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The relationships among achievement motivation health related physical fitness and academic procrastination in adolescents from a multitheoretical perspective

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Academic procrastination among adolescents is a complex phenomenon associated with multiple factors. This study aimed to examine the associations among achievement motivation, health-related physical fitness, and academic procrastination in adolescents. A cross-sectional study design was employed. Using a stratified cluster random sampling method, 700 adolescents aged 12–14 years were recruited from two secondary schools in Yunnan Province, China. Data were collected through an online self-report questionnaire assessing academic procrastination and achievement motivation, along with. objective field-based physical fitness tests administered by certified physical education teachers to evaluate health-related physical fitness. After excluding invalid responses, 625 valid questionnaires were retained, yielding a valid response rate of 89.28%. Statistical analyses, including correlation, regression, and mediation analyses, were conducted using SPSS version 29.0. Correlation analyses indicated significant pairwise statistical associations among achievement motivation, academic procrastination, and health-related physical fitness in adolescents. Further analysis showed that health-related physical fitness exhibited a significant indirect statistical association between achievement motivation and academic procrastination, with an indirect association estimate of − 0.014 (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.0350 to − 0.0012). However, this indirect association was small in magnitude, accounting for only 8.33% of the total statistical association between achievement motivation and academic procrastination. Achievement motivation was significantly associated with academic procrastination among adolescents, while health-related physical fitness exhibited a significant indirect statistical association with the relationship between achievement motivation and academic procrastination. Future research should further examine the interconnected relationships among achievement motivation, health-related physical fitness, and academic procrastination to provide a more comprehensive understanding of adolescents’ academic behaviors and healthy development.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-72835-x