ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
This article is part of the Research TopicProtective vs Risk Factors for Stress and Psychological Well-being in Academic University ContextsView all 24 articles
The impact of physical activity on college students' well-being: Parallel and chain mediation effects of academic anxiety and social support
Provisionally accepted
Jing Chang1
Jianye Li2,3*- 1Taiyuan University, Taiyuan, China
- 2Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Gdańsk, Poland
- 3Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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This study explores the psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between physical activity and psychological well-being within educational settings. Drawing on data from 620 Chinese university students and educators, we investigated the parallel and sequential mediating roles of academic anxiety and perceived social support. Using validated self-report instruments and structural equation modeling, results indicated that physical activity significantly reduced academic anxiety and enhanced perceived social support, both of which, in turn, improved psychological well-being. Notably, both a parallel mediation model and a chain mediation model were supported, indicating that academic anxiety and social support functioned not only independently as mediators but also sequentially, where reduced anxiety facilitated increased social support. Subgroup analysis revealed stronger mediation effects among participants with higher levels of physical activity, suggesting a dose-response relationship. These findings advance theoretical models in health and organizational psychology, providing practical guidance for designing interventions that promote sustainable mental health through physical activity and social support networks in academic communities.
Keywords: physical activity measurement effect, Academic anxiety, social support, happiness, Dual mediation model
Received: 10 Aug 2025; Accepted: 27 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Chang and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jianye Li
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