Physical activity was positively associated with sense of coherence among university students, with self-esteem and grit jointly mediating this relationship.
Key Findings
Results
Physical activity was positively associated with both self-esteem and grit among university students.
Relationships were tested using structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation.
Sample consisted of 465 valid questionnaires collected from undergraduates in Hunan, Hubei, and Henan, China.
Stratified cluster sampling was used with province × university type strata and sampled classrooms as clusters with in-class census of all eligible students.
The study design was cross-sectional.
Results
Self-esteem was positively associated with grit among university students.
This association was identified using structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation.
The finding was based on a sample of 465 undergraduate students from three Chinese provinces.
Self-esteem functioned as both an outcome of physical activity and a predictor of grit within the model.
Results
Both self-esteem and grit were positively associated with sense of coherence.
Sense of coherence was examined from a salutogenic perspective, functioning as a coping resource that mitigates the effects of demanding environments.
Structural equation modeling was used to test these associations.
Both self-esteem and grit served as direct predictors of sense of coherence in the model.
Results
Self-esteem and grit jointly mediated the relationship between physical activity and sense of coherence.
The mediation pathway ran from physical activity through self-esteem and grit to sense of coherence.
Mediation was tested using structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation.
The sample included 465 valid questionnaires from undergraduates across three Chinese provinces.
This joint mediation suggests physical activity enhances sense of coherence indirectly via improvements in self-esteem and grit.
Methods
The study used a cross-sectional survey design with stratified cluster sampling across three Chinese provinces.
Sampling strata were defined by province × university type.
Classrooms were sampled as clusters with an in-class census of all eligible students.
Data were collected from undergraduates in Hunan, Hubei, and Henan, China.
A total of 465 valid questionnaires were collected.
Xu K, Jiang H, Wang H. (2026). Exploring the associations between physical activity, self-esteem, grit, and sense of coherence among university students.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1728139