BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article
Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Sport Psychology
The effect of physical exercise habit on mental health:Analysis based on HAPC model
Provisionally accepted
Xin Wang
Zhirou Zuo*- Xi’an Physical Education University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
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This study investigates the dynamic impacts of physical exercise on mental health across individuals'life courses and social generations,as well as the role of urban-rural disparities,using five waves of CGSS data(2010–2017)with 28,618 adults.A hierarchical cross-classified random effects model is employed to distinguish age,period,and cohort effects.The findings show a significant"U-shaped"age pattern in the mental health benefits of exercise,with stronger effects among the young and elderly but weaker in middle age.From a cohort perspective,earlier generations benefit more from exercise,but this effect has diminished with improved living standards,though recent cohorts show a recovery trend.Urban-rural disparities significantly moderate these benefits,with urban residents experiencing stronger positive effects and better stress buffering,while rural residents gain relatively limited mental health benefits from exercise.The study highlights that the mental health benefits of exercise are shaped by both individual life cycles and macro-social changes.Policymakers should consider life stages,cohort backgrounds,and urban-rural differences when formulating targeted mental health promotion strategies.
Keywords: Age-Period-Cohort analysis, Chinese General Social Survey, Exercise effect, HAPC model, Mental Health
Received: 07 Sep 2025; Accepted: 03 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang and Zuo. 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: Zhirou Zuo
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