From the school gym to adulthood: gendered pathways of physical education and post-divorce physical activity in China

Chinese scholarship under-examines how gender intersects with health and physical education (HPE) curricula and girls’ PE experiences — particularly in shaping physical activity (PA) participation across the lifespan. Western research shows that single mothers exhibit lower PA levels and higher health-risk levels than married mothers do, yet research investigating Chinese single mothers’ PA is particularly sparse despite a surging divorce rate. This study examines how gender and HPE curricula across educational stages in China have influenced girls’ PE experiences and how these experiences have shaped divorced single mothers’ (DSMs) adult PA participation. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic analysis and interpreted through gender socialisation and post-socialist feminism. Results manifest that gender and HPE curricula collectively produced gendered PE engagement regarding PA types, intensity, and duration through girls’ interactions with PE teachers and peers, and gendered expectations reinforced girls’ marginalisation. Evidence indicates that gender inequality in PE and expectations placed on DSMs jointly contribute to low health and PA awareness and reduce adult PA, particularly post-divorce. These findings highlight the necessity of structural and cultural shifts to disrupt entrenched gender norms, promote gender-equitable HPE curriculum, support girls’ active engagement in PE, and advance DSMs’ access to health, PA, and self-care. Keywords: Health and physical education, physical activity, gender, divorced single mothers, gender socialisation, post-socialist feminism