Physical activity, social capital and subjective well-being. The moderating roles of optimism

Wang, D.; Zhang, Y.; Yang, R.

Dianxi Wang, Yuwen Zhang and Ru Yang

School of Marxism, Beijing Sport University, Republic of China

Citation

Wang, D., Zhang, Y., Yang, R. (2025). Physical activity, social capital and subjective well-being. The moderating roles of optimism. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 56(1), 71-88. doi:10.7352/IJSP.2025.56.071

Abstract

Based on the China General Social Survey (CGSS) data in 2017, conditional process analysis was used to examine the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being (SWB). This study found that, first of all, physical activity positively predicts SWB. Second, social networks mediate the relationship between physical activity and SWB. Physical activity has an indirect effect on SWB through social networks. Third, optimism can moderate the mediating effect of social networks on the relationship between physical activity and SWB. As optimism scores increased, the link between physical activity and social capital weakened, further affecting SWB. The results of this study further reveal the mechanism of relationship between physical activity and the improvement of subjective well-being, which is of great significance for strengthening the construction of physical activity facilities and social relationship networks to improve residents’ well-being.

Keywords: Physical activity; Subjective well-being; Social capital; Optimism

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