How does physical education influence university students' psychological health? An analysis from the dual perspectives of social support and exercise behavior.

IF 2.6 3区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Frontiers in Psychology Pub Date : 2025-02-18 eCollection Date: 2025-01-01 DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1457165

Xu Han, Haozhen Li, Ling Niu

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Abstract

Objective: Physical education, as a central component of educational systems, plays a unique role in enhancing the psychological well-being of university students. This study investigates the impacts of physical education on students' mental health and examines the mediating roles of social support and exercise behavior.

Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using the Physical Education Satisfaction Scale, SCL-90, the Social Support Questionnaire, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A total of 1,437 university students were assessed.

Results: The research found a positive correlation between physical education at universities and students' mental health, with a direct significant effect (β = 0.622, p < 0.001). Moreover, physical education positively influenced social support and exercise behavior (β = 0.523, p < 0.001; β = 0.473, p < 0.001). In turn, social support significantly fostered exercise behavior and improved mental health (β = 0.578, p < 0.001; β = 0.277, p < 0.001). Additionally, enhanced exercise behavior positively contributed to better mental health (β = 0.357, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Physical education is a crucial influencing factor for university students' psychological health and also indirectly impacts mental well-being through improved social support and increased exercise behavior.

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来源期刊

Frontiers in Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY-

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

13.20%

发文量

7396

审稿时长

14 weeks

期刊介绍： Frontiers in Psychology is the largest journal in its field, publishing rigorously peer-reviewed research across the psychological sciences, from clinical research to cognitive science, from perception to consciousness, from imaging studies to human factors, and from animal cognition to social psychology. Field Chief Editor Axel Cleeremans at the Free University of Brussels is supported by an outstanding Editorial Board of international researchers. This multidisciplinary open-access journal is at the forefront of disseminating and communicating scientific knowledge and impactful discoveries to researchers, academics, clinicians and the public worldwide. The journal publishes the best research across the entire field of psychology. Today, psychological science is becoming increasingly important at all levels of society, from the treatment of clinical disorders to our basic understanding of how the mind works. It is highly interdisciplinary, borrowing questions from philosophy, methods from neuroscience and insights from clinical practice - all in the goal of furthering our grasp of human nature and society, as well as our ability to develop new intervention methods.