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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychol.
Sec. Health Psychology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1451015

Weight Self-Stigma and Home Physical Activity in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Psychological Needs Satisfaction

Provisionally accepted
Ming Yeung SONG Ming Yeung SONG 1Qiangfeng Zhang Qiangfeng Zhang 2*Wenzhi Guo Wenzhi Guo 2*Yuqing Peng Yuqing Peng 2*Yao Zhou Yao Zhou 2*
  • 1 Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
  • 2 Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Physical activity deficiency among adolescents represents a significant public health concern, particularly in home settings. While weight self-stigma has been identified as a potential barrier to physical activity, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. Objective: This study examined how weight self-stigma influences adolescents' home physical activity through psychological needs satisfaction in exercise, and investigated the moderating role of family physical activity climate in this relationship. Method: Participants were 1,328 adolescents (676 males, 656 females) from three cities in Hunan Province, China. Data were collected at two time points to minimize common method bias. Participants completed measures of weight self-stigma, psychological needs satisfaction in exercise, family physical activity climate, and home physical activity. Results: Weight self-stigma negatively affected home physical activity (β = -0.488, p < 0.01). Psychological needs satisfaction in exercise partially mediated this relationship, with a significant indirect effect (β = -0.159, 95% CI [-0.200, -0.124]). Family physical activity climate moderated the relationship between psychological needs satisfaction and home physical activity (β = 0.216, p < 0.01). The moderated mediation analysis revealed stronger indirect effects at high levels of family physical activity climate (β = -0.226, p < 0.01) compared to low levels (β = -0.011, ns).

    Keywords: Weight self-stigma, home physical activity, Psychological needs satisfactions, family physical activity climate, adolescents

    Received: 30 Jul 2024; Accepted: 30 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 SONG, Zhang, Guo, Peng and Zhou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Qiangfeng Zhang, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan Province, China
    Wenzhi Guo, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan Province, China
    Yuqing Peng, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan Province, China
    Yao Zhou, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan Province, China

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