The impact of generative AI health knowledge acquisition on adolescents’ physical activity: the mediating role of exercise self-efficacy and the moderating effect of health information literacy

GAI-HKA directly enhances adolescents' PA and indirectly promotes exercise behavior through strengthening ESE. Moreover, higher HIL amplifies the positive effect of AI-based health knowledge on ESE. These findings suggest that schools and families should integrate efforts to cultivate adolescents' information literacy and efficacy beliefs when promoting AI-based health interventions, thereby maximizing the benefits of digital technologies in fostering youth physical activity.