Negative school gossip, self-esteem, and exercise intention among Chinese adolescents: a mediation model

This study examined the associations among negative school gossip, self-esteem, and general exercise intention among Chinese adolescents, with particular attention to the mediating role of self-esteem and the relevance of these associations to physical education (PE) and school-based movement contexts.

A cross-sectional online questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,713 junior middle school students in China. Negative school gossip, self-esteem, and exercise intention were assessed using established self-report scales. Data were analyzed using latent-variable structural equation modeling in Mplus 8.3. Common method bias, reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and model fit were examined before testing the mediation model. Bias-corrected bootstrap analysis with 2,000 bootstrap samples was used to test the indirect association. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by controlling for gender, grade, region, parental education, only-child status, and family economic status.

The three-factor measurement model showed better fit than alternative measurement models, and the measures demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. In the main structural model, negative school gossip was negatively associated with self-esteem (β = -0.157, p < 0.001) and exercise intention (β = -0.063, p = 0.031), while self-esteem was positively associated with exercise intention (β = 0.240, p < 0.001). The standardized indirect association from negative school gossip to exercise intention through self-esteem was significant [β = -0.038, 95% bootstrap CI (-0.055, -0.024)], accounting for 37.62% of the total association. The pattern remained stable after controlling for demographic covariates.

Negative school gossip was associated with weaker general exercise intention among Chinese adolescents, and self-esteem partly accounted for this association. Although exercise intention was not measured specifically for PE lessons, the findings are relevant to PE because school movement contexts are highly visible and peer-evaluative settings in which reputation-based exclusion and stigma may reduce psychological safety. The results therefore suggest that supportive peer climates and protection from gossip-related exclusion may be important for inclusive PE and equitable participation in school-based physical activity.