ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Sport Psychology
The effect of basic psychological needs in physical education on exercise behavior among adolescentsin young adulthood: the mediating role of self-efficacy and moderated role of gender
Xuening Li
Donghai Wang
Weijun Xie
Jing Wang
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
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Abstract
Background: PAdolescent physical inactivity during young adulthood has become a global public health concern. Based on basic psychological needs theory, satisfying these needs in physical education may promote be positively associated with exercise behaviors; however, the underlying mechanisms and gender differences remain insufficiently explored. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 3188 students aged 18 to 21 years old (Mean = 19.26, SD = 0.93; 47.55% males). Participants completed questionnaires measuring basic psychological needs, self-efficacy, and exercise behavior. Structural equation modeling (SEM) tested the mediating role of self-efficacy and gender differences via multi-group analysis. Results: Findings showed that males scored significantly higher than females in competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs, as well as self-efficacy and exercise behavior, compared with females. All gender effects reached statistical significance. SEM results showed that the three needs significantly and directly predicted exercise behavior, with self-efficacy serving as a parallel mediator in this relationship. When gender was included in the model, multi-group SEM indicated significant gender differences across all three pathways. Specifically, the effect of competence need on exercise behavior was weaker among female college students, whereas the effect of autonomy need was stronger. Moreover, competence need exerted a larger effect on self-efficacy among male students. Conclusions: Satisfying Satisfaction of these needs promotes correlates with higher exercise behavior, and this association is mediated by enhanced by enhancing self-efficacy. Further Intervention intervention studies should consider account for gender differences to optimize their outcomes.
Summary
Keywords
Basic psychological needs, Exercise behavior, gender, Physical Education, self-efficacy, young adulthoodadolescents
Received
01 December 2025
Accepted
02 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Li, Wang, Xie and Wang. 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: Xuening Li
Disclaimer
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