The relationship between physical activity and subjective wellbeing in infertile women: the mediating role of positive feedback and self-efficacy

Objective: This study examined the association between physical activity (PA) and subjective well-being (SWB) among infertile women and further investigated whether positive feedback (PF) and self-efficacy (SE) function as sequential mediators in this relationship. Methods: Data were collected from 954 infertile women recruited across several provinces in China using a cross-sectional design. PA, SWB, PF, and SE were measured through self-report questionnaires. A sequential mediation model was tested with PROCESS Model 6, and indirect effects were estimated using bootstrap procedures based on 5,000 resamples. Results: < 0.001). Both PF (indirect effect = 0.066) and SE (indirect effect = 0.066) independently mediated this association. A sequential pathway linking PA to SWB through PF and SE (PA → PF → SE → SWB) was also supported (indirect effect = 0.055). The total indirect effect accounted for 65% of the overall association. Conclusion: Higher levels of PA were associated with greater SWB among infertile women, and this association was partly explained by PF and SE operating in sequence. These findings indicate that incorporating structured physical activity alongside supportive feedback strategies may help enhance self-efficacy and improve psychological well-being.