Abstract
This study examines the effects of physical exercise on emotion regulation ability in college students, with a focus on the sequential mediating roles of psychological resilience and self-efficacy. Using cross-sectional data from the 2024 Chinese College Students Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Survey (CPAHLS-CS), we collected responses via structured online questionnaires to test hypothesized pathways. Research tools included the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Healthy Kids Resilience Assessment (HKRA). A total of 10,923 valid questionnaires were included, with an effective response rate of 81.3%. The proportions of low, medium, and high levels of physical exercise among college students were 71.0%, 16.9%, and 12.2%, respectively. Data analysis showed that exercise intensity was negatively correlated with psychological resilience (r = - 0.022, P < 0.001), positively correlated with self-efficacy (r = 0.130, P < 0.001), and positively correlated with emotion regulation ability (r = 0.126, P < 0.001). Mediation effect testing indicated that psychological resilience and self-efficacy mediate between physical exercise and emotion regulation ability. The total effect was 0.234, the direct effect was 0.165, and the indirect effect was 0.069. This cross-sectional study suggests that physical exercise is associated with, but does not causally determine, greater emotion-regulation ability.