The integration effectiveness of inclusive sports policies: institutional support and community network mediation for sports participation of adults with disabilities and older adults in Chengdu under social capital theory.

INTRODUCTION: Adults with Disabilities and Older Adults face unequal access to sports facilities, services, and policy information. In Chengdu, these barriers are linked to uneven resource allocation, limited accessibility, and differences in community organizational capacity and institutional trust. Drawing on social capital theory, this study examines how supply-side and demand-side inclusive sports policies are associated with sports participation through structural capital, relational capital, and community-network functions. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 752 Adults with Disabilities and Older Adults in Chengdu. Institutional support was measured through supply-side and demand-side policy indicators derived from municipal policy documents and survey responses. Structural capital reflected community sports-organization density and activity frequency, while relational capital represented institutional trust. Community-network functions included resource matching and information transmission. Sports participation was assessed using a composite index of frequency, duration, and activity diversity. Structural equation modeling, hierarchical regression, and 5,000-sample bootstrap analyses were used to test mediation, moderation, and subgroup differences. RESULTS: The model showed acceptable fit (χ2/df = 2.87, CFI = 0.937, TLI = 0.921, RMSEA = 0.048, SRMR = 0.041). Supply-side policy tools were positively associated with structural capital (β = 0.41, p < 0.001), which was associated with resource matching (β = 0.52). The indirect pathway from supply-side policy through structural capital and resource matching to sports participation was significant (effect = 0.066, 95% CI [0.042, 0.091]). Demand-side policy was positively associated with relational capital, and relational capital strengthened its association with participation (interaction β = 0.17, p < 0.01). The indirect pathway through relational capital and information transmission was significant (effect = 0.065, 95% CI [0.039, 0.090]). Older Adults appeared more sensitive to institutional trust, whereas Adults with Disabilities showed stronger dependence on resource matching. DISCUSSION: Inclusive sports policies are associated with participation through different mechanisms. Supply-side policies rely more on community organizations and resource matching, while demand-side on trust and information. Policy design should move beyond uniform resource provision and address group-specific accessibility and communication needs. Because the study used cross-sectional data from Chengdu, the findings should not be interpreted as causal and require longitudinal and comparative verification.