Interpersonal trust and objectively measured physical activity in adolescents: the mediating role of family capital

Purpose: Grounded in social capital theory and the family ecological systems framework, this study examined whether interpersonal trust was statistically associated with objectively measured physical activity among adolescents, and whether perceived family capital accounted for part of this association. Identifying psychosocial correlates of adolescent physical activity is important for informing theory-based public health strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 358 secondary school students in Sichuan Province, China. Participants wore ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers for seven consecutive days. Accelerometer data were processed using a standardized and transparent workflow to derive moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). After quality control procedures, 326 participants were included in the analysis. Interpersonal trust and family capital (economic, social, and cultural dimensions) were assessed using validated questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate direct and indirect statistical associations. Results: < 0.001). Perceived family capital demonstrated a significant indirect statistical association in the relationship between interpersonal trust and MVPA [indirect β = 0.19, 95% CI (0.12, 0.26)], accounting for 48.7% of the total standardized association. Conclusions: These findings are consistent with a relational pattern linking psychosocial factors and objectively measured physical activity within the family ecological context. Given the cross-sectional design, the observed associations should not be interpreted as evidence of temporal or causal relationships.