Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stages
Abstract Background This study explored the associations among peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents, paying particular attention to different gender groups and educational stages. Psychological resilience was regarded as a potential explanatory mechanism in t...
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2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23308-9 |
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| author | Moyan Li Yuan Huang Meirong Sun |
| author_facet | Moyan Li Yuan Huang Meirong Sun |
| author_sort | Moyan Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background This study explored the associations among peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents, paying particular attention to different gender groups and educational stages. Psychological resilience was regarded as a potential explanatory mechanism in the relationship between peer support and exercise adherence. Methods A cross-sectional study with a mixed approach was conducted in Zhejiang Province, China (2023), involving a total of 2,137 adolescents (aged 10–18; 49.6% were girls), who completed three standardized questionnaires measuring psychological resilience, peer support, and exercise adherence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 students, teachers and parents. Results Male students scored higher than female students in terms of psychological resilience, peer support, and exercise adherence (p < 0.001). Elementary and middle school students scored higher than high school students across three dimensions, with elementary school students also performing better than middle school students (p < 0.001). There was a positive association between peer support and exercise adherence, with psychological resilience shown as a potential mediating factor. Multi-group analysis revealed stronger direct associations between peer support and exercise adherence among males and middle school students. Qualitative interviews indicated that peer support influenced adolescents exercise adherence through multi-level mechanisms. The understanding of peer support and psychological resilience among adolescents developed progressively at different educational stages, and there were differences in the development trends of different genders. The interviews also showed that the match of peer skill levels was a key condition for the effectiveness of support, and that the victory experience in sports might help adolescents form a positive cycle. Peer support not only directly enhanced psychological resilience in sports scenarios, but also transferred the cultivated target concentration and emotional regulation ability to academic and life fields through the "springboard effect". Conclusions This research emphasized the roles of peer support and psychological resilience in promoting exercise adherence among adolescents, which showed distinct pathways across different gender and developmental stages. The results highlighted the need to create a better peer support environment and improve psychological resilience. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ab0631ee44c74499bc469b4b6627cd77 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab0631ee44c74499bc469b4b6627cd772025-08-20T03:42:01ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-07-0125112210.1186/s12889-025-23308-9Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stagesMoyan Li0Yuan Huang1Meirong Sun2School of Education, Beijing Sport UniversitySchool of Education, Beijing Sport UniversitySchool of Psychology, Beijing Sport UniversityAbstract Background This study explored the associations among peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents, paying particular attention to different gender groups and educational stages. Psychological resilience was regarded as a potential explanatory mechanism in the relationship between peer support and exercise adherence. Methods A cross-sectional study with a mixed approach was conducted in Zhejiang Province, China (2023), involving a total of 2,137 adolescents (aged 10–18; 49.6% were girls), who completed three standardized questionnaires measuring psychological resilience, peer support, and exercise adherence. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 students, teachers and parents. Results Male students scored higher than female students in terms of psychological resilience, peer support, and exercise adherence (p < 0.001). Elementary and middle school students scored higher than high school students across three dimensions, with elementary school students also performing better than middle school students (p < 0.001). There was a positive association between peer support and exercise adherence, with psychological resilience shown as a potential mediating factor. Multi-group analysis revealed stronger direct associations between peer support and exercise adherence among males and middle school students. Qualitative interviews indicated that peer support influenced adolescents exercise adherence through multi-level mechanisms. The understanding of peer support and psychological resilience among adolescents developed progressively at different educational stages, and there were differences in the development trends of different genders. The interviews also showed that the match of peer skill levels was a key condition for the effectiveness of support, and that the victory experience in sports might help adolescents form a positive cycle. Peer support not only directly enhanced psychological resilience in sports scenarios, but also transferred the cultivated target concentration and emotional regulation ability to academic and life fields through the "springboard effect". Conclusions This research emphasized the roles of peer support and psychological resilience in promoting exercise adherence among adolescents, which showed distinct pathways across different gender and developmental stages. The results highlighted the need to create a better peer support environment and improve psychological resilience.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23308-9Psychological resiliencePeer supportExercise adherenceEducational stageGender difference |
| spellingShingle | Moyan Li Yuan Huang Meirong Sun Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stages BMC Public Health Psychological resilience Peer support Exercise adherence Educational stage Gender difference |
| title | Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stages |
| title_full | Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stages |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stages |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stages |
| title_short | Exploring the structural links between peer support, psychological resilience, and exercise adherence in adolescents: a multigroup model across gender and educational stages |
| title_sort | exploring the structural links between peer support psychological resilience and exercise adherence in adolescents a multigroup model across gender and educational stages |
| topic | Psychological resilience Peer support Exercise adherence Educational stage Gender difference |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23308-9 |
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