Background The rapid proliferation of Chinese sports media has significantly impacted young adults’ exercise habits, influencing their perceived susceptibility to health risks, perceived benefits of exercise, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers, according to the Health Belief Model (HBM). Hence, the research is based on the question: How are key components of the HBM (susceptibility, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy) associated with exercise motivation among young adults exposed to Chinese sports media? Method Utilizing a quantitative cross-sectional design and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this research analyzed data from 1,221 respondents to assess the psychological mechanisms underlying media-driven health behaviors. Results Findings indicate that perceived susceptibility to health risks, perceived benefits of exercise, and self-efficacy are positively associated with higher levels of exercise motivation, while perceived barriers show a negative association. The findings demonstrated how media directly affects fitness views through its 4.81 average rating regarding the health dangers of inactivity. The study indicated that exercise increases physical health by an average score of 4.77 and high confidence levels in executing regular physical exercise activities. In confirming the study, the SEM evaluation tests yielded CFI = 1.000, SRMR = 0.022, and RMSEA = 0.002. Conclusion Fitness influencers and government-led efforts in Chinese sports media are associated with higher reported motivation to exercise despite unrealistic body standards and accessibility inequities. This study helps policymakers, media strategists, and public health experts connect media influence and behavioral health to improve digital fitness initiatives’ media-driven health promotion. Future research should explore AI-driven personalized fitness interventions leveraging Chinese sports media analytics.
F Li (Mon,) studied this question.