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Article

The Impact of Physical Exercise on College Students’ Physical Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience

1
College of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
2
College of Education for the Future, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai 519087, China
3
School of Physical Education and Sports Science, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
4
Leisure and Digital Sports College, Guangzhou Sports University, Guangzhou 510500, China
5
College of Physical Education, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao 334001, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Behav. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040541
Submission received: 14 February 2025 / Revised: 6 April 2025 / Accepted: 8 April 2025 / Published: 17 April 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Health Psychology)

Abstract

The mental health of college students has become a key focus in higher education, and physical activity may play a crucial role in promoting positive psychology among college students. This study explores the relationship between physical activity and physical self-efficacy among college students and analyzes the mediating effect of psychological resilience to provide theoretical support for health intervention strategies. This study included a sample of 369 college students aged 18–25 from the Zhuhai Campus of Beijing Normal University. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-S), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Physical Self-Efficacy Scale for College Students (PSES-CS) were administered to 369 students (138 males and 231 females) through a questionnaire survey. The data were processed using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 26.0 software. Significant positive correlations were found between physical activity, psychological resilience, and physical self-efficacy. Regression analysis revealed that physical activity had a significant effect on psychological resilience and physical self-efficacy and explained 8.3% and 14.9% of the variance, respectively. Psychological resilience partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and physical self-efficacy, accounting for 30.05% of the total effect. Moreover, gender moderated the relationship between physical activity and physical self-efficacy. Physical activity can enhance the physical self-efficacy of college students, with psychological resilience playing a partial mediating role and gender acting as a moderating factor. Emphasizing the cultivation of psychological resilience in educational and personal growth processes is highly important for improving individuals’ physical self-efficacy and well-being.
Keywords: college students; physical activity; physical self-efficacy; psychological resilience; mediating effect college students; physical activity; physical self-efficacy; psychological resilience; mediating effect

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Qiu, W.; Wang, X.; Cui, H.; Ma, W.; Xiao, H.; Qu, G.; Gao, R.; Zhou, F.; Nie, Y.; Liu, C. The Impact of Physical Exercise on College Students’ Physical Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 541. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040541

AMA Style

Qiu W, Wang X, Cui H, Ma W, Xiao H, Qu G, Gao R, Zhou F, Nie Y, Liu C. The Impact of Physical Exercise on College Students’ Physical Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(4):541. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040541

Chicago/Turabian Style

Qiu, Wentao, Xishuai Wang, Hongcheng Cui, Wenxue Ma, Haibin Xiao, Guofeng Qu, Rong Gao, Fangbing Zhou, Yuyang Nie, and Cong Liu. 2025. "The Impact of Physical Exercise on College Students’ Physical Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 4: 541. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040541

APA Style

Qiu, W., Wang, X., Cui, H., Ma, W., Xiao, H., Qu, G., Gao, R., Zhou, F., Nie, Y., & Liu, C. (2025). The Impact of Physical Exercise on College Students’ Physical Self-Efficacy: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience. Behavioral Sciences, 15(4), 541. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15040541

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