The longitudinal relationship between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise among university students: the moderating role of motivational beliefs
- 1School of Physical Education, Jiangxi Normal University
- 2Admissions and Career Services, Jiangxi Institute of Construction
Abstract
Purpose: To investigate the longitudinal relationship between university students’ subjective exercise experiences and their physical exercise behavior using a cross-lagged research design, and to analyze the moderating role of motivational beliefs in this relationship.
Methods: A one-year, two-stage longitudinal questionnaire survey was conducted among 422 university students in Jiangxi Province (52.6% male, mean age = 18.29 ± 0.632 years) using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale, the Adolescent Physical Activity Scale, the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale and the Perceived Value of Exercise Scale.
Results: (1) Gender differences were observed in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior across the two phases; male participants scored higher on average than female participants across all measures. (2) There was a significant positive correlation between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students. (3) Results from a cross-lagged model controlling for gender indicated that subjective exercise experience at T1 significantly and positively predicted physical exercise behavior at T2 ( β = 0.385, p < 0.001), and physical exercise behavior at T1 significantly and positively predicted subjective exercise experience at T2 ( β = 0.336, p < 0.001). (4) Motivational beliefs exerted a significant positive moderating effect on both cross-lagged pathways.
Conclusion: Gender differences exist in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students; there is a longitudinal relationship across time between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior; and motivational beliefs exert a significant moderating effect on the prospective predictive pathways between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior.
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BibTeX
@article{meng2026longitudinal,
title = {{The longitudinal relationship between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise among university students: the moderating role of motivational beliefs}},
author = {Delu Meng and Wenlong Guo and Ting Zhang and Xinqi He and Peng Jia and Jing Li and Luzhen Ding},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1972061},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1972061/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The longitudinal relationship between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise among university students: the moderating role of motivational beliefs
AU - Delu Meng
AU - Wenlong Guo
AU - Ting Zhang
AU - Xinqi He
AU - Peng Jia
AU - Jing Li
AU - Luzhen Ding
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1972061
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1972061/full
AB - Purpose: To investigate the longitudinal relationship between university students’ subjective exercise experiences and their physical exercise behavior using a cross-lagged research design, and to analyze the moderating role of motivational beliefs in this relationship. Methods: A one-year, two-stage longitudinal questionnaire survey was conducted among 422 university students in Jiangxi Province (52.6% male, mean age = 18.29 ± 0.632 years) using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale, the Adolescent Physical Activity Scale, the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale and the Perceived Value of Exercise Scale. Results: (1) Gender differences were observed in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior across the two phases; male participants scored higher on average than female participants across all measures. (2) There was a significant positive correlation between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students. (3) Results from a cross-lagged model controlling for gender indicated that subjective exercise experience at T1 significantly and positively predicted physical exercise behavior at T2 ( β = 0.385, p < 0.001), and physical exercise behavior at T1 significantly and positively predicted subjective exercise experience at T2 ( β = 0.336, p < 0.001). (4) Motivational beliefs exerted a significant positive moderating effect on both cross-lagged pathways. Conclusion: Gender differences exist in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students; there is a longitudinal relationship across time between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior; and motivational beliefs exert a significant moderating effect on the prospective predictive pathways between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -