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Initiation and sustenance of Chinese Wushu practice: a structural equation model validation of the multi-theory model
Quan Sun1, Liping Ding1, Hongyan Zhu1
1School of Wushu, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China.
Background:
Wushu is a culturally embedded and skill-intensive physical activity in China with recognized physical and psychosocial benefits. However, participation remains challenged by difficulties in both initiation and long-term sustenance, and phase-specific behavioral explanations in Wushu contexts are still limited.
Purpose:
This study applied the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) of health behavior change to examine factors associated with recalled initiation experiences and current sustenance of Wushu practice among Chinese practitioners.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 349 Wushu practitioners from different provinces and municipalities across China using the Measuring Change in Physical Activity Questionnaire (MCPAQ). Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0 through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling to evaluate measurement properties and test hypothesized MTM pathways.
Results:
The study provided partial support for MTM's phase distinction, with differential predictors for initiation and sustenance, while highlighting context-specific attenuation of selected constructs. For behavioral initiation, changes in the physical environment (β = 0.436, p < 0.001) and behavioral confidence (β = 0.181, p = 0.049) were significant predictors, whereas participatory dialogue-advantages (β = 0.159, p = 0.067) and participatory dialogue-disadvantages (β = 0.082, p = 0.173) were not significant. The initiation model explained 48.3% of the variance in behavioral initiation (R 2 = 0.483). For behavioral sustenance, emotional transformation (β = 0.422, p < 0.001) and practice for change (β = 0.302, p < 0.001) significantly predicted sustained practice, while changes in the social environment were not significant (β = 0.131, p = 0.146). The sustenance model explained 60.7% of the variance in behavioral sustenance (R 2 = 0.607).
Conclusions:
These findings provide partial support for the MTM in the context of Wushu practice while highlighting context-specific variability in construct performance within culturally grounded, skill-dependent activities. Structural accessibility appears central to initiation, whereas emotional and self-regulatory processes are key to sustaining practice, informing phase-appropriate strategies for Wushu promotion and health-oriented interventions.
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