Relationship between middle school students' academic stress and physical exercise behavior from the perspective of Self-Determination Theory: The chained mediation of motivation and intention.

ABSTRACT: Academic stress is associated with lower engagement in healthy behaviors, including physical exercise, among middle school students. Based on Self-Determination Theory, this study examines the association between academic stress and physical exercise behavior among middle school students, exploring the mechanisms through the chained mediation of motivation and intention. Scales used in this study include the Academic Stress Scale, Autonomous and Controlled Motivation Scales, and Physical Exercise Intention and Behavior Scales to measure relevant variables. This cross-sectional study involve 290 middle school students (116 males, age = 13.76±0.96 years, grades 7-9) selected from a middle school in Xiamen, China. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the data, revealing the followi

SUBMITTER: Zhao K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11698333 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature