Objective: While the benefits of physical activity are well-documented, the internal mechanisms linking sports interest to adolescent Subjective Well-being (SWB) remain under-explored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the association between Sports Learning Interest and SWB and examining the serial mediating roles of Social Anxiety and Sleep Quality. Methods: Using a stratified random sampling method, 1764 primary and secondary students were surveyed with validated instruments, including the PSQI and the Index of Well-Being. Data were analyzed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 6) to test the hypothesized chain mediation effects. Results: Sports Learning Interest significantly and positively predicted SWB. The model identified three significant indirect pathways: independent mediation by Social Anxiety, independent mediation by Sleep Quality, and a serial chain from Social Anxiety → Sleep Quality (total indirect effect = 0.18, 95% CI 0.15, 0.21). Notably, Sleep Quality emerged as the core mediator, accounting for 29.9% of the total effect. Conclusions: Enhancing sports interest is positively associated with SWB through a “psychological-physiological” dual channel—specifically by its association with lower social anxiety and subsequently better sleep. These findings provide empirical evidence for designing school-based interventions that integrate physical education with mental health promotion.
Qi et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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