Work

Mechanisms linking international leisure sport tourism to mental health and subjective well-being: evidence from a three-wave mixed-effects model

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Driven by national economic growth, International Leisure Sport Tourism has emerged and has attracted increasing attention for its potential to promote Mental Health and Subjective Well-Being. PURPOSE: Although International Leisure Sport Tourism may enhance Mental Health and Subjective Well-Being, evidence on its operating mechanisms in cross-cultural contexts and from longitudinal designs remains insufficient. This study used three-wave longitudinal data to test its direct, indirect, and moderating effects, thereby providing a basis for theory and practice. METHODS: Taking Chinese participants who had experience in International Leisure Sport Tourism as the target group, 585 valid responses were obtained. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS 26.0, and a mixed-effects model integrating direct, indirect, and moderating effects was tested using AmosEstimandVB programming and Bootstrap (5,000 resamples); PROCESS Model 1 was employed to generate simple slope plots for high vs. low Cultural Experience. RESULTS: International Leisure Sport Tourism had a significant positive direct effect on Mental Health. Two chain mediation mechanisms were identified between International Leisure Sport Tourism and Mental Health: by enhancing individuals’ Self-Efficacy and thereby promoting Positive Emotion Regulation, it helps improve Mental Health; and by improving Body Image and subsequently facilitating Self-Acceptance, it can likewise indirectly enhance Mental Health. In addition, Cultural Experience positively moderated the positive effect of Mental Health on Subjective Well-Being, such that the effect size was larger at higher levels of Cultural Experience. CONCLUSION: International Leisure Sport Tourism can directly improve Mental Health; it can also indirectly enhance travelers’ Subjective Well-Being through the chain mechanisms of Self-Efficacy → Positive Emotion Regulation and Body Image → Self-Acceptance; moreover, a high level of Cultural Experience can further strengthen the transformation from Mental Health to Subjective Well-Being.

Source: BMC Public Health

DOI: 10.1186/s12889-026-26214-w

Authors: Huiying Zhang, Xing Lu

Institutions: Kangwon National University, Shenyang Sport University

Language: English

Topic: Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,290