The Effect of the Social Self-efficacy on Frequency of Physical Activities: The Mediating Role of Social Physique Anxiety in Chinese University Students

This study examined how social physique anxiety (SPA) and social self-efficacy (SSE) relate to the frequency of physical activity (PAF) among students in Chinese universities. Data were collected from 490 students (145 male and 345 female) who completed the Perceived Social Self-Efficacy Scale and the Social Physique Anxiety Scale. The study assessed the associations among the three variables by regression analyses, while mediation effect of SPA was tested through the PROCESS procedure. Results demonstrated that SSE was significantly and positively associated with both SPA and PAF. Nevertheless, SPA showed no clear impact on physical activity paticipation, and the proposed mediating effect of SPA on the relationship between SSE and PAF was not supported.