A Study on weight management stress and coping mechanisms of combat sports student-athletes in higher education—Based on the perspective of environmental psychology

This study aims to explore the characteristics of weight management stress among combat sports student-athletes in higher education and analyze how environmental factors from the perspective of environmental psychology influence their coping mechanisms. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combining a quantitative questionnaire survey distributed to 150-200 participants and qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with 12-15 stratified participants. Key findings revealed that competitive pressure and nutrition control difficulty were the primary sources of weight management stress, while adaptive coping strategies (e.g., seeking professional guidance) and maladaptive strategies (e.g., extreme dieting) were both adopted by the participants. Additionally, social support, institutional nutrition policies, and physical training facilities emerged as critical environmental factors affecting their stress levels and coping choices. Theoretically, this study enriches the intersection of environmental psychology and sports psychology; practically, it provides targeted insights for optimizing the support systems for college combat sports student-athletes to alleviate their weight management burden and enhance mental health.