The impact of physical exercise participation on residents' sense of social justice: an empirical analysis based on the 2023 data of China's CGSS.
4 affiliations
- 1Faculty of International Tourism and Management, City University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.
- 2College of Arts and Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
- 3School of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
- 4General Education College, Chongqing Vocational College of Applied Technology, Chongqing, China.
Abstract
Background
Elevating residents' sense of social justice is vital for social stability and harmonious societal development. Existing literature has documented correlations between physical exercise and subjective well-being, social trust and life satisfaction, yet few studies have explored how physical exercise participation aligns with sense of social justice among Chinese residents or unpacked correlational linkages across relevant variables. This cross-sectional analysis addresses this research gap usingdata from a nationwide social survey.Methods
Data were sourced from the 2023 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS 2023), with 5,364 respondents retained after data screening and exclusion of missing, abnormal, and out-of-range observations. Multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) with Bootstrap testing were applied to analyze synchronous correlations between physical exercise participation and residents' sense of social justice, as well as correlated mediating chains involving self-rated physical health and social trust. Demographic, socioeconomic, health and social capital indicators were included as control covariates.Results
The average score of residents' sense of social justice reached 3.30 (above the medium threshold), and 52.49% of respondents held positive evaluations of societal fairness; the sample-wide physical exercise participation rate stood at 57.11%. After accounting for all control variables, physical exercise participation displayed significant positive correlations with sense of social justice, self-rated physical health and social trust. Both self-rated physical health and social trust were positively correlated with sense of social justice. Bootstrap tests confirmed two independent correlated mediating linkages and one serial correlated mediating chain connecting exercise participation and sense of social justice via physical health and social trust.Conclusion
Physical exercise participation was positively associated with residents' sense of social justice. The findings further suggest that physical health status and social trust may help explain the observed association between exercise participation and sense of social justice, highlighting the potential interplay among exercise, health, social relationships, and fairness perceptions. These results underscore the value of considering physical well-being and social trust alongside public fitness participation when seeking to understand residents' perceptions of sense of social justice. Given the cross-sectional nature of the data, however, the observed relationships should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects.
Related
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- Changes in physical performance and frailty-associated risk associated with participation in a community exercise programme: Findings from the ExWell cohort.
- The positive correlation between physical exercise and the fertility intention of women of childbearing age: an empirical analysis based on the Chinese General Social Survey
- Machine learning prediction of self-rated health among adults under different physical exercise participation statuses
BibTeX
@article{wu2026impact,
title = {{The impact of physical exercise participation on residents' sense of social justice: an empirical analysis based on the 2023 data of China's CGSS.}},
author = {Yanhong Wu and Yihua Zhang and Zihui Liu and Zhirong Zheng and Longan Cao},
journal = {Frontiers in public health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1932575},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909989},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The impact of physical exercise participation on residents' sense of social justice: an empirical analysis based on the 2023 data of China's CGSS.
AU - Yanhong Wu
AU - Yihua Zhang
AU - Zihui Liu
AU - Zhirong Zheng
AU - Longan Cao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Frontiers in public health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1932575
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909989
AB - Background Elevating residents' sense of social justice is vital for social stability and harmonious societal development. Existing literature has documented correlations between physical exercise and subjective well-being, social trust and life satisfaction, yet few studies have explored how physical exercise participation aligns with sense of social justice among Chinese residents or unpacked correlational linkages across relevant variables. This cross-sectional analysis addresses this research gap usingdata from a nationwide social survey.Methods Data were sourced from the 2023 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS 2023), with 5,364 respondents retained after data screening and exclusion of missing, abnormal, and out-of-range observations. Multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) with Bootstrap testing were applied to analyze synchronous correlations between physical exercise participation and residents' sense of social justice, as well as correlated mediating chains involving self-rated physical health and social trust. Demographic, socioeconomic, health and social capital indicators were included as control covariates.Results The average score of residents' sense of social justice reached 3.30 (above the medium threshold), and 52.49% of respondents held positive evaluations of societal fairness; the sample-wide physical exercise participation rate stood at 57.11%. After accounting for all control variables, physical exercise participation displayed significant positive correlations with sense of social justice, self-rated physical health and social trust. Both self-rated physical health and social trust were positively correlated with sense of social justice. Bootstrap tests confirmed two independent correlated mediating linkages and one serial correlated mediating chain connecting exercise participation and sense of social justice via physical health and social trust.Conclusion Physical exercise participation was positively associated with residents' sense of social justice. The findings further suggest that physical health status and social trust may help explain the observed association between exercise participation and sense of social justice, highlighting the potential interplay among exercise, health, social relationships, and fairness perceptions. These results underscore the value of considering physical well-being and social trust alongside public fitness participation when seeking to understand residents' perceptions of sense of social justice. Given the cross-sectional nature of the data, however, the observed relationships should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -