Relative deprivation and physical activity participation among university students: the mediating role of psychological capital
- 1Faculty of Education, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
- 2School of Physical Education, Ludong University, Yantai, Shandong, China
- 3School of Physical Education, Pingxiang University, Pingxiang, Jiangxi, China
Abstract
Background: Physical activity participation is an important component of health promotion among university students. However, students’ engagement in physical activity may be shaped not only by exercise-related conditions but also by social comparison experiences and individual psychological resources. Relative deprivation, as a negative social comparison experience, may be associated with lower physical activity participation, whereas psychological capital may represent an important psychological resource involved in this association.
Objective: This study examined the relationships among relative deprivation, psychological capital, and physical activity participation among university students and examined whether psychological capital statistically mediated the association between relative deprivation and physical activity participation.
Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among university students at a university in Jiangsu Province, China, in February 2026. A total of 419 valid questionnaires were included in the analysis. Physical activity participation, personal relative deprivation, and psychological capital were measured using the Physical Activity Participation Scale, the Personal Relative Deprivation Scale, and the short version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, respectively. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrap mediation analysis were performed.
Results: The structural model showed good fit to the data (χ2/df = 1.343, GFI = 0.941, CFI = 0.983, TLI = 0.981, RMSEA = 0.029, SRMR = 0.040). Relative deprivation was negatively associated with physical activity participation (β = −0.391, p < 0.001) and psychological capital (β = −0.518, p < 0.001), whereas psychological capital was positively associated with physical activity participation (β = 0.328, p < 0.001). Bootstrap mediation analysis indicated a significant indirect association through psychological capital, suggesting a partial mediating role of psychological capital (indirect effect = −0.179, 95% CI [−0.236, −0.128]). After controlling for gender and age, the indirect effect remained significant (indirect effect = −0.178, 95% CI [−0.235, −0.127]), supporting the robustness of the findings.
Conclusion: Relative deprivation was associated with lower physical activity participation among university students, with psychological capital showing a significant mediating role in this association. This indirect association remained significant after controlling for gender and age. These findings suggest that physical activity promotion in higher education should address the potential adverse role of relative deprivation and strengthen students’ psychological capital, including self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism.
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BibTeX
@article{dong2026relative,
title = {{Relative deprivation and physical activity participation among university students: the mediating role of psychological capital}},
author = {Runqiang Dong and Mohd Sahandri Gani Bin Hamzah and Mohd Mahzan Bin Awang and Jianguo Qiu and Geng Yang},
journal = {Frontiers in Psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1923570},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1923570},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Relative deprivation and physical activity participation among university students: the mediating role of psychological capital
AU - Runqiang Dong
AU - Mohd Sahandri Gani Bin Hamzah
AU - Mohd Mahzan Bin Awang
AU - Jianguo Qiu
AU - Geng Yang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1923570
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1923570
AB - Background: Physical activity participation is an important component of health promotion among university students. However, students’ engagement in physical activity may be shaped not only by exercise-related conditions but also by social comparison experiences and individual psychological resources. Relative deprivation, as a negative social comparison experience, may be associated with lower physical activity participation, whereas psychological capital may represent an important psychological resource involved in this association. Objective: This study examined the relationships among relative deprivation, psychological capital, and physical activity participation among university students and examined whether psychological capital statistically mediated the association between relative deprivation and physical activity participation. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among university students at a university in Jiangsu Province, China, in February 2026. A total of 419 valid questionnaires were included in the analysis. Physical activity participation, personal relative deprivation, and psychological capital were measured using the Physical Activity Participation Scale, the Personal Relative Deprivation Scale, and the short version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, respectively. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, Pearson correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrap mediation analysis were performed. Results: The structural model showed good fit to the data (χ2/df = 1.343, GFI = 0.941, CFI = 0.983, TLI = 0.981, RMSEA = 0.029, SRMR = 0.040). Relative deprivation was negatively associated with physical activity participation (β = −0.391, p < 0.001) and psychological capital (β = −0.518, p < 0.001), whereas psychological capital was positively associated with physical activity participation (β = 0.328, p < 0.001). Bootstrap mediation analysis indicated a significant indirect association through psychological capital, suggesting a partial mediating role of psychological capital (indirect effect = −0.179, 95% CI [−0.236, −0.128]). After controlling for gender and age, the indirect effect remained significant (indirect effect = −0.178, 95% CI [−0.235, −0.127]), supporting the robustness of the findings. Conclusion: Relative deprivation was associated with lower physical activity participation among university students, with psychological capital showing a significant mediating role in this association. This indirect association remained significant after controlling for gender and age. These findings suggest that physical activity promotion in higher education should address the potential adverse role of relative deprivation and strengthen students’ psychological capital, including self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism.
SN - 1664-1078
ER -