The relationship between university sports environment, exercise motivation, and exercise behavior

Background: This study examines the relationships among university sports environment, exercise motivation, and physical activity behavior, with the aim of informing strategies to enhance exercise engagement among university students. Methodology: A cross-sectional design was employed, utilizing a combination of cluster sampling and purposive sampling. Data were collected from 3,918 Chinese university students (1,978 males, 1,940 females; aged 18–22) using the University Sports Environment Scale, Exercise Motivation Scale, and Physical Activity Rating Scale-3. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted using SPSS 27.0, while structural equation modeling (SEM) in AMOS 26.0 was applied to assess the hypothesized relationships. Results: The SEM analysis demonstrated acceptable model fit. Key findings indicated that: The university sports environment had a significant positive effect on both exercise motivation (β=0.792, p<0.001) and physical activity behavior (β=0.25, p<0.001). Exercise motivation significantly predicted physical activity behavior (β=0.19, p<0.001). A partial mediation effect was observed, with exercise motivation mediating the relationship between the sports environment and physical activity behavior (indirect effect=0.198, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings suggest that both university sports environment and exercise motivation are critical predictors of students’ physical activity behavior. These results provide a theoretical foundation for designing targeted interventions to promote exercise engagement among university students.