运动健康类短视频对青岛城市青年运动意向的影响效应及提升策略

目的：探讨新媒介环境下体育社交媒体健康传播、青少年健康信念与青少年体育行为之间的互动影响机制。方法：以14～24岁学生为研究对象，共收集258份有效问卷数据，运用SPSS和SmartPLS进行描述性统计分析、PLSSEM和PLS-MGA分析。结果：1）体育社交媒体健康传播与青少年健康信念相互促进；2）青少年健康信念与体育行为相互促进；3）体育社交媒体健康传播与青少年体育行为相互促进；4）青少年健康信念在体育社交媒体健康传播与体育行为的双向互动中均起到部分中介作用，但直接作用更强；5）体育社交媒体健康传播对青少年健康信念和体育行为的影响在性别和年龄层面上具有一致性。结论：1）体育社交媒体健康传播与青少年健康信念和体育行为之间存在显著的双向互动，其中健康信息传递、自我效能提升和体育价值认知是关键影响维度；2）青少年健康信念在体育社交媒体健康传播与体育行为之间发挥部分中介作用，但直接传播和行为促进仍是主要驱动力；3）体育社交媒体健康传播通过健康信念与体育行为的双向互动，形成了自我增强的传播闭环，显著推动了健康传播和体育行为的持续发展。

目的：探讨目标框架对公众体重管理行为意愿的影响效应、作用机制与边界条件。方法：研究一采用单因素（目标框架：损失、收益、控制）被试间调查实验设计，探究目标框架对公众体重管理行为意愿的影响效应与作用机制；研究二采用2（目标框架：损失、收益）×2（解释水平：具体、抽象）被试间调查实验设计，分析信息解释水平对目标框架后效影响的调节作用。结果：1）损失框架与收益框架均能直接提升公众的体重管理行为意愿，且损失框架的效果更显著。2）损失框架与收益框架通过增强健康风险感知与体重管理自我效能感间接提升行为意愿，其中健康风险感知的中介作用更强。3）信息解释水平对目标框架的后效影响具有调节作用。当信息解释较抽象时，目标框架对行为意愿与体重管理自我效能感的影响明显减弱；当信息解释较具体时，目标框架对二者的影响显著增强。结论：将框架效应中个体的决策心理、认知过程和主观信念融入体重管理动员信息的设计，通过善用框架效应助推、巧借行为决策心理、深化具体信息应用等举措，能以较小的信息投入形成较大的行为响应，推动体重管理行动提质增效。

摘要: 随着虚拟场域的扩大，“微社群”以及短视频创作成为观察与揭示社会文化走向的重要生发地，体育类短视频也成为通过身体表征透视社会文化的重要视角。沿着身体的自然意义和社会意义主线，分析基于体育类视觉作品的创作与点赞行为背后的身体隐喻和社会结构新面向，探讨“微社群”中的情理与人伦。认为：随着互联网等技术的嵌入，以身体为载体的体育类作品在创作与展演中包含身体图像化、符码操持、身体—身份转换等隐喻，蕴含着情感消费、模拟亲缘关系，并在身体奇观化叙事中呈现出丰富的亚文化趋向。由身体视觉景观等构成的体育类作品的点赞与评论彰显了“情感资本”和“账面资本”的积累，表征了“伞状社会结构”“圈层社会结构”“他人导向型社会心态”的逐渐形成，在“人机互构”下“微社群”产生了身体规训和社会交往的新秩序。

Introduction Cloud fitness is transforming indoor exercise for young people in China. Recent studies have explored the correlation between media use and health-promoting behavior by examining the motivation of individuals and the credibility of influencers. However, the role of media affordance has thus far been largely overlooked. Drawing on the theory of Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR), the study investigated the indirect effect of visibility affordance on the intention to exercise with fitness influencers in the context of cloud fitness through psychological variables. Methods This paper, based on the online survey data (N = 456), analyses the effect of visibility affordance on the intention to fitness following with influencers. A moderated parallel mediation model was constructed to examine the relationship among related variables. Results The paper draws the following conclusions: (1) Visibility affordance is positively related to the intention to exercise with fitness influencers. (2) Both the sense of social presence and immersion positively mediate the relationship between visibility affordance and the intention to exercise with fitness influencers. (3) The perceived popularity of the influencer positively moderates the relationship between social presence and the intention to exercise with fitness influencers and moderates the mediating role of social presence. Discussion Consequently, this study enhances the existing body of knowledge in exercise behavior and health communication literature, and provides practical implications for short video platform, influencers and individuals in promoting healthier behaviors.

Abstract While short-form videos significantly enhance public participation in cloud fitness, the factors driving this phenomenon remain insufficiently explored. This study proposes a combined model (TA-SC-TPB) that integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Technology Affordance (TA), and Source Credibility (SC) to investigate the multifaceted determinants of cloud fitness. An anonymous survey collected 456 valid responses. Our findings highlight that the fitness influencers’ characteristics enhance parasocial relationships. Platform affordance-related factors positively enhance a favorable attitude. Subjective norm, behavioral intention, perceived behavioral control, parasocial relationship, and attitude are all positively associated with the intention. Both intention and perceived behavioral control are significant predictors of actual fitness behavior. Furthermore, the impact of intention on actual fitness behavior is significantly moderated by health consciousness. Theoretical insights and practical implications for promoting fitness through short video platforms are discussed.

To explore the impact of exposure to short-form video sports content on college students’ physical exercise persistence and the mediating role of self-efficacy, this study conducted a questionnaire survey among 425 college students based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0 for structural equation modeling (SEM) and Bootstrap tests. The results showed that exposure to short-form video sports content has a significant positive direct effect on exercise persistence and positively predicts self-efficacy. Self-efficacy also exerts a significant positive impact on exercise persistence and plays a partial mediating role between the two, accounting for 40.3% of the total effect. This mediating effect is more prominent among sports majors. The study provides empirical support for promoting college students’ physical exercise and the integration of sports and education.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how physical education (PE) students engage with fitness content on TikTok. Methods: The evaluation involved 597 students enrolled in a PE 1 course across three campuses of a prominent university. Results: Findings show that students primarily watch TikTok videos for entertainment, with male students also seeking motivation and social interaction, while female students look for escape, advice, and guidance. Engagement is highest for videos featuring body transformations, fitness tips, and motivational content, with a tendency to apply learned exercises, tips, and nutrition education. Body transformations and motivational videos effectively arouse emotions and elicit affective responses. Conclusion: This research highlights diverse motivations and impacts of fitness content on TikTok among PE students, contributing to the literature on social media usage and offering insights for enhancing instructional practices in PE and understanding digital media interaction.

This study explored the effects of Chinese college students’ (20–34 years old) exposure to healthy weight information on short-form video applications on their intention to acquire healthy weight-control behaviors (reducing high-fat diet intake, accessing physical activity to control body weight, etc.). Specifically, this study investigated the direct and mediated effect on such a relationship via healthy weight awareness, the first-person effect, and perceived herd. The data were collected using a web-based survey and thoroughly tested questionnaire with a sample of 380 Chinese college students. Hierarchical regression, parallel mediation, and serial mediation analysis were applied to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that healthy weight awareness, first-person effect, and perceived herd all played mediator roles that induced the relationship between Chinese college students’ exposure to healthy weight information and their intention to acquire healthy weight-control behaviors. In addition, healthy weight awareness and the first-person effect sequentially mediated this relationship.

… short video content influences adolescent behavioral intentions. … academic view on exercise intention research, namely that … institutions to incorporate short-form video content in cultural …

This research intends to explore the effects of short video use on college students’ weight loss intentions, and its intrinsic mechanism of action, based on the responses of 1268 students from three universities in southwest China to questionnaires with the instruments of a sports participation scale, body image scale, self-esteem scale and weight loss intention scale. The findings are listed as follows: 1) Short video use can significantly and positively predict weight loss intention; 2) Body image mediates the relationship between short video usage and weight loss intentions; 3) Self-esteem plays a regulatory effect as the direct path between short video use and weight loss intention as well as partial mediation effect of body image. The direct effect of short video use on weight loss intentions and the mediating effect of body image gradually increased with the decrease of self-esteem. The results of the study suggest that short video use can affect the weight loss intentions of college students through either a direct or indirect path created by the mediating role of body image. Meanwhile, the influence of self-esteem on weight loss intention can’t be ignored, which is another key factor that affects college students’ weight loss intentions beyond short video use and body image.

… ’ intention to continue exercising by following creators’ fitness … in fitness video content positively influence users’ intention to continue exercising by following the creator’s fitness videos (…

… Purpose Health short-form videos serve as a vital medium for disseminating health and … , such as diet, exercise, and well-being A video demonstrating daily exercises to boost heart …

Objective This study explores how trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness of fitness influencers affect Chinese users’ attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intentions to engage in fitness activities on social media. By integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior with source credibility theory, this research examines the effectiveness of digital health communication in China, offering a novel approach. Methods Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey using convenience sampling, targeting 339 active fitness video viewers on DouYin, China's premier short video platform. The survey was administered via the professional online platform Sojump.com. Participants, active followers of various fitness influencers, engaged with diverse types and durations of fitness videos. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling validated the measurement and structural models, rigorously examining the hypothesized relationships within the study. Results Trustworthiness and expertise of influencers significantly influenced users’ attitudes and perceived behavioral control, crucially affecting their intentions to engage in fitness activities. Unlike trustworthiness and expertise, attractiveness had no significant impact on subjective norms. Gender did not moderate these effects, indicating a consistent influencer impact across male and female users. Conclusions This research underscores the critical role of credible fitness influencers in enhancing engagement with health-promotive behaviors on social media. It emphasizes that authenticity and reliability are more influential than attractiveness in promoting health behaviors. This study advances our understanding of effective health communication on social media and offers practical insights for leveraging influencer credibility in public health campaigns.

… The purpose of the present study was to test the efficacy and feasibility of a 12-week physical activity social support intervention partly administered through Facebook. The primary …

Objective Social media fitness influencers are evolving into a new digital form of health communicators whom consumers might turn to for assistance with more physical activity and exercise at home, especially in the current COVID-19 crisis. Drawing from source credibility theory, social cognitive theory, protection motivation theory and literature on physical activity, physical fitness and gender, we analyse how male and female users’ evaluations of social media fitness influencers and user health-related variables impact intentions to exercise with the social media fitness influencer. Methods Two consecutive studies using male and female YouTube fitness influencers were carried out. Structural equation modelling was conducted to test the proposed models and estimate the path coefficients. Results Study 1 (N = 507) shows that the respective influencer's perceived trustworthiness, expertise and attractiveness are important for the influencer's evaluation, and that it is the perceived motivating power rather than the attitude toward the influencer that increases intentions to exercise for male and female users. Study 2 (N = 445) extends Study 1 and shows that physical fitness, training involvement with YouTube fitness videos and lower health increase behavioural intentions. A more negative body image also raises intentions to exercise, but only among female users. Conclusion Social media fitness influencers who are perceived as trustworthy, as experts and as attractive, can be effective for increasing men's and women's physical activity. Perceived motivating power of the influencer emerged as a key variable that predicts intentions to exercise. User health-related variables have different effects on intentions to exercise for men and women.

… This study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, Citation1991) to explore the effects of social support on SNSs about LTPA on intention to participate in LTPA. In TPB, …

Background: College students who identified themselves as Asians in the United States (i.e., Asian college students) are facing health inequalities and engaging in increasingly low levels of physical activity (PA). Although social support was found to be effective in increasing college students' PA and social media is an important channel for social support for Asian students, few studies have explored how to provide social support through social media interventions to promote Asian students' PA level. Thus, this study aimed to explore the effects of social support on social media on Asian college students' intention to participate in PA based on the theory of planned behavior. Methods: We conducted an online Qualtrics survey among all undergraduate students at a university on the West Coast of the United States. Among 936 respondents, 337 (36%) were Asian college students. Descriptive analysis, regression models, and mediating effect tests were performed using SPSS 28. Results: For Asian students, social support on social media has both direct effects and indirect effects through perceived behavioral control (PBC) on their intention to participate in PA. Conclusion: Future interventions could consider encouraging Asian students to provide support to each other and form support groups using social media to increase their PBC.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the psychological mechanisms by which fitness social media use influences individuals’ exercise behavior, focusing on the chained mediating roles of intrinsic motivation and exercise intention. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in April 2025 using snowball sampling, targeting social media users who regularly engage in physical activity. A total of 425 valid responses were analyzed. Constructs including fitness social media use, intrinsic motivation, exercise intention, and exercise behavior were assessed using validated Likert-scale instruments. Structural equation modeling and bootstrap analysis (5,000 resamples) were applied to test the hypothesized chained mediation model. Results Fitness social media use was found to significantly predict intrinsic motivation (β = 0.396, p < 0.001), exercise intention (β = 0.254, p < 0.001), and exercise behavior (β = 0.295, p < 0.001). Both intrinsic motivation and exercise intention significantly mediated the relationship between social media use and exercise behavior. The chained mediation pathway was also supported, with indirect effects accounting for 33.55% of the total effect. Specifically, the indirect paths through intrinsic motivation (18.57%), exercise intention (10.75%), and the combined sequence (4.25%) were all statistically significant. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that fitness social media use not only exerts a direct effect on exercise behavior but also influences it indirectly through a sequential psychological process involving emotional activation and cognitive planning. The study provides novel empirical evidence supporting the integration of Self-Determination Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior, thereby offering a deeper understanding of how health behaviors form within digital contexts. In practical terms, this research highlights the significant role of social media–based digital platforms in enhancing intrinsic motivation and exercise intention. Future health-promotion interventions should therefore focus more explicitly on leveraging fitness social media to strengthen individuals’ intrinsic motivation and foster clear behavioral intentions, ultimately facilitating sustained engagement in physical activity and elevating overall population levels of physical activity.

The psychological mechanisms through which fitness-related social media use (FRSMU) influences exercise intention remain insufficiently understood. To address this gap, this study constructed a moderated mediation model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior to systematically examine the underlying mechanisms linking FRSMU and exercise intention. Specifically, this study reveals the mediating roles of attitude and subjective norms in this relationship, and the moderating effect of perceived behavioral control on these mediated pathways. A survey was conducted among 679 university students, utilizing scales measuring FRSMU, exercise attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and exercise intention. Data analysis was performed using Mplus software through bootstrapping and the latent moderated structural equation modeling approach. The results showed that: (1) FRSMU significantly and positively predicted exercise intention; (2) Attitude mediated the relationship between FRSMU and exercise intention, while the mediating effect of subjective norms was not supported; (3) Perceived behavioral control exerted a significant negative moderating effect on the mediation pathway from FRSMU to exercise intention via attitude, while it had a significant positive moderating effect on the indirect pathway from FRSMU to exercise intention through subjective norms. These findings provide valuable insights for designing interventions aimed at promoting university students' exercise behavior through social media.

Abstract This study examines the effects of Instagram fitspiration images on male viewers' work out intention by integrating the processes of social comparison and social cognitive theory. The results from 1428 Instagram users in Taiwan, with the directions of comparison (upward, lateral, and downward) manipulated, indicate that upward comparisons with attractive models would strengthen self-improvement motives related to working out. In addition, pleasant affective responses to the images and one's self-efficacy for working out were also significant predictors. However, model attractiveness revealed a negative, direct effect on work out intention, suggesting that a seemingly rewarding model behavior itself discourages viewer imitation. Implications are discussed to contribute the understanding about male audiences' reactions to the same-sex body images associated with physical training. The findings verifying both the psychological and behavioral impacts of social influence also help demonstrate a more comprehensive picture about promoting exercise as a positive outcome of fitspiration imagery exposure.

In the context of COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, fitness influencers on social media are greatly involved in people’s home fitness processes, but there is limited research examining the role of fitness influencers on social media in exercise intention. This study aimed to explore whether people’s perceptions of the personal attributes and content quality of fitness influencers can promote a strong emotional connection between the two, thereby influencing people’s exercise intentions. Based on the theory of the parasocial relationship, we investigated the influence of social attractiveness (SA), physical attractiveness (PA), task attractiveness (TA), and content quality (CQ) of fitness influencers on the parasocial relationships (PSRs) between viewers and fitness influencers on social media and whether PSRs positively contribute to viewers’ exercise intentions (EI). The results revealed that SA, PA, TA, and CQ have positive influences on PSRs and CQ; PSRs directly contribute to EI; and PSRs have a mediating effect between EI and CQ. This study provides new insights into understanding the relationship between fitness influencers and people’s online fitness behaviors.

… also needs the extension of social network factors, therefore, social network structure and characteristics of network ties are included to measure the impact of social influence as a …

The global surge in health awareness and the widespread adoption of fitness applications (apps) on smartphones have reshaped how individuals approach health and leisure activities. This study employs a modified model of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) by introducing three variables—credibility, reciprocity, and entertainment value—to examine the impact of fitness apps on users’ sharing attitudes, community identification, and sharing intentions. A two-part analytical process, involving a measurement model and structural equation modeling analysis, was used to assess the instrument and test the hypotheses, based on 408 valid questionnaires from fitness participants with over 1 year of experience. The findings showed that the three variables significantly influenced sharing attitudes and community identification, while sharing attitudes and subjective norms positively affected sharing intentions. These results provide a strategic reference for sports app developers in managing social networking features.

The development of folk martial arts in China has encountered many obstacles and difficulties in promoting the sport. Although there are many martial arts-related groups on WeChat, the largest social media in China, the interaction is not enthusiastic enough and the participation is too low. The main purpose of this study is to understand the impact of social media marketing activities and user experience on the intention of people to participate in martial arts through a quantitative research method. After the literature study, a research model was developed based on Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), in which the constructs include social media marketing activities, user experience, attitudes toward martial arts, subjective norms, martial arts attachment, and participation intention. The results of the study illustrated that social media marketing activities and user experience had a positive and significant effect on martial arts attitudes, subjective norms, and martial arts attachment via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Martial arts attitudes, subjective norms, and martial arts attachment had a positive and significant effect on the intention to participate. Finally, based on the results of this study, we propose suggestions for social media marketing activities, user experience, martial arts attachment, attitudes toward martial arts, subjective norms, and martial arts participation intentions for martial arts social media operators, martial arts promotion organizations, and subsequent studies.

The rising number of fitness centers compelled business professionals to implement effective marketing techniques. This study aimed to analyze and test the antecedent of content in social media marketing, namely social interaction (SI), service provider interaction (SPI), self-concept (SC), functional information (FI), and entertaining information (EI) on customer engagement, and its effect on continuous usage intention (CUI) and positive electronic word of mouth (E-WOM), moderated by health literacy. The conceptual framework was empirically tested on customers of the fitness club. A quantitative survey employing the cross-sectional data method was done. The respondents were selected based on specific criteria, and data was collected using a Likert-scaled online questionnaire. The sample consisted of 236 respondents, and data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results demonstrated that engagement has an effect on continuous usage intention (CUI) and the propensity to spread positive E-WOM (PEW). In addition, Health Literacy has not demonstrated a substantial moderating influence. In exchange, health literacy is characterized as a predictor of moderation. The research outcome may have managerial consequences for the fitness facility administration discussed in this article.

Sport Participation Attitudes are important factors influencing individuals’ physical health. From the perspective of the social-ecological model, this study explores the relationship and mechanisms between Health Communication through Sports Social Media(HCTSSM) and adolescents’ sport participation attitudes through the construction and testing of a moderated mediation model. A cross-sectional design was employed to examine the mediating roles of social support and self-efficacy in the impact of Health Communication through Sports Social Media on Sport Participation Attitudes. Data were collected from 920 adolescents using the Health Communication through Sports Social Media, Sports Attitude, Social Support, and the Self-Efficacy Scales. The results showed that: (1) HCTSSM has a significant positive impact on adolescents’ Attitudes Towards Sports; (2) self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between HCTSSM and adolescents’ Attitudes Towards Sports; (3) social support moderates the latter half of the mediation process, where HCTSSM influences adolescents’ participation attitudes through self-efficacy. Based on the findings, it is recommended that sports social media platforms prioritize enhancing users’ social support and self-efficacy. Specifically, the selection and design of health communication content should focus on experience-sharing and health belief-oriented materials. This approach is likely to be more effective in fostering positive attitudes toward sports participation.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the extent to which communication variables, namely, interpersonal communication and attention to mass media, as well as the key components in the theory of planned behavior (TPB), including, attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control, are associated with healthy lifestyle intention in Singapore. Healthy lifestyle intention was conceptualized and operationalized in terms of individuals’ proclivity for physical activity and healthy diet. Data came from a nationally representative computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) of 1055 Singaporeans aged 21 years and above. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. Results show that both communication and planned behavior variables were positively related to behavioral intention. The study is important for both theory and practice. Theoretically, it demonstrates the possibility to extend the TPB with two more variables: interpersonal communication and attention to mass media. On the practical front, the results inform health authorities and marketers on ways to promote public adoption of healthy lifestyle in Singapore.

with the progress of science and technology, “Internet + movement”has become a trend, which provides more channels for teenagers who like to explore new things to communicate and learn, thus forming a healthy lifestyle. From the perspective of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and from the perspective of sports and fitness apps, this paper discusses the possibility of using such apps to promote the health of college students. Questionnaire survey was used to collect first-hand empirical data (N=729) and AMOS was used to construct the structural equation model. The study found that the application of sports apps made college students more positive towards healthy behaviors, strengthened their subjective norms and self-efficacy about healthy behaviors, and the three further enhanced their healthy behavior intentions. At the same time, the attitude about healthy behavior also has a positive impact on the subjective norms of healthy behavior. In addition, college students ' existing experience of healthy behavior will have positive effect on healthy behavior intention through self-efficacy.

Abstract To better understand how different psychosocial components motivate the use of mobile fitness apps, this study integrates two major theories in behavior prediction, theory of planned behavior (TPB) and theory of normative social behavior (TNSB). An online survey was conducted with a random sample of undergraduate students (N = 558) registered at a large public university in Singapore. Results show that participants’ outcome expectations, descriptive norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted their intention to use mobile fitness apps, but not injunctive norms. Perceived behavioral control exerted stronger influence on use intention among current users than non-users. In the TPB-TNSB integrated model, group identification significantly moderated the relationship between descriptive norms and use intention, regardless of the user status. This study provides an improved understanding of how components of social influence affect the adoption of mobile fitness app by taking a novel approach to integrate two distinctive theories in behavior prediction.

Introduction Resistance training plays a vital role in promoting physical and mental health among university students. However, approximately three-quarters of students globally fail to meet recommended guidelines, with a significant intention-behavior gap persisting. Based on an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework, this study aimed to examine the dual-chain mediating effects of Online Fitness Content (OFC) on students’ resistance training behavior through Planning (PL) and Positive Emotion (PE), and to test the suppressing effect of Consumption Time (CT). Method A stratified random sampling method was administered to 356 college students (60.39% male, 39.61% female) regularly engaged in resistance training across 17 Chinese universities. Structural Equation Modeling (AMOS 20.0) was employed to analyze the chain mediation pathways, with multi-group comparisons testing the moderating effect of CT. Results The core TPB variables (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control) significantly predicted intention (path coefficients: 0.265–0.494, p < 0.01), and intention significantly predicted behavior (β = 0.229, p = 0.032). OFC demonstrated significant dual-path mediation effects through both PL (β = 1.215, p = 0.001) and PE (β = 1.074, p = 0.001). The key finding revealed a suppressing effect when daily usage exceeded 30 min: the path effect from OFC to PL attenuated by 72% (β > 1 h = 0.192 vs. β < 1 h = 1.145), the path effect from OFC to PE attenuated by 73% (β > 1 h = 0.301 vs. β < 1 h = 1.101), and the direct effect of OFC on behavior became significantly negative (β > 1 h = −0.690, p < 0.05). Discussion The study demonstrates that OFC serves as an effective digital mediator in bridging the intention-behavior gap in university students’ resistance training, but its efficacy exhibits a critical threshold (30 minutes/day). Future health communication should optimize content distribution strategies and implement CT control mechanisms to achieve sustainable behavior change.

Digital sports, also known as online sports, are a new form of sport that users have tried in recent years. Despite the rapid growth of online sports, the factors influencing users’ willingness to sustain their use are currently unknown. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and expectation-confirmation theory (ECT), this study empirically investigates the factors influencing the persistent use of online sports videos. Questionnaires were administered to participants. A total of 305 participants completed the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling showed that all hypotheses’ paths were significant, except for H11 and H12. The results indicated that perceived usefulness, expectation confirmation, and coach social presence had a significant positive effect on users’ satisfaction in using online sports videos. Moreover, satisfaction, behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control had a significant positive effect on users’ willingness to consistently use online sports videos, with gender moderating the impact of satisfaction and behavioral attitudes on the willingness to consistently use. We discuss the practical implications and recommendations for applying this study’s findings.