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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Sport Psychology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1566952
This article is part of the Research Topic Motivations For Physical Activity - Volume III View all 8 articles
The study of the association between exercise motivation and cardiorespiratory fitness in young students：A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted- 1 Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
- 2 Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China
In recent years, many studies have shown that exercise motivation is essential for encouraging students to engage in physical activities. Cardiorespiratory function, which is closely related to cardiorespiratory fitness, plays a crucial supportive role in sports, and its level is usually reflected by cardiorespiratory fitness measurements. This study aims to explore the correlation between exercise motivation and cardiorespiratory fitness in young students, analyze the impact of exercise motivation on cardiorespiratory fitness, and investigate the role of cardiorespiratory fitness in the formation of exercise motivation. Following the PRISMA statement, a comprehensive literature search was carried out in six electronic databases from July 1, 2000, to December 1, 2024. The selected studies were strictly qualityassessed, and relevant data were extracted using a standardized form. Then, a meta -analysis was conducted with Stata18 software, along with heterogeneity testing and publication bias assessment.After screening, 11 studies were included. Eight directly explored the correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise motivation, while the other four investigated the link between physical activity and exercise motivation, suggesting an association between cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise motivation during physical activity. Pearson correlation analysis (11 studies) and multiple regression analysis (7 studies) were used. By combining effect sizes with a random -effects model, the average correlation coefficient was 0.24 (p<0.001). The average standardized coefficient of exercise motivation on promoting cardiorespiratory fitness was 0.16 (p<0.001), and that of cardiorespiratory fitness on enhancing exercise motivation was 0.18 (p<0.001). The results show a significant positive correlation between exercise motivation and cardiorespiratory fitness in young students, with a moderate positive effect on each other. This provides a theoretical basis for improving young students' cardiorespiratory fitness and exercise motivation. Future research could explore more effective assessment methods to better understand the underlying mechanisms.
Keywords: Young students, physical activity, Exercise motivation, Physical Fitness, intervention strategies
Received: 26 Jan 2025; Accepted: 18 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 周, 聂, 邵, Ma, 邱, 高 and Liu. 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:
进超 高, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
Cong Liu, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China
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