Latent profiles of academic stress and exercise motivation among college students: A latent profile analysis

This study aimed to investigate the latent profile structure of academic stress and exercise motivation among Chinese college students and to examine the predictive effects of demographic variables, including gender, body mass index (BMI), grade, and household registration background, on profile membership. From May 14 to June 3, 2025, convenience cluster sampling was employed to recruit 1,346 first- to third-year undergraduate students. The participants completed the Academic Sub-Scale and the Chinese-translated Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2. Latent profile analysis was performed using Mplus 8.3 to identify distinct combined patterns of academic stress and exercise motivation, and the R3STEP method was applied to test the predictive utility of demographic variables on profile assignment. Four latent profiles were identified as the best-fitting solution. Profile 1, the High stress-low motivation profile (9.0%), was characterized by elevated academic stress and low scores across all exercise motivation dimensions. Profile 2, the High stress-high motivation profile (7.4%), exhibited the highest academic stress and the highest levels of external, introjected, and identified regulation. Profile 3, the Low stress-high autonomy profile (22.1%), demonstrated the lowest academic stress and the highest intrinsic motivation. Profile 4, the Moderate-balanced adaptation profile (61.6%), was marked by moderate scores on all variables and represented the most prevalent pattern. Students with normal weight showed a significantly stronger probability association with the High stress–high motivation profile, the Low stress–high autonomy profile, and the Moderate-balanced adaptation profile compared to their overweight and obese counterparts. Female students and third-year students demonstrated a lower probability of belonging to the High stress–low motivation profile. Rural students exhibited a stronger probability association with the Low stress–high autonomy profile, whereas urban students showed a stronger probability association with the Moderate-balanced adaptation profile. Four heterogeneous combined patterns of academic stress and exercise motivation exist among Chinese college students. Normal weight, female gender, higher grade level, and rural background were positively associated with autonomous exercise motivation and may have a potential protective role in the present sample. These findings provide empirical support for the application of self-determination theory and the strength model of self-control in the context of academic stress and offer targeted references for the implementation of differentiated mental health and physical exercise interventions in higher education settings. However, due to the sampling limitations of this study, caution is warranted when extrapolating the present conclusions to the entire population of Chinese college students.