Sports participation exerts a comprehensive positive effect on the psychological well-being of the Chinese population, though its effects manifest in complex interrelationships under specific sports resource conditions such as environment, facilities, and safety.
Key Findings
Results
Sports participation has a comprehensive positive effect on the psychological well-being of the Chinese population overall.
Analysis used data from the China General Social Survey (CGSS) published in 2023
A linear regression model was constructed to assess the relationship between sports participation and psychological well-being
Robustness tests using instrumental variable methods confirmed the impact is free from endogeneity issues
The positive effect was described as exhibiting 'strong robustness' across multiple psychological states
Results
The effect of sports participation on psychological well-being varies significantly depending on sports environment conditions.
Under favorable sports environment conditions, sports participation exerts a comprehensive positive effect on psychological well-being
Under poor sports environment conditions, sports participation has no effect on depression and despondency
This suggests the sports environment moderates which psychological outcomes benefit from participation
Results
Access to well-equipped sports facilities moderates the psychological benefits of sports participation.
In well-equipped facilities, sports participation more effectively promotes calmness and vitality
In under-equipped facilities, sports participation has no effect on depression/despondency or calmness
Facility quality thus differentially affects which psychological states are improved by sports participation
Results
The safety level of the sports environment moderates the effect of sports participation on depression and despondency.
Under low-safety conditions, sports participation has a comprehensive positive effect on psychological well-being
Under high-safety conditions, sports participation has no effect on depression/despondency
This counterintuitive finding suggests safety conditions create complex interaction effects with sports participation outcomes
Results
Sports participation exerts a robust positive influence on overall mental well-being and vitality at the macro level regardless of resource conditions.
The macro-level positive effect on overall mental well-being and vitality was consistent across analyses
Effects on specific psychological states such as depression, despondency, and calmness were more variable depending on resource conditions
The authors described the overall effects as manifesting in 'complex interrelationships under specific sports resource conditions'
Conclusions
The authors recommend implementing intelligent strategies for sports resource development to amplify the positive impact of sports participation on psychological well-being.
Recommendations include comprehensively enhancing the role of sports participation in improving public mental health
Targeted theoretical guidance for improving psychological well-being under varying resource conditions is identified as needed
The findings are framed as relevant to the backdrop of 'the Chinese people's growing demand for health'
What This Means
This research suggests that participating in sports and physical activity generally improves the mental health of people in China, including reducing feelings of depression, despondency, and low energy while promoting calmness and vitality. The study drew on a large national survey (the China General Social Survey, 2023) and used statistical methods to confirm that this relationship is genuine and not simply due to the fact that mentally healthier people are more likely to exercise in the first place.
However, the research also found that the mental health benefits of sports participation are not the same for everyone — they depend heavily on the quality of sports resources available. For example, people in areas with poor sports environments or inadequate facilities did not experience improvements in depression or feelings of calm from exercising, even if they participated. Interestingly, people in lower-safety sports environments still showed broad mental health benefits, while those in higher-safety environments showed no improvement in depression specifically, a finding the authors describe as reflecting 'complex interrelationships.'
This research suggests that simply encouraging people to exercise may not be sufficient to improve public mental health — the quality and accessibility of sports environments, facilities, and infrastructure also matter. Policymakers looking to use sports as a tool for improving population mental health may need to invest in improving sports resource conditions, particularly in underserved areas, to ensure that the psychological benefits of physical activity are accessible to all segments of the population.
Li B, Zeng X, Ji S. (2026). The impact of sports participation on the psychological state of the Chinese population from the perspective of sports resources.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0349696