The impact of basic psychological needs on exercise behavior among college students: the chain mediating effects of self-efficacy and sports motivation

Introduction: Prior research has suggested that basic psychological needs are closely associated with exercise behavior. Building on this perspective, the present study sought to examine the relationships among basic psychological needs, exercise behavior, sports motivation, and self-efficacy within a multivariate framework. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among 1,056 college students, with a balanced gender distribution (50.66% male, 49.34% female). Structural equation model (SEM) analysis was conducted using Amos 26.0 to test the associations among the study variables and to test potential mediating pathways. Results: The SEM results revealed that basic psychological needs were positively associated with and exercise behavior. Upon integrating sports motivation and self-efficacy into the model, both direct and indirect associations were observed. Specifically, basic psychological needs were indirectly associated with exercise behavior through sports motivation and self-efficacy. Additionally, a sequential mediation pattern was supported, whereby basic psychological needs were associated with sports motivation, which was in turn associated with self-efficacy, and subsequently related to exercise behavior. Conclusion: These findings provide evidence of the complex associations among basic psychological needs, exercise behavior, sports motivation, and self-efficacy. However, given the cross-sectional design, the observed relationships should be interpreted with caution, and no causal inferences can be drawn. Future longitudinal or experimental studies are needed to further clarify the directionality of these relationships. This pattern underscores the potential relevance of motivational and cognitive factors in understanding individual differences in physical activity engagement among college students.