The Effects of Urbanization, Motivation, and Constraint on Chinese People's Leisure-Time Physical Activity

This study examined the effects of micro (i.e., motivation, constraint) and macro (i.e., urbanization) factors on Chinese people's leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). Participants representing high (n = 170) and low (n = 146) urbanization levels completed an on-site questionnaire. T-tests indicated that fitness/health was the most important motivation, followed by enjoyment and perseverance; structural constraint was the most important barrier, followed by interpersonal constraint. Structural equation modeling also indicated that: (a) urbanization positively affected LTPA participation and constraints to LTPA; (b) motivation positively, and constraint negatively, influenced LTPA; and (c) motivation and constraint were not related. These findings suggest that examining macro factors such as urbanization could improve our understanding of LTPA, as well as the micro factors that affect it.