Peng Bo, Chen Weisong, Wang Hongshen, Yu Ting
Sports Training Academy, Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jingshan Primary School, Changshou, Chongqing, China.
PLoS One. 2025 May 22;20(5):e0324588. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324588. eCollection 2025.
This study examines the mechanisms linking physical self-esteem to adolescents' sports participation, emphasizing the mediating roles of exercise motivation and social support. It aims to establish a comprehensive framework that integrates psychological and social factors to understand sports behavior among adolescents.
A total of 2,588 adolescents from various regions in China were surveyed using validated scales for physical self-esteem, exercise motivation, social support, and sports participation. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to assess direct, mediated, and sequential mediation effects.
The analysis confirmed that physical self-esteem significantly predicts sports participation directly (β = 0.094, p < 0.001). Exercise motivation and social support act as mediators, explaining 33.26% and 16.74% of the total effect, respectively. Sequential mediation analysis showed that physical self-esteem influences sports participation through the combined effects of exercise motivation and social support, contributing 29.61% to the total effect. Demographic analyses revealed that males, rural adolescents, and middle school students exhibit higher levels of self-esteem, motivation, and sports participation. Group differences were analyzed based on demographic variables, including gender, grade level, and family location.
This study underscores the critical roles of psychological traits and social contexts in shaping adolescents' sports participation. By revealing the mediating and sequential mediation effects of exercise motivation and social support, the research highlights pathways for targeted interventions. Schools and communities should focus on enhancing physical self-esteem and fostering supportive social networks to encourage sports participation. Future studies should incorporate longitudinal designs and explore cultural and regional variations to extend these findings.
本研究探讨身体自尊与青少年体育参与之间的联系机制，强调运动动机和社会支持的中介作用。旨在建立一个综合心理和社会因素的框架，以理解青少年的体育行为。
使用经过验证的身体自尊、运动动机、社会支持和体育参与量表，对来自中国不同地区的2588名青少年进行了调查。采用结构方程模型（SEM）评估直接、中介和顺序中介效应。
分析证实，身体自尊直接显著预测体育参与（β = 0.094，p < 0.001）。运动动机和社会支持起中介作用，分别解释总效应的33.26%和16.74%。顺序中介分析表明，身体自尊通过运动动机和社会支持的综合作用影响体育参与，对总效应的贡献为29.61%。人口统计学分析显示，男性、农村青少年和中学生的自尊、动机和体育参与水平较高。基于性别、年级和家庭所在地等人口统计学变量分析了组间差异。
本研究强调了心理特质和社会环境在塑造青少年体育参与方面的关键作用。通过揭示运动动机和社会支持的中介和顺序中介效应，该研究突出了有针对性干预的途径。学校和社区应专注于提高身体自尊和培育支持性的社会网络，以鼓励体育参与。未来的研究应纳入纵向设计，并探索文化和地区差异以扩展这些发现。
