Mechanisms of the impact of sports participation on college students’ psychological well-being

We investigated the impact of sports participation on the psychological well-being of 563 college students in China, and assessed the mediating role of social development in this relationship. The results indicated there was a significant positive correlation between sports participation and psychological well-being. Moreover, social development played a mediating role in the relationship between sports participation and psychological well-being. Our research findings contribute to understanding of the relationships among college students’ sports participation, psychological well-being, and social development within the context of higher education in China. These discoveries provide educators with practical insights to enhance college students’ psychological well-being and suggest directions for future research.