The impact of physical activity on the psychological wellbeing and study abroad satisfaction of Chinese international students in a cross-cultural context

PURPOSE: As the largest source country for international students, Chinese students often encounter challenges related to mental health and study abroad satisfaction during the process of cross-cultural adaptation. While physical activity is generally considered related to mental health, its potential mechanisms and contextual moderating factors have not been systematically studied. This study aims to explore the relationship between physical activity, mental health, and study abroad satisfaction, and to examine the moderating role of digital social media use. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 589 Chinese international students from nine countries. Ten validated scales were used to assess physical activity level, psychological wellbeing, study abroad satisfaction, and related psychosocial mechanisms. Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS macro were employed to test chain mediation and moderation effects. RESULTS: There is a significant positive association between physical activity and mental health. The study identified two chain mediation relationships: (1) social interaction competence → emotion regulation ability → positive coping strategies; (2) body image satisfaction → cultural adaptation level → social support level. In addition, a significant relationship exists between mental health and study abroad satisfaction. Moderation analysis indicates that digital social media use is related to the positive association between physical activity and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity is positively associated with the mental health of Chinese international students and is related to higher study abroad satisfaction through dual psychosocial pathways. The use of digital social media appears to play a positive moderating role in this process, suggesting that cross-cultural interventions may achieve better outcomes by combining physical activity with appropriate digital support strategies.