To explore the relationship between physical exercise and loneliness, and to analyze the mediating role of perceived social support and life satisfaction between physical exercise and loneliness. Method: This study employed the Physical Exercise Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Loneliness Scale to conduct a questionnaire survey among 908 college students. Descriptive analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, Harman's single-factor test, and Bootstrap analysis were conducted using SPSS 26.0. (1) Physical exercise was negatively correlated with loneliness, but the direct path between physical exercise and loneliness was not significant; (2) Physical exercise was positively correlated with perceived social support and life satisfaction; perceived social support was positively correlated with life satisfaction and negatively correlated with loneliness; life satisfaction was negatively correlated with loneliness; (3) Perceived social support and life satisfaction had significant mediating effects between physical exercise and loneliness. The mediating effect was composed of three paths: physical exercise → perceived social support → loneliness, physical exercise → life satisfaction → loneliness, and physical exercise → perceived social support → life satisfaction → loneliness. Conclusions/Discussion: (1) Physical exercise was significantly negatively correlated with loneliness; (2) Perceived social support and life satisfaction had independent mediating effects between physical exercise and loneliness; (3) Perceived social support and life satisfaction had a chain mediating effect between physical exercise and loneliness. This study explains the relationship between physical exercise and loneliness and has important practical significance for improving the loneliness problem among college students.
Guo et al. (Thu,) studied this question.