The longitudinal impact of sports policy attitude on sport consumption intention among college students: a serial mediation of value internalization and exercise identity

BackgroundWithin the macro-context of China’s “Sports Powerful Nation” strategy, governments and universities have invested substantially in promoting physical activity, yet the psychological mechanism linking macro-level sport policy to micro-level consumption behavior remains insufficiently understood. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and Identity Theory, this study examines the longitudinal impact of sports policy attitude on sport consumption intention through value internalization and exercise identity.MethodsA three-wave longitudinal cross-lagged panel design was employed with 652 Chinese college students recruited from two universities in central and eastern China. To control for autoregressive effects and strengthen the basis for causal inference, all core variables were measured at Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3 (three-month intervals). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, and indirect effects were tested using bias-corrected bootstrapping (5,000 resamples).ResultsAfter controlling for demographic covariates and baseline stability, T1 sports policy attitude significantly predicted T3 sport consumption intention (β = 0.076, p < 0.05). The relationship was serially mediated by T2 value internalization and T2 exercise identity, with the serial pathway accounting for the largest share (43.18%) of the total indirect effect.ConclusionThe translation of sport policy perception into sport consumption appears to involve a sequential psychological process from cognitive internalization to identity formation. The findings suggest that policymakers and university administrators may benefit from complementing value-promotion strategies with identity-based interventions to support sustained sport consumption among emerging adult consumers.