The Association Between Physical Exercise and Local Cultural Identity: Indirect Associations Through Three Dimensions of Social Support

Using the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the College Students’ Local Cultural Identity Scale, and the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), this study surveyed 412 college students to examine the associations among physical exercise, three dimensions of social support (objective support, subjective support, and support utilization), and local cultural identity, with particular attention to the indirect associations through the three dimensions of social support. The results showed that physical exercise was positively associated with local cultural identity. Among the three dimensions of social support, only objective support showed a significant positive association with local cultural identity, whereas subjective support and support utilization did not show significant independent associations with local cultural identity. The total indirect association through the three dimensions of social support was statistically significant. Specifically, the indirect association between physical exercise and local cultural identity through objective support was significant, whereas the indirect associations through subjective support and support utilization were not significant. These findings suggest that objective support may represent one pathway linking physical exercise with local cultural identity among college students. The findings provide implications for understanding the relationship among physical exercise, social support, and local cultural identity in Chinese college students.