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BACKGROUND: Few adolescents meet guideline levels of physical activity associated with good health, highlighting the need for intervention. Interventions promoting adolescents physical activity should be guided by research applying behavioral theory to identify potentially modifiable correlates and associated processes. We applied an integrated social cognition model to identify theory-based constructs and processes that relate to physical activity intentions in a secondary analysis of two samples of Finnish adolescents using a correlational design. METHOD: Participants in the first sample (n = 455) completed self-report measures of social cognition constructs from theory of planned behavior, habit, self-discipline, and past and current physical activities. Participants in the second sample (n = 3878) completed identical measures plus measures of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors. Participants from the first sample also wore accelerometers for 1 week. Hypothesized model effects were tested using variance-based structural equation modeling in data from the first sample and subsequently confirmed in a pre-registered analysis of data from the second sample. RESULTS: Across both samples, habit, attitude, perceived behavioral control, and self-reported past behavior were associated with physical activity intention. Effects of self-reported past physical activity on intention were partially mediated by social cognition constructs. Effects of accelerometer-based physical activity were small by comparison. Effects of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors on intention in the second sample were partially mediated by the social cognition constructs. CONCLUSION: Results corroborate beliefs and habit as consistent correlates of adolescents physical activity intentions and provide preliminary evidence that social cognition constructs account for effects of socio-structural and socio-environmental factors on intentions.

Background: Identifying the correlates of exercise behavior is essential to combating physical inactivity as a public health concern. The purpose of this study is to identify the correlates of physical activity among urban Chinese adults under the social-ecological theoretical model in order to facilitate targeted interventions to promote physical activity. Methods: Using the socio-ecological model, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 1459 urban residents in Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces of China, collecting data on individual demographic factors, sociological factors, environmental perception, and exercise behavior. Binary logistic regression models were employed to analyze the relationships between exercise behavior and socio-ecological factors. Results: Male gender (p < 0.01), advanced age (p < 0.001), higher education level (p < 0.05), living independently from parents (p < 0.05), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.01), residence in a county/prefecture-level city (p < 0.001), favorable neighborhood esthetics (p < 0.001), available greenways/parks (p < 0.001), and family support for exercise participation (p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of participating in physical activity. Male gender (p < 0.001), advanced age (p < 0.001), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.05), good neighborhood vegetation (p < 0.01), availability of free neighborhood exercise facilities (p < 0.05), and support from friends for exercise participation (p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of engaging in physical activity for more than 150 min per week. BMI, community air quality, traffic safety, public safety, and level of social development were not major correlates. Conclusions: To promote exercise behavior, more attention should be paid to individuals who are female, young, have lower levels of education, bear childcare responsibilities, or reside in provincial capitals in China. Improving the habitat environment and providing convenient and affordable facilities should also be considered. Furthermore, support from family and friends can positively reinforce exercise behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exercise procrastination is prevalent among college students, causing decline in physical fitness. It is imperative to investigate the mechanism affecting college students' physical activity behaviors. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of procrastination on college students' physical exercise behavior, and the chain mediation effects of exercise commitment and action control (AC), to provide a theoretical basis for interventions targeting physical exercise behavior among college students. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted using convenience sampling. The General Procrastination Scale, Exercise Commitment Scale, Action Control Scale, and Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 questionnaires were used. Participants were 581 college students (age 19.27 ± 0.94 years; 243 males and 338 females). Statistical methods of regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied. Results: Procrastination, exercise commitment, and action control were found to be significant predictors of physical exercise behavior. Among these predictors, exercise commitment and action control showed full mediation effects in the relationship between procrastination and physical exercise behavior, and explained 25.48% and 30.77% of the total variance, respectively. The chain mediation effect of exercise commitment-action control was significant, accounting for 22.60% of the total variance, and the total indirect effect was 79.33%. Conclusion: Therefore, higher procrastination was associated with less participation in physical exercise behavior among college students. Improvements in exercise commitment and volitional decision-making ability for physical exercise behavior promoted physical exercise behavior, and increased exercise commitment promoted volitional decision-making ability among the students. The chain reaction effect of exercise commitment and action control also buffered the negative effects of procrastination on physical exercise behavior, thereby increasing physical exercise behavior among college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to use the aerobic exercise program as an intervention to understand exercise awareness and exercise behavior in older adults and to predict health promotion. This study recruited 120 healthy older adults (60 males and 60 females) over 65 years old (average male age 72.15 ± 3.53 years, female average age 71.64 ± 3.97 years), males and females were randomly assigned to the experimental group, and the control group (30 males, 30 females). The experimental group underwent an "aerobic fitness exercise program" for 8 week, while the control group underwent 8 weeks of daily life. All participants were first surveyed on background variables. At the beginning and end of the experiment, the experimental group and control group of males and females had to undergo the senior fitness test (SFT), the Elderly Exercise Awareness and Exercise Behavior Scale (EAEBI) and the Elderly Health Promotion Inventory (HPI) survey. The results of the study showed that male Cohen's d =.326, and female Cohen's d =.371, both showed small effects; related power analysis male effect size (es) = 0.2, female effect size (es) = 0.1, showed that the participants were homogeneous, the mean ages of males and females of the Q-Q plot showed normality. The SFT analysis of the experimental group and the control group found that Int-2, Int-1, Con-1, and Con-2 were significantly different between males and females. The EAEBI scale analysis found that the male experimental group had the largest difference in awareness effect (F = 9.47, p <.05), and the female experimental group had the largest difference in exercise cognition (F = 11.35, p <.05). HPI scale analysis found that the male experimental group had the largest difference in physical activity (F = 14.83, p <.05), and the female experimental group had the largest difference in social support (F = 13.19, p <.05). Finally, the intervention measures of aerobic fitness exercise program could positively affect the exercise perceived and exercise behavior of the older adults, and had positive effects on health promotion. This study has practical significance for an aging society. Promoting health through regular exercise can also reduce medical resources, which is the subject of effective preventive medicine. Plain language summary: The purpose of this study was to use the aerobic exercise program as an intervention to understand exercise awareness and exercise behavior in older adults and to predict health promotion. This study recruited 120 healthy older adults over 65 years old, males and females were randomly assigned to the experimental group and the control group (30 males, 30 females). The experimental group underwent an "aerobic fitness exercise program" for 8 weeks, while the control group underwent 8 weeks of daily life. All participants were first surveyed on background variables. At the beginning and end of the experiment, the experimental group and control group of males and females had to undergo the senior fitness test (SFT), the Elderly Exercise Awareness and Exercise Behavior Scale (EAEBI), and the Elderly Health Promotion Inventory (HPI) survey. The results of the study showed that the participants were homogeneous, and the mean ages of males and females of the Q-Q plot showed normality. The EAEBI scale analysis found that the male experimental group had the largest difference in awareness effect, and the female experimental group had the largest difference in exercise cognition. HPI scale analysis found that the male experimental group had the largest difference in physical activity, and the female experimental group had the largest difference in social support. Finally, the intervention measures of aerobic fitness exercise programs could positively affect the exercise perceived and exercise behavior of the older adults, and have positive effects on health promotion. This study has practical significance for an aging society. Promoting health through regular exercise can also reduce medical resources, which is the subject of effective preventive medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate physical exercise has a positive impact on adolescents' physical and mental health, but there is a serious lack of physical exercise among Chinese adolescents. How to shape their exercise behavior (EB) has become an important task in promoting their development. A questionnaire survey was conducted using stratified cluster random sampling on three middle schools by class in Zhejiang Province, China to investigate the impact of exercise atmosphere (EA) on adolescents' exercise behavior and the mediating role of exercise identity (EI) and exercise habit (EH). 806 adolescents were investigated by the Exercise Atmosphere Scale (EAS), Exercise-Identity Scale (EIS), Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI), and Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3). The results show that: There is a significant positive correlation between each two of exercise atmosphere, exercise identity, exercise habit, and exercise behavior (p < 0.05). Exercise atmosphere could not only directly affect adolescents' physical exercise behavior but can also indirectly affect their physical exercise behavior through the mediating effect of exercise identity and exercise habit, involving three mediating pathways, namely, the mediating path through exercise identity, the mediating pathway through exercise habit and the chain mediating pathway through exercise identity and exercise habit. The direct effect of exercise atmosphere on exercise behavior was 0.459 (p < 0.01), accounting for 62.62% of the total effect of 0.733, and its indirect effect was 0.274, accounting for 37.28% of the total effect. To a certain extent, the mediating effect model reveals the mechanism of exercise atmosphere affecting exercise behavior and has a certain reference value for promoting adolescents' exercise behavior. We should start by creating an exercise atmosphere, cultivating exercise identity, and enhancing exercise habits to help teenagers form active physical exercise behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain is a naturally occurring phenomenon that consistently inhibits exercise performance by imposing unconscious, neurophysiological alterations (e.g., corticospinal changes) as well as conscious, psychophysiological pressures (e.g., shared effort demands). Although several studies indicate that pain would elicit lower task outputs for a set intensity of perceived effort, no study has tested this. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of elevated muscle pain through a hypertonic saline injection on the power output, psychophysiological, cerebral oxygenation, and perceptual changes during fixed perceived effort exercise. Ten participants completed three visits (1 familiarization + 2 fixed perceived effort trials). Fixed perceived effort cycling corresponded to 15% above gas exchange threshold (GET) [mean rating of perceived effort (RPE) = 15 "hard"]. Before the 30-min fixed perceived effort exercise, participants received a randomized bilateral hypertonic or isotonic saline injection in the vastus lateralis. Power output, cardiorespiratory, cerebral oxygenation, and perceptual markers (e.g., affective valence) were recorded during exercise. Linear mixed-model regression assessed the condition and time effects and condition × time interactions. Significant condition effects showed that power output was significantly lower during hypertonic conditions [t107 = 208, P = 0.040, β = 4.77 W, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) [0.27 to 9.26 W]]. Meanwhile, all physiological variables (e.g., heart rate, oxygen uptake, minute ventilation) demonstrated no significant condition effects. Condition effects were observed for deoxyhemoglobin changes from baseline (t107 = −3.29, P = 0.001, β = −1.50 ΔμM, 95% CI [−2.40 to −0.61 ΔμM]) and affective valence (t127 = 6.12, P = 0.001, β = 0.93, 95% CI [0.63 to 1.23]). Results infer that pain impacts the self-regulation of fixed perceived effort exercise, as differences in power output mainly occurred when pain ratings were higher after hypertonic versus isotonic saline administration. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: This study identifies that elevated muscle pain through a hypertonic saline injection causes significantly lower power output when pain is experienced but does not seem to affect exercise behavior in a residual manner. Results provide some evidence that pain operates on a psychophysiological level to alter the self-regulation of exercise behavior due to differences between conditions in cerebral deoxyhemoglobin and other perceptual parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE This study aimed to understand the changes in the exercise behavior of participants in the exercise-psychological counseling program. METHODS This study sampled adult female participants of C diet camp in Seoul, who were in stages 2~3 of the “Stages of Change Model.” A total of 60 participants were randomly assigned to the counseling group (n=30) and control group (n=30). During the 12 weeks of study, all subjects participated in the diet camp program C. The counseling group participated in the exercise psychological counseling program once a week, while the control group participated in recreational activities instead. Exercise adherence, outcome-expectancy, and satisfaction were measured once every four weeks. Latent growth models were used to analyze the measured data. RESULTS Exercise adherence, outcome-expectancy, and satisfaction in the counseling group exerted a statistically significant positive effect. A statistically significant positive effect on the change of exercise adherence variable was observed in the control group, but the trend was only 1/4 of that of the counseling group. In the control group, exercise outcome-expectancy and exercise satisfaction did not have a statistically significant outcome. CONCLUSIONS The exercise counseling program is an essential intervention strategy that enhances participants’ exercise adherence, outcome-expectancy, and satisfaction. Therefore, a positive change in exercise behaviors occurs.

Zhang Z, Chen Y, Zhang L. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2024;17:665–678. The authors have advised that there are several corrections needed to the published proof. Page 665, Introduction section, line 2, the text “Wang Keping (2021)” should read “Wang et al”. Page 666, first paragraph, lines 6 and 7, the text “now the protective motivation theory,14 self-determination theory,15 and the theory of planned behavior have been formed. Theories such as,16 health belief theory,17 and social cognitive theory” should read “now the protective motivation theory,14 self-determination theory,15 theory of planned behavior,16 health belief model,17 and social cognitive theory18 have been established”. Page 667, The Relations Between Sports Commitment and Exercise Behavior section, second paragraph, line 1, the text “Chen Shanping (2005)” should read “Chen et al”. Page 668, The Relations Between Personality Traits and Sports Commitment section, line 1, the text “Huang Sunhuan (2018)” should read “Seo and Hwang”. Page 668, The Relations Between Personality Traits and Sports Commitment section, 5th sentence, the text “Participants showed higher levels of exercise addiction; participants with high levels of agreeableness showed lower levels of exercise addiction” should read “Participants with high levels of agreeableness showed lower levels of exercise addiction”. Page 668, Research Tool, Personality Traits Scale section, line 1, the text “Wang Mengcheng and Dai Xiaoyang (2011)” should read “Wang et al”. Page 669, first paragraph, line 5, the abbreviations “GIF” and “AGIF” should read “GFI” and AGFI”, respectively. Page 669, Sports Commitment Scale section, line 8, the abbreviations “GIF” and “AGIF” should read “GFI” and AGFI”, respectively. Page 669, Exercise Behavior Scale section, line 4, the abbreviations “GIF” and “AGIF” should read “GFI” and AGFI”, respectively. Page 669, Result, “Common Method Deviation” heading, should read “Common Method Bias”. Page 669, Result, Common Method Deviation section, line 5, the text “common method deviation test” should read “common method bias test”. Page 673, “Intermediary Test” heading, should read “Mediation Effect Test”. Page 673, Intermediary Test, Process section, line 1, the text “Wen Zhonglin” should read “Wen and Ye”. Page 673, Intermediary Test, Process section, line 3, the text “based on the masking effect” should read “based on the suppression effect”. Page 673, Intermediary Test, Process section, line 12, the text “it is judged to be a masking effect” should read “it is judged to be a suppression effect”. Page 673, Model Fit Test section, line 6, the abbreviations “GIF” and “AGIF” should read “GFI” and AGFI”, respectively. Page 673, Table 9, “GIF” and “AGFI” columns, should read “GFI” and “AGFI”, respectively. Page 677, Reference 35, the correct reference should read “Seo JA, Hwang S. The relationships among traits of personality, sport commitment, and sport addiction in Cross-Fit participants. Korean Journal of Sport Studies. 2018;57(2):267-277. doi: 10.23949/kjpe.2018.03.57.2.18”. The authors apologize for these oversights.

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic forced many people to shift how to they engage in work and consumption behaviors. This study examines the remote working conditions that influence employee stress and whether work related stress influenced consumer-based coping behaviors in the height of the pandemic. Data were collected from 232 working adults to examine whether role conflict and boredom relate to avoidant (alcohol consumption) and confrontative (exercise frequency) consumer coping behaviors via perceived stress. Results show direct relationships between work conditions, stress, and consumer based coping; however the mediation hypotheses were not supported. Implications for work stress and consumer coping are discussed.

Introduction: This study investigates the relationship between the gut microbiome and voluntary exercise, focusing on wheel running activity in a rat model. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in host physiology, homeostasis, and behavior. Alterations in the gut microbiome have been linked to various pathological states and health conditions, including obesity. Methods: Given the strong association between physical inactivity and obesity development, our study aimed to identify microbiome factors associated with elevated levels of voluntary exercise. Male Sprague Dawley rats were used in the 4-week exercise paradigm in which voluntary wheel running behavior was monitored alongside weekly microbiome sampling from fecal pellets. Results: We observed individual differences in running activity among the cohort. Significant positive correlations in running distance were identified across the 4- week time course, suggesting that running activity ranking was largely preserved. Furthermore, earlier running activity emerged as a potential predictor for subsequent running behaviors. Analysis of gut microbiome revealed that alpha diversity was positively correlated with daily running distances, with significant differences in beta diversity observed between high and low running groups. Taxonomic analysis showed distinct abundance differences between running and sedentary conditions, particularly in the Ruminococcaceae and Peptostreptococcaceae families. Discussion: Our results suggest that the microbiome composition changes significantly early in exercise exposure, potentially influencing exercise behavior. Ruminococcaceae, particularly R. bromii, was identified as a significant contributor to exercise adaptation, while Peptostreptococcaceae was inversely related to running performance as well as alpha diversity. This study underscores the potential of the gut microbiome as a modulator of exercise behavior. Future research should focus on the biological mechanisms linking microbiome changes to exercise adaptation, with R. bromii and Peptostreptococcus as promising candidates for influencing exercise behaviors through future interventional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is a disease that has been experiencing a continuous increase in terms of pervasiveness. Controlling diet and exercise is critical for controlling blood sugar and reducing long-term complications. This quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the effects of a dietary and exercise promotion program to control the blood sugar of diabetic patients. Thirty patients were stratified by gender and randomly selected from three consecutive days at the diabetes clinic with ten patients per day. They were required to participate in the study program for eight weeks. The program was developed based on a self-regulation model to control chronic diseases. Similarity among patients regarding gender, age, years of having diabetes, and blood sugar level was considered before the study group was recruited. A self-administered questionnaire and blood sugar test were used to collect pretest and posttest data. The data were analyzed by percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, and Paired sample t-test. The findings concluded the effectiveness of the program since the blood sugar levels of the experimental group decreased significantly from a high level (162.3 mg/dl) to a nearly controllable level (128.9 mg/dl) (p <.01). This was due to the experimental group having more appropriate dietary and exercise behaviors, having better knowledge and perceived self-efficacy to perform the behaviors than before the experiment, and being better than the control group (p <.01). The self-regulation theory application model developed in this study was recommended for modification of health behaviors related to setting desired goal behaviors and glycemic control of type-2 diabetes patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical exercise is crucial to the development of students' physical and mental health. This study explored the relationship between live sports learning and college students' exercise behaviors, and the mediating roles of exercise motivation and exercise commitment, aiming to provide theoretical bases for the future that explain the mechanism of live sports learning in exercise behaviors, as well as practical guidance for the promotion of positive physical exercise behaviors in college students. In total, 1189 college students from China volunteered to complete questionnaires. The results showed that live sports learning positively predicted college students' exercise behavior and that live sports learning was able to affect exercise behavior through the mediating roles of exercise motivation and exercise commitment, with specific mediating paths including the two independent mediating paths and a serial mediating path of exercise motivation and exercise commitment. This study confirmed, for the first time, on live sports learning in the process of promoting exercise behavior. It is suggested that educators instruct college students to regulate their participation in live sports learning and to cultivate healthy exercise motivation and exercise commitment, which is an effective way to facilitate college students' practice of physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identifying the correlates of exercise behavior is essential to combating physical inactivity as a public health concern. The purpose of this study is to identify the correlates of physical activity among urban Chinese adults under the social-ecological theoretical model in order to facilitate targeted interventions to promote physical activity. Methods: Using the socio-ecological model, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 1459 urban residents in Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces of China, collecting data on individual demographic factors, sociological factors, environmental perception, and exercise behavior. Binary logistic regression models were employed to analyze the relationships between exercise behavior and socio-ecological factors. Results: Male gender (p < 0.01), advanced age (p < 0.001), higher education level (p < 0.05), living independently from parents (p < 0.05), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.01), residence in a county/prefecture-level city (p < 0.001), favorable neighborhood esthetics (p < 0.001), available greenways/parks (p < 0.001), and family support for exercise participation (p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of participating in physical activity. Male gender (p < 0.001), advanced age (p < 0.001), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.05), good neighborhood vegetation (p < 0.01), availability of free neighborhood exercise facilities (p < 0.05), and support from friends for exercise participation (p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of engaging in physical activity for more than 150 min per week. BMI, community air quality, traffic safety, public safety, and level of social development were not major correlates. Conclusions: To promote exercise behavior, more attention should be paid to individuals who are female, young, have lower levels of education, bear childcare responsibilities, or reside in provincial capitals in China. Improving the habitat environment and providing convenient and affordable facilities should also be considered. Furthermore, support from family and friends can positively reinforce exercise behavior.

Despite recent research showing that early childhood education and daycare settings (ECEC) have an important role in promoting toddlers' physical activity (PA), crucial information gaps remain regarding toddlers' PA and sedentary behavior (SB) in these outdoor settings. We aimed in this study to: (a) analyze PA patterns and SB during unstructured outdoor play time in preschool and daycare environments using accelerometry and systematic observation; (b) provide concurrent accelerometry and observational data to help validate the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool Version (OSRAC-P); and (c) examine individual, social and environmental correlates of PA and SB during toddlers' unstructured outdoor play time. We found that: (a) toddlers displayed high amounts of PA with no sex, BMI, and/or age differences in PA and SB levels,; (b) environmental variables (e.g., fixed equipment and playground density) were not associated with PA levels or SB intensity; (c) the OSRAC-P was a reliable and valid means of observing and analyzing toddlers' PA patterns during unstructured outdoor play time; and (e) different social patterns between boys and girls did not impact PA levels or patterns. Combining different measurement methods permitted an improved understanding of unstructured outdoor play in preschool and daycare settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThis study investigates the relationship between the gut microbiome and voluntary exercise, focusing on wheel running activity in a rat model. The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in host physiology, homeostasis, and behavior. Alterations in the gut microbiome have been linked to various pathological states and health conditions, including obesity.MethodsGiven the strong association between physical inactivity and obesity development, our study aimed to identify microbiome factors associated with elevated levels of voluntary exercise. Male Sprague Dawley rats were used in the 4-week exercise paradigm in which voluntary wheel running behavior was monitored alongside weekly microbiome sampling from fecal pellets.ResultsWe observed individual differences in running activity among the cohort. Significant positive correlations in running distance were identified across the 4-week time course, suggesting that running activity ranking was largely preserved. Furthermore, earlier running activity emerged as a potential predictor for subsequent running behaviors. Analysis of gut microbiome revealed that alpha diversity was positively correlated with daily running distances, with significant differences in beta diversity observed between high and low running groups. Taxonomic analysis showed distinct abundance differences between running and sedentary conditions, particularly in the Ruminococcaceae and Peptostreptococcaceae families.DiscussionOur results suggest that the microbiome composition changes significantly early in exercise exposure, potentially influencing exercise behavior. Ruminococcaceae, particularly R. bromii, was identified as a significant contributor to exercise adaptation, while Peptostreptococcaceae was inversely related to running performance as well as alpha diversity. This study underscores the potential of the gut microbiome as a modulator of exercise behavior. Future research should focus on the biological mechanisms linking microbiome changes to exercise adaptation, with R. bromii and Peptostreptococcus as promising candidates for influencing exercise behaviors through future interventional studies.

The purpose of this study was to check the moderating role of individualism/collectivism in predicting male Chinese university students’ exercise behavior using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) model. The TPB model was validated through SEM (structure equation model), and the moderating effect of individualism and collectivism was validated through a hierarchical regression and simple slopes analysis using a sample collected from 115 male Chinese university students. The results showed that the product terms of individualism and TPB factors were not able to significantly predict exercise intention after inclusion in the regression equation, nor were the product terms of collectivism and PBC (perceived behavior control) able to do so. However, the product terms of collectivism and attitude, as well as collectivism and SN (subjective norm) were able to significantly predict exercise intention when included in the regression equation. That is, horizontal and vertical collectivism can significantly moderate TPB constructs, primarily by moderating the relationship between attitude-exercise intention and SN-exercise intention. This study found that the predictive validity of exercise attitudes on exercise intentions in TPB constructs is greater only at low levels of horizontal and vertical collectivism and low at high levels. The predictive validity of SN is greater at high levels of horizontal and vertical collectivism and low in the inverse case. This research serves to enrich the theoretical framework for the theory of planned behavior and provides useful information for understanding university students’ exercise intentions and behaviors.

Abstract Objective To investigate the influence of subjective exercise experience on adolescent trait anxiety and to reveal the mediating effect of exercise behavior. Methods Using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES), Physical Exercise Rating Scale (PARS-3), and Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-AI), a questionnaire survey was conducted among 500 adolescents in Southwest China, and the SPSS21.0 and AMOS21.0 statistical analysis software was used to statistics and analysis on the questionnaires. Results 1) Among adolescents, the exercise behavior of boys was significantly higher than that of girls (p

Physical exercise is crucial to the development of students’ physical and mental health. This study explored the relationship between live sports learning and college students’ exercise behaviors, and the mediating roles of exercise motivation and exercise commitment, aiming to provide theoretical bases for the future that explain the mechanism of live sports learning in exercise behaviors, as well as practical guidance for the promotion of positive physical exercise behaviors in college students. In total, 1189 college students from China volunteered to complete questionnaires. The results showed that live sports learning positively predicted college students’ exercise behavior and that live sports learning was able to affect exercise behavior through the mediating roles of exercise motivation and exercise commitment, with specific mediating paths including the two independent mediating paths and a serial mediating path of exercise motivation and exercise commitment. This study confirmed, for the first time, on live sports learning in the process of promoting exercise behavior. It is suggested that educators instruct college students to regulate their participation in live sports learning and to cultivate healthy exercise motivation and exercise commitment, which is an effective way to facilitate college students’ practice of physical activity.

Objective: To investigate the influence of subjective exercise experience on adolescent trait anxiety and to reveal the mediating effect of exercise behavior. Methods: Using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES), Physical Exercise Rating Scale (PARS-3), and Trait Anxiety Inventory (T-AI), a questionnaire survey was conducted among 500 adolescents in Southwest China, and the SPSS21.0 and AMOS21.0 statistical analysis software was used to statistics and analysis on the questionnaires. Results: 1) Among adolescents, the exercise behavior of boys was significantly higher than that of girls (p < 0.05), and the subjective exercise experience of students aged 9 to 12 was significantly higher than that of students aged 12 to 15 (p < 0.05). 2) The subjective exercise experience could directly and positively predict exercise behavior (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) and negatively predict trait anxiety (β = -0.26, p < 0.05), and exercise behavior could directly and negatively predict trait anxiety (β = -0.32, p < 0.01). 3) The exercise behavior played a partial mediating effect between subjective exercise experience and trait anxiety (the mediation effect was -0.14). Among them, compared with low- and high-exercise amounts, the exercise behavior of moderate exercise amounts had the strongest mediating effect between subjective exercise experience and trait anxiety. Conclusion: The good subjective exercise experience not only has direct benefits for improving trait anxiety in adolescents but also helps to improve their exercise behavior, enrich daily physical exercise activities, and indirectly promote the reduction of trait anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of COVID-19, people face conditions of great stress and are susceptible to negative emotions such as worry, fear, and doubt. Therefore, the focus of epidemic prevention should be on mental health as well as physical health. It is important to pay attention to people's mental health while mitigating and controlling the epidemic. As an intervention to improve mental health, exercise behavior has attracted increasing attention from scholars due to its convenience and low cost. Therefore, the goal of this paper was to investigate the differences between characteristics related to linguistic expression and mental health indicators among different groups of Weibo users by constructing a Weibo exercise behavior user lexicon to explore the influence of exercise behavior on mental health. This study developed a user dictionary of exercise behavior, classified Sina Weibo users' exercise behavior, and established relevant systems to uncover the expressive characteristics of psychological vocabulary and behavioral vocabulary to explore the differences in expressive features related to psychological and behavioral vocabulary and mental health indicators among users who engage in different forms of exercise behavior during the period of COVID-19. As a result of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) conducted during the COVID-19 epidemic, (1) based on the constructed user lexicon of motion behavior in Weibo, the classification program exhibited good performance; (2) there were significant differences in the expressions of some lexical features among users who exhibited different motor behaviors; and (3) both nonphysical exercise and physical exercise behavior had positive relationships with some mental health indicators, but the mechanism associated with nonphysical exercise requires further exploration. This study provides a scientific online evaluation methodology and support for research concerning exercise and mental health during the COVID-19 epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online exercise communities play an important role in their users' self-health management. The willingness of users to interact and create user-generated content in online communities reflects the vitality of the online exercise community and the positive impact it has on offline users' health performance. Therefore, based on social capital theory, we study the relationship between three types of social capital and users' offline exercise behaviors and add off-topics in the community in the model. We select the KEEP health community user group as the research setting and conduct the regression analysis. The results show that owned centrality and reciprocity have a significant positive relationship with users' exercise behaviors; accessed centrality and trust have a significant negative relationship with users' exercise behaviors; and common topics and off-topics show a partly significant correlation. As a moderating variable, off-topics have a negative moderating effect on owned centrality and betweenness centrality, but a positive moderating effect on reciprocity and trust among group members. The results enrich and expand social capital theory, deepen the research on users' exercise behaviors in the online exercise community, and provide a good reference for online exercise community management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overweight is one of the major health-related challenges in industrialized countries and mostly preventable through a healthy diet and regular engagement in physical activity. Health communication practitioners and researchers, therefore, started using the media's persuasive potential by creating entertainment-education (E-E) programs that promote healthy nutrition and exercise. By observing the characters in E-E programs, audience members can learn vicariously and eventually develop personal bonds with them. The current study investigates the effects of parasocial relationships (PSRs) with characters of a health-related E-E show, as well as the impact of parasocial breakups (PSBUs) on health-relevant outcomes. Using the setting of the show The Biggest Loser (TBL), we conducted a quasi-experimental longitudinal field study. Participants (N = 149) watched shortened episodes of the show once a week for 5 weeks. Results showed that PSRs with the reality TV characters did not increase over time and after repeated exposure. Findings furthermore suggest that PSR did not influence self-efficacy perceptions or exercise behavior over time. Parasocial breakup distress intensity was neither related to self-efficacy nor to exercise behavior. Interpretations of these findings and implications for better understanding the effects of PSRs and PSBUs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to address a lack of research on sports value consciousness among Korean university students by examining the moderated mediating effect of sports value consciousness on the relationship between university students' sports YouTube engagement and their sport activity loyalty. A total of 231 Korean university students were recruited for this study. The analytical model was validated using the SPSS PROCESS Macro (Model no. 8). Exercise behavior was found to have a significant positive effect on both sports YouTube engagement and sport activity loyalty, while sports YouTube engagement had a significant positive effect on sport activity loyalty. Furthermore, the interaction between exercise behavior and sports value consciousness had a significant positive effect on sport activity loyalty at a low to moderate level. Results suggest that, for Korean university students, sports value consciousness is more important at a low to moderate level of sport activity loyalty than at a high level. The importance of sports value consciousness is highlighted in the context of the development of sports media and the sociological aspects of sports engagement among university students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fitness clubs are one of the largest exercise arenas worldwide. Still, membership withdrawal and exercise dropout rates are 40- 65% in the first six months. One important approach to retaining members may be to create an environment that feels inclusive, and clusters members with mutual needs and interests. Increased knowledge in this field can provide valuable information that leads to more effective exercise promotion strategies and better retention rates, important to the long-term success of the gym and public health. Thus, we aimed to compare background factors, motivation, and social support between members of multipurpose (wide range of exercise concepts/facilities, middle to high membership fee), fitness-only (low membership fee), and boutique (one or two specialized exercise concepts, high membership fee) fitness clubs. A total of 232 members from multipurpose (n = 107), fitness-only (n = 52), and boutique gyms (n = 73) were recruited for this cross-sectional study. Data included background variables (age, gender, body weight and height, smoking, total household income, occupation, education, and general health), exercise behaviour, exercise motivation, and social support. A one-way between-group ANOVA with Bonferroni correction or a chi-square test was used as appropriate. Multipurpose and fitness- only members were older (mean diff: 9.1 years, p = <0.001) and exercised less (mean diff: 1 - 1.2 sessions/week, p = <0.001) than members from boutique clubs. Compared with multipurpose and fitness-only members, members from boutique clubs reported the highest autonomous motivation (intrinsic regulation: mean diff: 0.3, p = 0.030), and perceived greater social support from family/friends (mean diff: 6.4 to 6.6, p = <0.001). Boutique members were younger, exercised more, and reported higher autonomous motivation and social support than multipurpose and fitness- only members. Our results suggest that exercise enjoyment and a social community, the "philosophy" of boutique gyms, may be important for regular exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explored the relationship between college students' physical activity motivation and exercise behavior and constructed a chain mediation model through the mediating roles of exercise climate and exercise self-efficacy. Methods: By random sampling, 1,032 college students were investigated using the Exercise Motivation Scale, Physical Exercise Rating Scale, Exercise Climate Scale, and Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale. Results: (1) There was a huge positive correlation between exercise motivation and exercise behavior (r = 0.240, p < 0.01), and the immediate ways of linking exercise motivation to exercise behavior were critical (ß = 0.068, t = 0.040, p < 0.01). (2) Exercise motivation could positively predict exercise climate (ß = 0.373, t = 0.061, p < 0.01) and exercise self-efficacy (ß = 0.174, t = 0.039, p < 0.01), and exercise climate could emphatically foresee exercise behavior (ß = 0.302, t = 0.051, p < 0.01). Exercise self-efficacy could foresee exercise behavior decidedly (ß = 0.190, t = 0.048, p < 0.01). (3) Exercise climate and exercise self-efficacy play a critical intervening role between exercise motivation and exercise behavior. The intercession impact is explicitly made out of aberrant impacts created in three ways: exercise motivation → exercise climate → exercise behavior (mediating effect value: 0.113); exercise motivation → exercise self-efficacy → exercise behavior (mediating effect value: 0.033); exercise motivation → exercise climate → exercise self-efficacy → exercise behavior (mediating effect value: 0.027). Conclusion: (1) Exercise climate, exercise self-efficacy, and exercise behavior can all be significantly predicted by exercise motivation, suggesting that exercise motivation may help to enhance these variables. (2) In addition to having a direct impact on exercise behavior, exercise motivation can also have an indirect impact through the separate mediating effects of exercise climate and exercise selfefficacy as well as the chain mediating effect of exercise climate and exercise self-efficacy, which is crucial for encouraging college students to engage in physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundThe disease burden caused by obesity has increased significantly in China. Less than 30% of those who are obese meet the weekly physical activity standards recommended by the WHO. Risk factors that influence exercise behavior in people with obesity remain unclear.MethodsBased on the survey from the Chinese General Social Survey program (CGSS) in 2017, 3,331 subjects were identified and enrolled in the univariate and multiple probit regression models. We aimed to identify the association between SRH and the exercise behavior of obese people and further explore the influencing factors of active physical activity in this group of people.ResultsThe proportion of active physical activity in obese people was 25%. Groups with better SRH, higher education and income were more likely to participate in sports. Obese people who lived in rural areas, were unmarried or divorced, or fell within the age range of 35–40 had a significantly lower percentage of engagement in active physical activity.ConclusionsThe proportion of people with obesity who meet the WHO recommendation for physical activity in China is not ideal. Health promotion programs for those who are obese need to be further strengthened and targeted, especially for rural areas, low-income families, and middle-aged obese people.

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Twin and family studies show a strong contribution of genetic factors to physical activity (PA) assessed by either self-report or accelerometers. PA heritability is around 43% across the lifespan. Genome-wide association studies have implied biological pathways related to exercise ability and enjoyment. A polygenic score based on genetic variants influencing PA could help improve the success of intervention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the authors aim to examine the attitudes towards exercise behavior changes of adults who are registered to Fitness and Activity Centers under the COVID-19 Quarantine and cannot routinely go to gyms due to quarantine. Method; It consisted of a total of 120 individuals, 40 women and 80 men, between the ages of 18-55, registered to fitness and activity centers. The participants were selected from those who went to the gym for at least 45 minutes a day, 3 days a week for at least 6 months, and did fitness exercises for at least 6 months before the quarantine. The experiential and behavioral attitudes of the participants regarding the benefits of exercise were determined by the Exercise Change Processes Scale (EDSS). The components of experiential and behavioral processes are determined with a 5-point Likert-type scale consisting of 28 questions. According to the findings; There was no significant difference between men and women in the experiential sub-dimension and the behavioral sub-dimension, which includes helping relationships and empowering management processes (P>0.05). On the other hand, it was determined that there was a significant difference between the behavioral sub-dimension components of opposite and opposite situation, self-liberation and stimulus control, and total awareness levels between men and women (P<0.05, P<0.01). As a result, it can be argued that unlike the monthslong quarantine effectively controlling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, it does not have a positive contribution to the exercise behavior change process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveBased on the theory of planned behavior, this study introduced personality traits and exercise-induced feelings and other third variables, aiming to explore the mechanism of personality traits and exercise-induced feelings between exercise intention and exercise behavior, and explore the internal mechanism of promoting exercise behavior of junior high school students.MethodsThis research adopts the Exercise Intention Questionnaire, Simple Big Five Personality Scale, Exercise-induced Feeling Inventory and Exercise Rating Scale, from the three cities of Anhui province 1,166 junior high school students selected from the group psychological measurement, and uses the SPSS23.0 and Process plug-in exercise intention in exercise behavior analysis of the direct and indirect effect.ResultsThe results showed that: (1) Exercise intention significantly positively predicted exercise behavior (β = 0.265, t = 4.261, p

Despite its well-established benefits, physical activity engagement is low in the adult population; evidence suggests that this is especially a concern for women >60 years. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the feasibility of a 6-week randomized control trial of self-determination theory-based dance and walking programs for older women. Primary outcomes were feasibility measures: recruitment, retention, and satisfaction. Secondary outcomes included self-reported physical activity, behavioral regulations, and psychological needs. Thirty-five women completed the study (M = 62.8 ± 4.8 years), representing 39% recruitment and 95% retention rate. Both programs were highly attended. Exploratory effect sizes for secondary measures were promising. Emergent themes highlighted the importance of servant leadership concepts in the group setting for motivating physical activity. Our findings provide support for expanding this trial to a full-scale study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies mediators and moderators of changes in physical activity (PA) following a school-based pilot intervention. Students from two Lebanese schools were randomly allocated into intervention (n = 191) and control (n = 183) groups. The multiple-mediation analysis revealed that active self-identity and perceived barriers mediated the intervention's effect on PA changes. Baseline intention, attitude, PBC, and age moderated PA changes at post-intervention. The youngest participants and those reporting the lowest PA scores at baseline benefited most from the intervention. Future interventions with students should target these mediators and moderators to promote positive change in PA behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of COVID-19-related lockdowns on deterioration of mental health and use of exercise to remediate such effects has been well documented in numerous populations. However, it remains unknown how lockdown restrictions impacted individuals differently and who was more likely to change their exercise behavior and experience negative well-being. The current study examined exercise dependence as a risk factor and its impact on exercise behavior and mood during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns on a global scale in 11,898 participants from 17 countries. Mixed effects models revealed that reducing exercise behavior was associated with a stronger decrease in mood for individuals at risk of exercise dependence compared to individuals at low risk of exercise dependence. Participants at high risk and exercising more prior to the pandemic reported the most exercise during lockdown. Effects of lowered mood were most pronounced in participants with high risk of exercise dependence who reported greater reduction in exercise frequency during lockdown. These results support recent etiological evidence for exercise dependence and add to a growing body of literature documenting mental health effects related to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objectives This study aimed at exploring the relationships between physical activity, weight control, and psycho-social aspects of the COVID-19 lockdown, which have characterized the Israeli population’s behavior during the COVID-19 global crisis. Design Cross-sectional survey research. Methods Participants included 1855 men and women aged 18 and above, from different regions in the country and representing different sectors. They were recruited through the social media in a “snowball” sampling, and filled out a self-administered six-part survey: Demographic background, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the positive and negative affect scales (PANAS), the Conor and Davidson resilience scale, a questionnaire for measuring depressive symptoms, and questions regarding weight change based on the Israeli National Health and Nutrition (MABAT) survey. Results Routine physical activity (PA) was reported by 76.3% of the participants before the lockdown, 19.3% stopped exercising during this period, and 9.3% began exercising during the lockdown. The participants who were physically active during the lockdown period reported a higher level of resilience and positive feelings, and a lower level of depression, compared with those who were not physically active. People who were physically active during the lockdown maintained their weight compared with those who were inactive. Concerning weight change, 44.8% of the respondents maintained their weight, and a higher percentage of people reported weight gain than those who reported weight loss. Conclusions Continuous PA before and during the COVID-19 lockdown were associated with higher resilience and positive emotions, and depressive symptoms, in people aged 18 and above. Although a causal link cannot be established, in light of the results of the present study, encouraging physical activity may contribute to improving mental health and a sense of self-efficacy, as well as to maintaining weight during a crisis.

IntroductionDue to the Coronavirus pandemic, politicians enacted directions to reduce social interactions, including lockdown of fitness clubs. We aimed to investigate how this changed exercise habits of Norwegian gym members.MethodBased on survey data, men and women (≥18 years, n = 233, data collection from Aug. 2020 to Jan. 2021) were recruited to this study by an email-invitation from their fitness club chain or by Facebook advertisement. The participants reported on background variables (e.g., age, gender, total household income, occupation, and education), and exercise habits pre- and during social lockdown. Data were analyzed using independent or student t-test, chi-squared test, or McNemar's test, as appropriate.ResultsHome-based exercise (18.0 vs. 72.5%, p = 60 min. per session: 33.0 vs. 3.8%, p =

Online exercise communities play an important role in their users’ self-health management. The willingness of users to interact and create user-generated content in online communities reflects the vitality of the online exercise community and the positive impact it has on offline users’ health performance. Therefore, based on social capital theory, we study the relationship between three types of social capital and users’ offline exercise behaviors and add off-topics in the community in the model. We select the KEEP health community user group as the research setting and conduct the regression analysis. The results show that owned centrality and reciprocity have a significant positive relationship with users’ exercise behaviors; accessed centrality and trust have a significant negative relationship with users’ exercise behaviors; and common topics and off-topics show a partly significant correlation. As a moderating variable, off-topics have a negative moderating effect on owned centrality and betweenness centrality, but a positive moderating effect on reciprocity and trust among group members. The results enrich and expand social capital theory, deepen the research on users’ exercise behaviors in the online exercise community, and provide a good reference for online exercise community management.

This study aims to address a lack of research on sports value consciousness among Korean university students by examining the moderated mediating effect of sports value consciousness on the relationship between university students’ sports YouTube engagement and their sport activity loyalty. A total of 231 Korean university students were recruited for this study. The analytical model was validated using the SPSS PROCESS Macro (Model no. 8). Exercise behavior was found to have a significant positive effect on both sports YouTube engagement and sport activity loyalty, while sports YouTube engagement had a significant positive effect on sport activity loyalty. Furthermore, the interaction between exercise behavior and sports value consciousness had a significant positive effect on sport activity loyalty at a low to moderate level. Results suggest that, for Korean university students, sports value consciousness is more important at a low to moderate level of sport activity loyalty than at a high level. The importance of sports value consciousness is highlighted in the context of the development of sports media and the sociological aspects of sports engagement among university students.

Objective: This study explores the relationship between exercise intention and exercise behavior and constructs a chain mediating model through the mediating effect of implementation intention and self-identity. Method: Through the stratified cluster sampling method, 1,573 junior school students (with an average age of 13.71 ± 0.891 years) were evaluated by the exercise intention scale, the implementation intention scale, the self-identity scale, and the physical exercise grade scale. For data analysis, the common method deviation test, Pearson correlation analysis, and Model 6 in the SPSS macro program compiled by Hayes for the chain mediating test were conducted. Results: (1) There is a marked correlation between positive exercise intention and exercise behavior (r = 0.345, p < 0.01), and exercise intention has a significant effect on the direct path of exercise behavior (β = 0.162, t = 12.355, p < 0.01). (2) Exercise intention can positively predict implementation intention (β = 0.219, t = 10.006, p < 0.01) and self-identity (β = 0.160, t = 16.159, p < 0.01); implementation intention can significantly and positively predict exercise behavior (β = 0.230, t = 12.742, p < 0.01), and self-identity can significantly and positively predict exercise behavior (β = 0.273, t = 7.911, p < 0.01). (3) Implementation intention and self-identity play a significant mediating role between exercise intention and exercise behavior. The mediating effect consists of three indirect effects: exercise intention → implementation intention → exercise behavior (the mediating effect value is 0.050), exercise intention → self-identity → exercise behavior (the mediating effect value is 0.044), and exercise intention→implementation intention→self-identity→exercise behavior (the mediating effect value is 0.017). Conclusion: (1) Exercise intention can significantly and positively predict exercise behavior. (2) Implementation intention and self-identity exert a significant mediating effect between exercise intention and exercise behavior, including the separate mediating effect of implementation intention and self-identity, as well as the chain mediating effect of implementation intention and self-identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of mental fatigue (MF) on affective responses during an aerobic exercise session at moderate intensity. We submitted 12 insufficiently active adults (50% women; M age = 24.9 years, SD = 3.0; M BMI = 24.3 kg/m2; SD = 2.6) to two 30-minute pre-exercise conditions: an MF condition (Stroop Color-Word task) and a control condition (watching a documentary) prior to their performance of 20 minutes of aerobic treadmill exercise at 40–59% of heart rate reserve. The minimum washout interval between conditions was two days. Perceived MF and motivation to perform physical exercise were assessed before and after conditions with a visual analog scale of 100 mm. We assessed participants' affective and exertion responses with the Feeling Scale, Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and heart rate during every two minutes of physical exercise. Implicit attitudes toward physical exercise were assessed by the Implicit Association Test before the MF and control conditions and after the physical exercise session. The participants in the MF condition reported lower pleasure (M difference = −1.57, 95% CI = −2.64 to −0.50, d = 0.93, p =.008) and higher exertion (RPE) (M difference = 1.16, 95% CI = 0.04 to 2.27, d = 0.66, p =.043) compared to those in the control condition. Participants who experienced MF also reported a more negative implicit attitude toward physical exercise than in the control condition (β = −0.47, 95% CI= −0.73 to −0.21, d = 1.41, p <.001). While these findings should be cross-validated in subsequent research with a larger and more diverse participant sample, there appears to be value in minimizing pre-exercise mental fatigue to avoid negative MF effects on the exercisers' affective experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important for elderly consumers to remain active as regular exercise has been shown to improve quality of and extend life. As individuals' body shapes often change as they age due to certain factors, these changes influence their body satisfaction and dress behaviors. Furthermore, clothing preferences are directly related to one's daily lifestyle, so that it is important to examine how certain factors related to this affect the behavior of elderly consumers. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine how body shapes and activewear preferences are related to exercise behavior for elderly female consumers. This study employed a quantitative survey method, and a questionnaire and images of activewear choices were developed. A total of 242 usable data were collected. The average age of participants was 70. The results showed that elderly female consumers preferred tops with loose fit and short sleeves and pants with loose fit and ankle length for activewear. Relationships between exercise behavior and activewear preferences, as well as between weight perception and activewear preferences, were identified. Further investigation to develop appealing activewear styles for elderly consumers will be needed as elderly female consumers prefer to wear the activewear outfits for their daily wear as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundSelf-efficacy is an important component of the mental well-being of college students. This study aimed to evaluate the development and the correlation between physical fitness (PF), exercise behavior, and self-efficacy in college students. To examine whether PF in individual college students can predict self-efficacy, and whether exercise behavior mediates this relationship.MethodsThis was an observational study of 1923 randomly selected college students (50.5% girl). Measures included the Physical Activity Rating Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale, and PF testing.ResultsSelf-efficacy was weakly correlated to both PF (r = 0.240) and exercise behavior (r = 0.248). In regression analysis, PF explained 24.7% of the variance in self-efficacy, increasing to 29.4% when exercise behavior was considered. Therefore, the predictive effect of PF on self-efficacy is partially realized through healthy exercise behavior.ConclusionPhysical fitness can predict self-efficacy among college students, with exercise behavior being an important mediation of this relationship. Strategies to improve positive exercise behaviors and PF could improve students’ self-efficacy and overall mental health.

This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict exercise behaviors and intentions of teenagers and analyzed sex differences. A prospective study design was employed to survey tenth-grade students in Taipei, Taiwan. The 951 participants reported their exercise attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and intentions, and their exercise behaviors were tracked 6 months later. Results revealed that 22.1% of all students and more male students than female students exercised for ≥30 min/day on 5 or more days/week. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that intentions, PBC, attitudes, and subjective norms explained 32.5% of the variation in exercise behavior (p <.001). Intentions, attitudes, and PBC were related to exercise behavior regardless of sex. Attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC explained 67.0% of the variation in intentions (p <.001). Attitudes and PBC were related to intentions regardless of sex. The findings support that the main constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior can effectively predict regular exercise intentions and behaviors among adolescents. The results can serve as a reference for nurses and other healthcare professionals when formulating effective strategies to encourage adolescents to engage in exercise practices. • The Theory of Planned Behavior have predicted adolescents' exercise intentions and behaviors. • Factors affecting adolescents' exercise intentions include attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control. • The Theory of Planned Behavior significantly have predicted Taiwanese adolescents' exercise intentions and behaviors regardless of gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]