AI Insight
This study examined how family sports environment influences physical exercise behavior in 729 Chinese junior high school students through the mediating effects of perceived family support and self-efficacy. Results showed that while all three factors were positively correlated with exercise behavior, the chain mediation effect (family sports environment → perceived family support → self-efficacy → physical exercise behavior) was only significant for students from nuclear families, not the overall sample. The study found that junior high school students generally exhibited low levels of family sports environment, perceived family support, self-efficacy, and poor physical exercise behavior overall.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that interventions to improve adolescent physical activity should be tailored based on family structure, with nuclear families potentially benefiting from targeted support programs that leverage family dynamics. This research provides evidence-based guidance for families, schools, and communities to develop more effective strategies for promoting sustained exercise habits among adolescents.
Understand the Science
AimThis investigation seeks to elucidate the mechanistic pathways through which perceived family support and self-efficacy mediate the relationship between the family sports environment and physical exercise behavior among junior high school students. Ultimately, this research aims to establish a robust theoretical foundation and offer practical insights to foster the cultivation of sustained physical activity habits, thereby enhancing the overall physical health and wellbeing of this demographic.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted on 729 junior high school students using validated scales, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was adopted to test the hypothesized chain mediation model, with Harman’s single-factor test used to control common method bias.Results(1) The family sports environment, perceived family support, and self-efficacy of junior high school students were all at a relatively low level, and their physical exercise behavior was generally poor, with significant demographic differences in all variables (gender, family structure, etc.). (2) There were significant positive correlations among the family sports environment, perceived family support, self-efficacy, and physical exercise behavior, and all three variables had a significant positive predictive effect on physical exercise behavior, with the family sports environment exerting the strongest effect. (3) For the overall sample, perceived family support and self-efficacy did not play a mediating or chain mediating role between the family sports environment and physical exercise behavior; the chain mediating path of “family sports environment → perceived family support → self-efficacy → physical exercise behavior” was only significant in nuclear families.ConclusionThis study reveals the internal mechanism and boundary conditions of the family sports environment influencing junior high school students’ physical exercise behavior, and provides theoretical references and practical suggestions for families, schools and communities to jointly construct a sports support network and improve adolescents’ physical exercise behavior.