Mobile phone dependency and adolescent exercise participation: a CB-SEM and fsQCA study on the roles of self-control, time management, and health awareness.

Objective: The study examined how mobile phone dependency (MPD) is linked to adolescents' engagement in structured exercise and whether this association operates through three theoretically derived mechanisms-self-control (SC), time management (TM), and health awareness (HA). A complementary configurational analysis explored alternative combinations of these factors that lead to high or low exercise participation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 1,404 Chinese students in Grades 5-9 (49.6% girls; 51% rural). Standardized scales assessed MPD, SC, TM, HA, and adolescent exercise participation (AEP). Covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) estimated direct and mediated effects; bias-corrected bootstrap confidence intervals tested indirect paths. Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identified sufficient configurations of conditions for high and non-high AEP and assessed robustness across calibration thresholds. Results: The SEM model exhibited excellent fit ( Conclusion: Mobile phone dependency undermines adolescent exercise primarily by eroding self-regulatory capacity, disrupting time structure, and diminishing health motivation. Nonetheless, strong personal resources can offset the risks of heavy phone use. Interventions should therefore adopt a dual focus: curbing excessive smartphone use while simultaneously enhancing self-control, time-management skills, and health awareness to sustain youths' exercise involvement.