Investigating factors influencing college students’ intention to engage in physical exercise: a theory of planned behavior perspective

College students' ATT and PBC positively predicted their intention to engage in physical exercise, while SN served as a negative predictor. Additionally, cognition was positively associated with attitude toward physical exercise. These findings provide valuable insights for education policymakers and health promotion initiatives aimed at improving college students' physical health. Key messages What is already known on this topic: The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been widely used to understand factors influencing physical exercise intention, with attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control being key constructs. Previous studies have shown that these constructs significantly affect physical exercise intention in various populations. However, few studies have specifically examined these factors among Chinese college students, and most have relied on multivariate regression rather than comprehensive model evaluation with structural equation modeling (SEM). What this study adds: This study provides new insights by applying the TPB model with an additional cognition construct to Chinese college students. It reveals that attitude and perceived behavioral control positively predict physical exercise intention, while subjective norms are negatively associated with physical exercise intention, highlighting the strong impact of cognition on attitude and suggesting that enhancing students' understanding of physical exercise can enhance their intention to participate. How this study might affect research, practice, or policy: The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions that focus on enhancing students' knowledge and intrinsic motivation for physical exercise. This insights could inform the development of educational programs and health promotion strategies to increase physical activity among college students. Additionally, the study's use of SEM to evaluate the TPB model offers a robust methodological approach for future research in this area.