The purpose of this study was to analyze the health belief factors that affect Chinese university students' perceptions of psychological health and physical activity and their actual participation in physical activity based on the Theory of Planned Be...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the health belief factors that affect Chinese university students' perceptions of psychological health and physical activity and their actual participation in physical activity based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The data were collected through an online survey of 302 college students from six universities in Anhui and Hubei provinces of China (Anhui University, Anhui Agricultural University, Fuyang Normal University, Wuhan University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Hubei College of Arts and Sciences). 297 questionnaires were used in the final analysis. The path analysis and structural equation modeling based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) revealed that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of behavioral intention. Additionally, both behavioral intention and perceived behavioral control significantly influenced physical activity. The explanatory power of the TPB model was confirmed, with an 𝑅² of .381 for behavioral intention and an 𝑅² of .237 for physical activity, demonstrating the suitability of the TPB in explaining university students' physical activity behaviors. This study highlights the applicability of the TPB in promoting psychological well-being and physical activity among university students. It also provides a solid foundation for designing health behavior intervention programs aimed at enhancing physical activity participation and overall psychological health.