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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Psychiatry

Physical activity and body dissatisfaction among female university students: a three-wave study of psychological flexibility and resilience

  • Youshan Zhang1
  • Zhigang Liu1
  • Chang Hu2,3
  • Laibing Lu4
4 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Tactics, Fujian Police College
  2. 2Physical Education College, Hunan First Normal University
  3. 3Physical Education College, Jiangxi Normal University
  4. 4Department of Sports Training, Henan Sport University
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Abstract

Objective: Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a common psychological concern among female university students. Although physical activity (PA) has been associated with more favourable body-related evaluations, the psychological factors that may account for this association remain unclear. This study examined the independent and theoretically ordered indirect associations of psychological flexibility (PF) and psychological resilience (PR) in the prospective association between PA and BD.

Methods: A three-wave prospective study was conducted among 1,086 first- and second-year female university students from three universities in China. Assessments were administered at 6-month intervals over 12 months. The hypothesised statistical model included T1 PA, T2 PF, and T3 PR and BD. PF was operationalized as lower experiential avoidance, with lower experiential avoidance representing greater PF. Only-child status, BMI category, and self-rated health were included as covariates. Indirect associations were estimated using PROCESS Model 6 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples.

Results: T1 PA was positively associated with T2 PF ( β = 0.419, p <.001) and T3 PR ( β = 0.239, p <.001), while T2 PF was positively associated with T3 PR ( β = 0.434, p <.001). T1 PA, T2 PF, and T3 PR were each negatively associated with T3 BD ( β = −0.127, −0.225, and −0.355, respectively; all p <.001). The total indirect association was significant ( β = −0.243, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.280, −0.206]). Significant specific indirect associations were observed through PF ( β = −0.094, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.121, −0.069]), through PR ( β = −0.085, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.109, −0.061]), and through the theoretically ordered PF–PR sequence ( β = −0.064, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.081, −0.050]).

Conclusions: Higher PA was prospectively associated with lower subsequent BD, with significant theoretically ordered indirect associations involving lower experiential avoidance, operationalized as greater PF, and greater PR. These findings highlight the potential relevance of adaptive psychological resources in understanding the prospective association between PA and BD among female university students.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{zhang2026physical,
  title = {{Physical activity and body dissatisfaction among female university students: a three-wave study of psychological flexibility and resilience}},
  author = {Youshan Zhang and Zhigang Liu and Chang Hu and Laibing Lu},
  journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1960191},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1960191/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Physical activity and body dissatisfaction among female university students: a three-wave study of psychological flexibility and resilience
AU  - Youshan Zhang
AU  - Zhigang Liu
AU  - Chang Hu
AU  - Laibing Lu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/14
JO  - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1960191
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1960191/full
AB  - Objective: Body dissatisfaction (BD) is a common psychological concern among female university students. Although physical activity (PA) has been associated with more favourable body-related evaluations, the psychological factors that may account for this association remain unclear. This study examined the independent and theoretically ordered indirect associations of psychological flexibility (PF) and psychological resilience (PR) in the prospective association between PA and BD.  Methods: A three-wave prospective study was conducted among 1,086 first- and second-year female university students from three universities in China. Assessments were administered at 6-month intervals over 12 months. The hypothesised statistical model included T1 PA, T2 PF, and T3 PR and BD. PF was operationalized as lower experiential avoidance, with lower experiential avoidance representing greater PF. Only-child status, BMI category, and self-rated health were included as covariates. Indirect associations were estimated using PROCESS Model 6 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples.  Results: T1 PA was positively associated with T2 PF ( β = 0.419, p <.001) and T3 PR ( β = 0.239, p <.001), while T2 PF was positively associated with T3 PR ( β = 0.434, p <.001). T1 PA, T2 PF, and T3 PR were each negatively associated with T3 BD ( β = −0.127, −0.225, and −0.355, respectively; all p <.001). The total indirect association was significant ( β = −0.243, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.280, −0.206]). Significant specific indirect associations were observed through PF ( β = −0.094, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.121, −0.069]), through PR ( β = −0.085, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.109, −0.061]), and through the theoretically ordered PF–PR sequence ( β = −0.064, 95% bootstrap CI [−0.081, −0.050]).  Conclusions: Higher PA was prospectively associated with lower subsequent BD, with significant theoretically ordered indirect associations involving lower experiential avoidance, operationalized as greater PF, and greater PR. These findings highlight the potential relevance of adaptive psychological resources in understanding the prospective association between PA and BD among female university students.
SN  - 1664-0640
ER  -