Research On The Influencing Factors Of Exercise And Fitness Of University Student Volunteers In Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games From The Perspective Of Social Ecological Model

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics,held by China at a significant historical juncture,serves as a momentous and emblematic event.University student volunteers,as the backbone of large-scale sports event volunteering,play an increasingly crucial role.Presently,there is a declining trend in the physical activity levels of university students,and their physical and mental well-being has become a hot topic of concern for society at large.The sporting atmosphere,athletic exhibitions,and the beauty of the human body showcased during major sports events provide an opportunity to attract and promote physical activity among university student volunteers.This research focuses on studying the factors influencing university student volunteers’ engagement in sports and fitness activities during and after the Winter Olympics,in order to provide decision-making insights for enhancing their perception of the event’s impact on promoting sports and fitness.Employing a social ecological model,the study analyzes the multi-level factors affecting sports and fitness participation among university student volunteers during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.Using a grounded theory approach,in-depth interviews were conducted with 36 student volunteers who served during the Games,spanning the pre-Olympics,during the Olympics,and post-Olympics phases.The study identified the main facilitating and limiting factors for sports and fitness engagement among university student volunteers during the Winter Olympics.The research findings indicate that during the pre-Olympics phase,university student volunteers face personal-level limitations such as low fitness motivation and a lack of exercise habits,as well as interpersonal-level factors such as a lack of exercise partners and a deficient sporting atmosphere.The facilitating factors for sports and fitness engagement during the Olympics include personal-level Winter Olympics motivation,interpersonal-level exercise partners,and institutional-level support provided by Winter Olympics venues and universities.However,the continuation of pre-existing exercise habits and academic pressures serve as limiting factors during the Olympics.After the Winter Olympics,the promoting factors for sports and fitness engagement among university student volunteers include personal-level Winter Olympics motivation,continuation of exercise habits,and a shift in fitness intentions,as well as interpersonal-level support from family,and favorable exercise conditions provided by communities and institutions.On the other hand,the absence of a sporting atmosphere and objective factors act as limitations to sports and fitness engagement in the post-Olympics phase.Based on the analysis of factors during the pre-Olympics,during the Olympics,and post-Olympics phases,the following conclusions are drawn: 1.Event motivation and the Winter Olympics sporting atmosphere effectively promote sports and fitness engagement during the Games.2.Pre-existing exercise habits and objective conditions limit sports and fitness engagement during the Olympics.3.Exercise conditions provided at Winter Olympics venues contribute to better sports and fitness participation during the Games.4.Winter Olympics motivation,fitness intentions,and the continuation of exercise habits promote post-Olympics sports and fitness engagement.5.Sporting atmosphere,subjective intentions,and objective conditions influence sports and fitness engagement in the post-Olympics phase.6.Family companionship and support compensate for the lack of exercise partners in post-Olympics sports and fitness engagement.Based on the research,the following recommendations are proposed: 1.Strengthen the promotion of sports events to convey the spirit of the Beijing Winter Olympics.2.Advocate and establish a supportive interpersonal environment to help university student volunteers participate in sports activities.3.Ensure exercise conditions for university student volunteers during large-scale event volunteering periods.4.Align with national policy goals,and incentivize universities to encourage sports participation among student volunteers.5.Reduce the cost of participating in sports activities and invest government resources to improve the nationwide fitness service system.