998The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivationYi Sun0Yang Zhao1Jie Yang2College of Basic Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, ChinaDepartment of Chinese and History, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Sport and Health, Shandong Sport University, Jinan, Shandong, ChinaBackgroundCollege students commonly exhibit low levels of physical activity participation, which not only impacts physical health but also negatively affects mental well-being and academic performance. Although existing research has focused on the effects of sports preference, sports achievement emotions, and exercise motivation on physical activity participation, the interactive mechanisms among these three factors have yet to be systematically explored.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate how college students’ sports preferences, sports achievement emotions, and exercise motivation influence physical activity participation through mediating effects.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted online, recruiting 801 undergraduates (58.18% female). The study utilized a sports preference scale, a sports achievement emotion questionnaire, an exercise motivation scale, and the number of days per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity to measure the variables. After controlling for demographic characteristics, mediation effect analysis was performed using Stata 17.0.ResultsSports preferences (SP) had a significant positive direct effect on physical activity participation (PAP) among college students (B = 55.494, p < 0.001). Positive sports achievement emotions (PSAE) significantly mediated the relationship between SP and PAP (indirect effect = 5.644, p < 0.001). Exercise motivation (EM) also exhibited a significant mediating effect (indirect effect = 2.304, p < 0.001). Moreover, a positive correlation between PSAE and EM was observed, creating a chain mediation effect (SP → PSAE → EM → PAP), with an indirect effect of 1.424 (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that sports preferences not only directly enhance physical activity levels but also promote physical activity participation through a multi-level pathway involving positive emotions and exercise motivation.ConclusionCollege students’ sports preferences significantly predict physical activity participation, with positive sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation playing crucial roles as mediators and chain mediators. Future research should incorporate longitudinal designs or intervention experiments and include more diverse evaluation indicators to further validate and extend the findings of this study.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1565998/fullsports preferencepositive sports achievement emotionsnegative sports achievement emotionsexercise motivationphysical activity participation |
| spellingShingle | Yi Sun Yang Zhao Jie Yang The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation Frontiers in Psychology sports preference positive sports achievement emotions negative sports achievement emotions exercise motivation physical activity participation |
| title | The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation |
| title_full | The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation |
| title_fullStr | The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation |
| title_short | The impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students: the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation |
| title_sort | impact of sports preferences on physical activity participation among college students the mediating role of sports achievement emotions and exercise motivation |
| topic | sports preference positive sports achievement emotions negative sports achievement emotions exercise motivation physical activity participation |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1565998/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yisun theimpactofsportspreferencesonphysicalactivityparticipationamongcollegestudentsthemediatingroleofsportsachievementemotionsandexercisemotivation AT yangzhao theimpactofsportspreferencesonphysicalactivityparticipationamongcollegestudentsthemediatingroleofsportsachievementemotionsandexercisemotivation AT jieyang theimpactofsportspreferencesonphysicalactivityparticipationamongcollegestudentsthemediatingroleofsportsachievementemotionsandexercisemotivation AT yisun impactofsportspreferencesonphysicalactivityparticipationamongcollegestudentsthemediatingroleofsportsachievementemotionsandexercisemotivation AT yangzhao impactofsportspreferencesonphysicalactivityparticipationamongcollegestudentsthemediatingroleofsportsachievementemotionsandexercisemotivation AT jieyang impactofsportspreferencesonphysicalactivityparticipationamongcollegestudentsthemediatingroleofsportsachievementemotionsandexercisemotivation |