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Background Adolescent depression is a major public health concern, particularly in educational contexts characterized by high academic pressure. This study examined the association between parent–adolescent sports participation (PSP) and adolescent depression, with attention to the serial mediating roles of the parent–adolescent relationship (PR) and academic difficulty (AD). Methods Using cross-sectional data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), the analysis included 16,984 early adolescents, including 8,560 males and 8,424 females. PSP, PR, AD, and depression were assessed using self-reported measures. Data were analyzed using Model 6 of the PROCESS Macro in SPSS 26.0. Results PSP was negatively associated with depression, β = −0.08, p 0.001, 95% CI −0.10, −0.07. PR was also negatively associated with depression, β = −0.21, p 0.001, whereas AD was positively associated with depression, β = 0.18, p 0.001, 95% CI 0.16, 0.19. The serial indirect association between PSP and depression via PR and AD was statistically significant, indirect effect = −0.01, 95% CI −0.006, −0.004. Conclusion These findings highlight the relevance of family-based sports participation, parent–adolescent relationships, and academic experiences in understanding depression among Chinese adolescents.
Yingchen Bi (2026) studied this question.