AUTHOR=Guo Siqiang , Fu Huaying , Guo Kelei 

TITLE=Effects of physical activity on subjective well-being: the mediating role of social support and self-efficacy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2024.1362816

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2024.1362816

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Objective</title><p>Subjective well-being is an essential component of college students' mental health, and the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being among college students and to examine the mediating role of social support and self-efficacy between the physical activity and subjective well-being.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>This study utilized a cross-sectional design with a stratified whole group sample of 989 college students (M<sub>age</sub> = 19.65 years, SD = 1.1) from three universities in Guangdong Province, China, and used the Physical Activity Scale, Subjective Well-Being Scale, Social Support Scale, and Self-Efficacy Scale for data collection. In this study, SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis of the collected data. Harman's one-way method was used to test for common method bias.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>(1) Physical activity, subjective well-being, social support and self-efficacy were significantly correlated with each other. Among them, physical activity was significantly and positively correlated with subjective well-being (<italic>r =</italic> 0.36), physical activity directly predicted subjective well-being (<italic>β = </italic>0.125, <italic>t = </italic>3.992, <italic>p &lt; </italic>0.01). (2) Physical activity positively predicted social support (<italic>β = </italic>0.386, <italic>t =</italic> 12.505, <italic>p &lt;</italic> 0.01) and self-efficacy (<italic>β =</italic> 0.358, <italic>t = </italic>11.793, <italic>p &lt; </italic>0.01), social support significantly positively predicted subjective well-being (<italic>β = </italic>0.332, <italic>t = </italic>11.370, <italic>p &lt; </italic>0.01) and self-efficacy (<italic>β =</italic> 0.254, <italic>t = </italic>8.744, <italic>p &lt; </italic>0.01), self-efficacy significantly and positively predicted subjective well-being (<italic>β = </italic>0.255, <italic>t = </italic>8.251, <italic>p &lt; </italic>0.01). (3) Not only did social support and self-efficacy play an independent mediating role between physical activity and subjective well-being, but social support and self-efficacy played a chain mediating role between physical activity and subjective well-being.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>This study enriched the theoretical guidance for physical activity in promoting college students' subjective well-being. In the practical teaching of promoting college students' subjective well-being, in addition to paying attention to stimulating physical activity, special attention should be paid to the promotion of social support and self-efficacy.</p></sec>