The relationship between family capital and academic burnout among undergraduate sports majors: the mediating role of academic self-efficacy

Background Academic burnout is a concern among undergraduate sports majors. Although previous studies have emphasized training- and school-related stressors, less is known about the role of family resources and related psychological mechanisms. Objective This study examined the associations among family capital, academic self-efficacy, and academic burnout, including differences across family capital dimensions and the mediating role of academic self-efficacy. Methods This cross-sectional study included 325 first- and second-year students enrolled in sports-related degree programs at a sports university in Yunnan Province, China. Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, and mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 4 with 5,000 bootstrap resamples were conducted. Results Family capital was positively associated with academic self-efficacy (r = 0.554, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with academic burnout (r = −0.575, p < 0.001). Cultural and social capital were significantly associated with higher self-efficacy and lower burnout, whereas economic capital was not significantly associated with burnout. Students with lower family capital reported lower self-efficacy and higher burnout. Academic self-efficacy partially mediated the association between family capital and burnout (B = −0.52, 95% CI [−0.66, −0.40]), accounting for 44.33% of the total effect. Conclusion Family capital was associated with academic burnout among undergraduate sports majors, with stronger associations for cultural and social capital than for economic capital. Academic self-efficacy represented a partial mediating pathway. Universities should provide targeted academic guidance, learning support, and educational and career information for students with limited family resources and lower academic self-efficacy.