Work

Individual determinants and community moderators of sports participation in overweight and obese adults: a hierarchical linear model analysis

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Overweight and obesity(OAO) are major global public health concerns. This study aims to clarify how individual- and community-level factors influence sports participation among OAO adults. Drawing on data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey(CGSS), we applied hierarchical linear modeling(HLM-) to examine the effects of economic income, educational attainment, self-assessed health, community sports resources, and community living environment on sports participation, and to test cross-level moderating effects. Correlation analyses revealed significant positive associations between sports participation and economic income, educational attainment, self-assessed health, community sports resources, and community living environment (all p < 0.01). In the HLM, individual-level predictors included economic income (b 3j = 0.127, p < 0.001) and educational attainment (b 4j = 0.015, p < 0.001). At the community level, sports resources (g 01 = 0.168, p < 0.001) and living environment quality (g 02 = 0.167, p < 0.001) each had significant positive effects. Moreover, community sports resources (g 41 = -0.032, p < 0.05)and the living environment (g 42 = -0.076, p < 0.01) significantly moderated the relationship between educational attainment and sports participation. These findings illuminate the multilevel determinants of sports participation among OAO adults and offer empirical support for the design of targeted obesity prevention and weight management interventions.

Source: BMC Public Health

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-025-24648-2

Authors: Yingying Wang, Xinbi Zhang, Changhao Jiang

Institution: Capital University of Physical Education and Sports

Language: English

Topic: Physical Activity and Health

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,290