Self-efficacy mediates the relationship between university students’ physical activity and time management

Given the roles of physical activity, self-efficacy, and time management in fostering academic success and personal well-being, in this study I explored the relationships among physical activity, self-efficacy, and time management. Analysis of survey data obtained from 218 undergraduate students at a university in China revealed a positive relationship between physical activity and time management, with self-efficacy emerging as a pivotal mediator. Students who engaged (vs. did not engage) in regular physical activity were more likely to exhibit effective time-management capability. Additionally, physical activity facilitated self-efficacy, which, in turn, fostered improved time-management ability. These results underscore the crucial role of self-efficacy in linking physical activity to time management among undergraduate students, offering a novel perspective on the interrelationships among these variables and emphasizing the importance of integrating physical activity into academic curricula to bolster students’ self-efficacy and time-management capability.