How early family experiences shape exercise addiction: A multiple mediation analysis of emotional dysregulation and body image

This study investigates how early family experiences shape exercise addiction among college students through underlying psychological mechanisms. Based on Ecological Systems Theory and Self-Regulation Theory, we constructed a multiple mediation model that integrates emotional dysregulation and body image to examine the pathways through which family functioning and childhood trauma are associated with exercise addiction. Using standardized measures, we conducted a questionnaire survey among college students in China and obtained 960 valid responses. Structural equation modeling was employed for empirical analysis. The results revealed that family functioning was significantly negatively associated with exercise addiction, while childhood trauma was significantly positively associated with it. Both emotional dysregulation and body image played significant mediating roles. Specifically, higher levels of family functioning were associated with reduced emotional dysregulation and more positive perceptions of body image, which in turn predicted lower risk of exercise addiction. In contrast, childhood trauma was linked to greater emotional dysregulation and more distorted body image, which heightened susceptibility to exercise addiction. Further multi-group analysis showed that the indirect path from childhood trauma to exercise addiction via body image was significantly stronger among females than males. These findings highlight the psychological mechanisms through which early family environments relate to exercise addiction and underscore the importance of enhancing emotion regulation skills and fostering positive body image in addiction prevention. The study provides theoretical and practical implications for psychological interventions in universities and for improving family education practices.