A167: The Impact of Physical Exercise on Subjective Well-Being inElementary Students

<bold>Purpose:</bold> Physical exercise has been recognized for its beneficial effects on emotional states, with previous research highlighting its positive correlation with subjective well-being. However, the pathways through which physical exercise influences subjective well-being remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms by which physical exercise impacted subjective well-being among elementary school students, analyzing the chain mediating role of peer relationships and depression. <bold>Methods:</bold> The study sampled 15,538 fourth-grade students from 312 elementary schools in Taiyuan City, including 7,838 boys (50.5%) and 7,690 girls (49.5%), with an average age of 10.38 ± 0.56 years. Data collection was conducted on October 25, 2023, through self-reported questionnaires covering physical exercise, subjective well-being, peer relationships, and depression. Structural equation modeling was constructed using Mplus 8.3 software, controlling for gender and family socioeconomic status. The mediating effects of depression and peer relationships were tested using the Bootstrap method, and descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0. <bold>Results:</bold> (1) The structural equation model showed a good fit (χ² = 79.755, <italic>df</italic> = 2, <italic>CFI</italic> = 0.990, <italic>TLI</italic> = 0.932, <italic>RMSEA</italic> = 0.050, <italic>SRMR</italic> = 0.014). Physical exercise positively predicted peer relationships (<italic>β</italic> = 0.227, <italic>t</italic> = 16.311, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and subjective well-being (<italic>β</italic> = 0.111, <italic>t</italic> = 7.189, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), and negatively predicted depression (<italic>β</italic> = -0.246, <italic>t</italic> = -15.676, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). Depression negatively predicted peer relationships (<italic>β</italic> = -0.471, <italic>t</italic> = -51.299, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and subjective well-being (<italic>β</italic> = -0.162, <italic>t</italic> = -16.904, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). Peer relationships positively predicted subjective well-being (<italic>β</italic> = 0.273, <italic>t</italic> = 30.627, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001). (2) Depression's mediating effect between physical exercise and subjective well-being was significant, with a 95% interval of [0.035, 0.049], accounting for 18.6% of the effect. Similarly, peer relationships' mediating effect had a 95% interval of [0.053, 0.070], accounting for 25.9% of the effect, confirming their roles as mediating variables. (3) The chain mediating effect of depression and peer relationships between physical exercise and subjective well-being was significant, with a 95% interval of [0.028, 0.038], accounting for 13.4% of the total effect, indicating a significant chain mediation. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Physical exercise significantly and positively predicted subjective well-being among elementary school students. Depression and peer relationships acted as mediating variables between physical exercise and subjective well-being, and the influence of physical exercise on subjective well-being was mediated through a chain effect involving both depression and peer relationships.