The relationship between physical activity and work engagement among university teachers: the chain mediating effect
1School of Sports Training, Chengdu Sports University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China.
Objective:
To examine the relationship between physical activity and work engagement among university teachers, analyze the chained mediating roles of resilience and cognitive flexibility in this relationship, and provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for enhancing the mental health and work efficacy of university teachers.
Methods:
A convenience sampling method was used to select 500 in-service teachers from multiple universities in Sichuan Province as participants. The study employed the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for questionnaire surveys. A total of 378 valid questionnaires were collected from university teachers (173 males, 205 females; mean age = 24.6 ± 11.2 years). Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and chain mediating effect testing (Bootstrap method) were conducted using SPSS 24.0 and the PROCESS macro (Model 6).
Results:
(1) Correlation analysis showed significant positive correlations among university teachers' physical activity, resilience, cognitive flexibility, and work engagement (p < 0.01). (2) Structural equation modeling and mediating effect tests indicated that physical activity had a significant positive predictive effect on work engagement (β = 0.0066, 95% CI: [0.0037-0.0096]). (3) Mediating effect analysis revealed that resilience and cognitive flexibility not only played partial mediating roles separately but also jointly formed a chain mediating pathway between physical activity and work engagement.
Conclusion:
Physical activity among university teachers is not only directly and positively associated with their work engagement but also indirectly associated with higher work engagement through a sequential pathway involving resilience and then cognitive flexibility.
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