Chain mediation of sports cognition and moderate to vigorous physical activity in the socioeconomic status-physical quality relationship among Macao adults

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and physical quality (PQ) among adults, with a particular focus on the chain-mediated effects of sports cognition (SC) and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Methods: Based on data from the 2020 Macao Special Administrative Region Citizen's Physical Fitness and Health Surveillance, a total of 3,085 adults aged 19-59 years were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS 29.0. Results: < 0.01); (2) SES exerted a significant positive direct effect on PQ (β = 0.198, 95% CI: [0.004, 0.400]) and a significant total indirect effect (β = 0.148, 95% CI: [0.099, 0.195]). Specifically, SES indirectly affected PQ through SC (β = 0.091, 95% CI: [0.056, 0.132]), MVPA (β = 0.047, 95% CI: [0.020, 0.077]), and the sequential SC-MVPA pathway (β = 0.010, 95% CI: [0.005, 0.015]), accounting for 26.30%, 13.58%, and 2.89% of the total effect, respectively. Conclusions: These findings suggest that SES is associated with adult PQ through both individual and chain-mediated pathways, providing correlational evidence that may inform the development of future intervention strategies to enhance PQ among adults in Macao. Moreover, the results underscore the crucial role of cognitive enhancement in promoting physical health.