How digital lifestyles transform women's exercise participation: a mixed methods study from China

Digital technologies are transforming women's access to physical exercise, yet empirical evidence from non-Western contexts remains limited. This study examines whether digital lifestyle is associated with women's exercise participation in China and whether this association differs across socio-demographic groups.

We used a mixed-methods design. Study 1 analysed data from 4,469 women in the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) using regression and heterogeneity analyses. A composite Digital Lifestyle Index was constructed from internet-use indicators. Study 2 involved 12 in-depth interviews analysed with grounded theory to uncover underlying mechanisms.

Digital lifestyle was positively associated with exercise frequency (β = 0.568, p < 0.001), robust to controls. This association was significantly stronger for women with non-agricultural hukou (β = 0.654, p < 0.001) and urban residents (β = 0.470, p < 0.01), but did not vary by age, marital status, education, or region. Qualitative findings show that digital platforms create flexible access, foster social support, and build health knowledge, gradually internalising exercise into daily habits.

Digital lifestyles can empower women's exercise participation but benefits are unevenly distributed across urban-rural and hukou divides. Policies should address infrastructure and literacy gaps to ensure equitable access, extending feminist and field theories to the digital health context.