An empirical study of continuous participation intention in Chinese CrossFit participants: mediating roles of community belonging and sport commitment

Intrinsic exercise motivation positively influenced continuous participation intention (<i>p</i> < 0.001), sense of community belonging (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and sport commitment (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Sport commitment also positively affected continuous participation intention (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and mediated the relationship between motivation and participation. However, the sense of community belonging (<i>p</i> = 0.156) neither significantly influenced participation intention nor mediated the relationship between the two variables. These findings highlight the critical role of sport commitment while suggesting limited mediating effects of community belonging among Chinese CrossFit participants. Theoretically, this study develops an integrated model linking intrinsic motivation, mediating mechanisms (community belonging and sport commitment), and continuous participation intention. By incorporating belongingness theory and sport commitment theory into the CrossFit context, it extends existing motivational frameworks to a non-Western population and enriches cross-cultural perspectives on exercise adherence.