The relationship between exercise intention and behavior of Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model

Inconsistency between intention and behavior is very common in daily life. This study explored the intention-behavior relationship in exercise, focusing on the mediating effect of action planning and the moderating effects of habit strength and gender. For the purpose of providing theoretical reference for the implementation of intervention strategies in the volitional phase, a total of 489 college students (M-age = 20.61, 57.46% female) from Hubei Province, China, were recruited to complete the questionnaire at two time points. The findings showed that exercise intention could positively predict exercise behavior via the mediating effect of action planning, with the mediating effect accounting for 48.52% of the total effect. The predictive effect of action planning × habit strength interaction on exercise behavior was statistically significant. As individuals' levels of habitual strength increased, so did the relationship between action plans and exercise behavior. The action planning-exercise behavior relationship was stronger in males than in females. In summary, action planning is a very important predictor of the post-intentional phase and has many advantages. For individuals whose exercise has become habitualized, forming a plan is not counterproductive and can still promote more exercise rather than in a mutually compensating manner.