Physical activity and loneliness in rural left-behind children: The mediating roles of social anxiety and self-concept

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is a prominent mental health concern among rural left-behind children in China, yet the psychological pathways through which physical activity may be related to loneliness remain underexplored. OBJECTIVE: This study explores the psychosocial pathways linking physical activity to loneliness in rural left-behind children, with particular focus on the chain-mediating effects of self-concept and social anxiety. METHODS: A sample of 540 Chinese rural left-behind children completed the scales that assessed loneliness, physical activity, social anxiety, and self-concept. SPSS 27.0 was used to conduct the common method bias test, reliability analysis, and correlation analysis. Mplus 8.3 was then employed to explore the mediating roles of social anxiety and self-concept within a chained mediation model. RESULTS: Common method bias was determined to be within acceptable limits for this study. Key findings include: (1) A negative correlation exists between physical activity and loneliness, with physical activity substantially correlated with loneliness (β = -0.322); (2) Social anxiety partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and loneliness (β = -0.117), accounting for 22.1% of the total effect; (3) Self-concept also partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and loneliness (β = -0.132), representing 24.9% of the total effect; (4) A conspicuous chain mediating effect was observed through social anxiety and self-concept (β = -0.013), accounting for 3.5% of the total effect (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Physical activity is directly and indirectly associated with loneliness among RLBC, with social anxiety and self-concept serving as mediating variables in a chain mediating pathway. These findings are consistent with attachment theory in that higher physical activity is associated with lower loneliness, which may reflect alternative sources of social connection; the observed patterns suggest that school-based physical activity programs designed to address social anxiety and self-concept could be associated with lower loneliness, though this awaits testing in longitudinal or experimental research.