Open Access

ARTICLE

The Effect of Procrastination on Physical Exercise among College Students—The Chain Effect of Exercise Commitment and Action Control

by Wenjuan Zhang¹, Menglin Xu², Yujuan Feng³, Zhixiong Mao^4,*, Zengyin Yan⁵

1 Department of Physical Education, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, 273165, China
2 Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
3 Teaching Department of Common Courses, Shandong University of Art & Design, Jinan, 250399, China
4 School of Psychology, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, 100084, China
5 School of Physical Education, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, 400065, China

* Corresponding Author: Zhixiong Mao. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2024, 26(8), 611-622. https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2024.052730

Received 12 April 2024; Accepted 17 June 2024; Issue published 30 August 2024

Abstract

Background: Exercise procrastination is prevalent among college students, causing decline in physical fitness. It is imperative to investigate the mechanism affecting college students’ physical activity behaviors. This study was aimed at investigating the effect of procrastination on college students’ physical exercise behavior, and the chain mediation effects of exercise commitment and action control (AC), to provide a theoretical basis for interventions targeting physical exercise behavior among college students. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted using convenience sampling. The General Procrastination Scale, Exercise Commitment Scale, Action Control Scale, and Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 questionnaires were used. Participants were 581 college students (age 19.27 ± 0.94 years; 243 males and 338 females). Statistical methods of regression analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM) were applied. Results: Procrastination, exercise commitment, and action control were found to be significant predictors of physical exercise behavior. Among these predictors, exercise commitment and action control showed full mediation effects in the relationship between procrastination and physical exercise behavior, and explained 25.48% and 30.77% of the total variance, respectively. The chain mediation effect of exercise commitment-action control was significant, accounting for 22.60% of the total variance, and the total indirect effect was 79.33%. Conclusion: Therefore, higher procrastination was associated with less participation in physical exercise behavior among college students. Improvements in exercise commitment and volitional decision-making ability for physical exercise behavior promoted physical exercise behavior, and increased exercise commitment promoted volitional decision-making ability among the students. The chain reaction effect of exercise commitment and action control also buffered the negative effects of procrastination on physical exercise behavior, thereby increasing physical exercise behavior among college students.

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