From physical-mental synergy to health action: the mechanism path of promoting physical activity based on the interaction of cognitive body assessment and affective body assessment.

OBJECTIVE: To address the issue of insufficient physical activity and the knowing-doing gap in exercise participation among college students, this study integrates the multidimensional connotations of body image to clarify the effects and mechanisms of cognitive body assessment and affective body assessment on college students' physical activity, thereby providing support for addressing students' exercise dilemmas and facilitating the adoption of healthy behaviors. METHODS: A survey was conducted among 2,016 college students using the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire, the Sport Motivation Scale, and the Physical Activity Rating Scale. Statistical analyses, including correlation and regression analyses, were performed using SPSS 26.0, MATLAB, and Stata 16.0. A targeted model was developed and its goodness of fit was examined. RESULTS: (1) No sex differences were found in cognitive body assessment or affective body assessment; however, sex differences were observed in exercise motivation and physical activity, with males exhibiting greater sensitivity to the cognition-affect combination and females showing a more pronounced effect of cognition. (2) Cognitive body assessment and affective body assessment exerted synergistic influences on college students' physical activity, positive affect compensated for low cognitive levels in compensating for cognitive deficits, whereas solely enhancing affect showed no evident effect at high cognitive levels. (3) Exercise motivation mediated the effect of cognitive and affective body assessments on physical activity. The mediating effect of intrinsic motivation was significantly stronger than that of extrinsic motivation. Affective evaluation amplified the indirect effect of cognitive evaluation on physical activity through motivation. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive approach integrating the dual-track education of cognition and affect, optimization of campus exercise environments, precise intervention, and the construction of long-term mechanisms should be implemented to promote college students' participation in physical activity and cultivate sustainable exercise habits.