Is physical exercise associated with reduced adolescent social anxiety mediated by psychological resilience?: evidence from a longitudinal multi-wave study in China.

Objective: The study aims to investigate whether physical exercise is associated with psychological resilience, thereby significantly affecting adolescent social anxiety, and to analyze the longitudinal cross-temporal stability between these three interrelated factors.

Methods: The methodology involved a survey utilizing the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Social Anxiety Scale (SAS) across various regions in China, including Sichuan, Guangdong, Shanxi Province, and Beijing. A total of 1259 participants were recruited from primary, middle, and high schools, with an average age of 13.7 years. The sample comprised 626 males and 633 females. A longitudinal tracking survey approach was implemented, commencing in June 2023, with follow-up rounds scheduled every three months, culminating in a total of four rounds.

Results: The results are as follows: (1) Physical exercise was significantly positively correlated with psychological resilience (r = 0.35, p < 0.001) and significantly negatively correlated with social anxiety (r = - 0.26, p < 0.001); (2) Physical exercise could significantly negatively predict social anxiety in the next period (PET1 → SAT2: β = - 0.31, p < 0.001); (3) Psychological resilience played a mediating role in the association between physical exercise on social anxiety (PET1 → PRT2: β = 0.42, PRT2 → SAT3: β = - 0.38, p-values < 0.001).

Conclusion: Physical exercise, psychological resilience, and social anxiety exhibit cross-temporal stability, and physical exercise has a significant lagged effect on psychological resilience and social anxiety. Physical exercise may indirectly reduce social anxiety through its association with enhanced psychological resilience in adolescents.