The Correlations between Spatial Equality and School Environment with Children's Physical Activity Levels: The Mediating Role of Motivation toward Physical Education.

Abstract

Background: Children's engagement in physical activity (PA) is influenced by a combination of environmental and psychological factors. The present study aimed to investigate the correlation of spatial equality and the school environment with children's PA levels, given the mediating role of motivation toward physical education (PE).

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2024 in Gorgan, Iran, involving 384 middle-school students (mean age=13.1±0.9 years; 194 (50.5%) female and 190 (49.5%) male students). The study participants completed validated questionnaires assessing spatial equality (NEWS-Y), the school environment (SPAEQ), motivation for PE (PEMS), and PA levels (PAQ-C). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to investigate both direct and indirect correlations between the variables of the study.

Results: Boys exhibited significantly higher levels of PA (M=3.38±0.70) compared with girls (M=3.18±0.73; P=0.012). Both spatial equality and the school environment were positively correlated with motivation for PE (r=0.62, P<0.001; r=0.59, P<0.001, respectively) and with PA (r=0.48, P<0.001; r=0.51, P<0.001, respectively). SEM results revealed significant correlations of spatial equality (β=0.14, P=0.005) and the school environment (β=0.18, P<0.001) with PA, with motivation toward PE acting as a partial mediator (indirect β=0.15-0.22, P<0.001).

Conclusions: The study results underscored the importance of comprehensive school interventions that integrate equitable infrastructure aimed at enhancing student motivation, thereby encouraging the development of lifelong habits of PA.