# Stage changes and emotional factors of college students’ physical exercise behavior: a cross-sectional study based on the transtheoretical model

## TL;DR

This study explores how college students' physical exercise behavior and emotions are connected using a cross-theoretical model.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel application of the cross-theoretical model to examine emotional factors at different stages of physical exercise behavior.

## Key findings

- Students in the action and maintenance stages show higher self-efficacy compared to earlier stages.
- The findings align with the theoretical expectations of the cross-theoretical model.
- The study highlights the importance of emotional factors in physical exercise behavior.

## Abstract

There are many studies on the physical exercise and emotional management abilities of college students, but there is little research on the correlation between the two. Many studies have used cross theoretical models to further explore the relationship between physical exercise behavior and emotional changes, but so far there has been no research on emotions at different stages. This paper adopts a cross theoretical model to study the relationship between physical exercise and emotions. By studying the changes in physical exercise and emotions among contemporary college students, the aim is to enable future students to better adapt to the social environment, and provide some theoretical references and reference solutions for students’ mental health education. The research results indicate that compared to the early stages, students in the action and maintenance stages have significantly higher self-efficacy, which is consistent with the theoretical expectations of the cross theoretical model.