Effect of intergenerational transmission of family sports environment on college students’ physical activity

Theories related to school sports posit that the sports skills and exercise habits acquired by students in elementary and secondary school will promote participation in physical activity during the college years. However, the reality is that physical activity levels among college students have not only failed to increase but have also significantly decreased. Hence, it is imperative to reassess college students' physical activity from a familial perspective. Based on the theories of family intergenerational transmission and self-determination, this study employed a questionnaire for a cross-sectional survey of 2,710 college students in South China. The aim was to investigate the impact of the family sports environment, parental education level, and childhood physical activity on the current physical activity levels of college students. The results demonstrated that (1) the family sports environment had a significant positive correlation with childhood physical activity (r = 0.198, P < 0.001), parental education (r = 0.145, P < 0.001), and college students' physical activity (r = 0.243, P < 0.001). (2) Childhood physical activity served as a partial mediator in the relationship between the family sports environment and college students' physical activity (β = 0.797, P < 0.001). (3) Parental education exhibited a moderating effect on the mediation process of childhood physical activity (γ = 0.258, P < 0.001). Higher parental education levels were associated with a better family sports environment and more abundant resources for physical activity for children. Consequently, college students were more likely to develop positive physical activity habits during their childhood.