Physical exercise and social adaptation among Left-Behind and non-Left-Behind Children in China: The mediating role of perceived physical health.

Authors

Ming Wu, Zhihui Li, Ning Li, Tongtong Guo

Published in

Acta psychologica. Volume 269. Pages 107404. Jul 14, 2026. Epub Jul 14, 2026.

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relationships among physical exercise, perceived physical health, and social adaptation, as well as the moderating role of Left-Behind Children status in these associations. Using data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), structural equation modeling was employed to examine the association between physical exercise and social adaptation and the mediating mechanism of perceived physical health. Multi-group comparisons were further conducted to explore whether Left-Behind Children status moderated the relationship between physical exercise and social adaptation. The results indicated that: (1) Left-Behind Children scored significantly lower than non-Left-Behind Children in physical exercise, perceived physical health, and social adaptation; (2) perceived physical health played a mediating role in the relationship between physical exercise and social adaptation; and (3) Left-Behind Children status moderated the relationship between physical exercise and social adaptation. These findings suggest that physical exercise is positively associated with adolescents' perceived physical health and social adaptation. The results may provide empirical evidence for understanding physical exercise, perceived physical health, and social adaptation among Left-Behind Children.

PMID:
42447581
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Jul 2026.

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