Body appreciation, self-efficacy and body talk mediate the association between parenting styles and physical activity in Chinese adolescents

This study investigated physical activity (PA) among 2,142 junior high school students in Hangzhou. Results indicated insufficient PA levels (M = 2.79, SD = 0.75), with girls being less active than boys. Paternal emotional warmth was significantly associated with higher PA. Path analyses revealed gender-specific mediation: for boys, body appreciation and self-efficacy sequentially mediated the relationship between paternal emotional warmth and PA; for girls, self-efficacy and body talk acted as parallel mediators. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at increasing adolescent PA should involve parents, particularly fathers, through integrated home-school-community programs that address body image and self-efficacy.