Frontiers in Public Health · Feb 3, 2026

Family socioeconomic status and moderate to vigorous physical activity among Chinese adults: the chain mediating roles of exercise environment and exercise motivation

By Gao Y, Li M, Jiang L et al.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adults aged 20-59 years, as well as the chain-mediating effects of exercise environment (EE) and exercise motivation (EM) in this association. Methods: Using data from the 2020 National Fitness Survey, a total of 55,804 adults aged 20-59 years were included in the analysis. Multiple linear regression, chain-mediation modeling, and subgroup analyses were performed using SPSS 30.0. RESULTS: (1) Family SES was positively associated with MVPA (r = 0.053, p < 0.01). (2) EE and EM mediated the relationship between family SES and MVPA through three distinct pathways: the independent mediation of EE (effect size = 0.439, 95%CI = 0.387 ~ 0.494), the independent mediation of EM (effect size = 0.168, 95%CI = 0.141 ~ 0.195), and the chain mediation of EE and EM (effect size = 0.170, 95%CI = 0.128 ~ 0.151), accounting for 48.67, 18.63, and 15.52% of the total effect, respectively. (3) The direct effect of family SES on MVPA exhibited differential trends across age (20-29, β = 0.090, 95%CI = 1.139 ~ 1.726, p < 0.01, 30-39, β = 0.076, 95%CI = 0.854 ~ 1.311, p < 0.01, 40-49, β = 0.059, 95%CI = 0.731 ~ 1.282, p < 0.01, 50-59, β = 0.081, 95%CI = 1.410 ~ 2.101, p < 0.01), sex (male, β = 0.089, 95%CI = 1.315 ~ 1.709, p < 0.01, female, β = 0.014, 95%CI = 0.033 ~ 0.430, p < 0.05), and urban-rural subgroups(urban, β = 0.038, 95%CI = 0.469 ~ 0.814, p < 0.01, rural, β = 0.043, 95%CI = 0.592 ~ 1.160, p < 0.01), with significant interaction effects observed. CONCLUSION: This study reveals that family SES influences MVPA among adults through three pathways: EE alone, EM alone, and the chain-mediation of EE and EM. These findings suggest potential entry points for strengthening family level support for physical activity and may inform strategies aimed at improving adults' exercise participation.

doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1737196Open accessPubMed 41710309Populations