Background: Health is one of our greatest assets, yet we often neglect our physical health. According to the WHO, the obesity epidemic is of global concern. This article aimed to understand how a physically active lifestyle could lead to higher levels of mental well-being and life satisfaction. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the life satisfaction, mental well-being and body mass index (BMI) of employees at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). Methods: A group of 320 SQU employees (176 males and 144 females) with a mean age of 46.14 ± 9.32 years participated in this study. The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS) were used to measure life satisfaction and mental well-being. Additionally, BMI and exercise behaviour, which was based on weekly participation in a number of intentional sports activities and exercise, were measured. Results: The study revealed that participants who were more physically active, compared to those who were less active, experienced higher levels of mental well-being and were generally more satisfied with their lives. The findings also indicated that participants with a healthy body mass index (BMI = 20–25) enjoyed higher levels of life satisfaction than those classified as overweight or obese (BMI > 25). Finally, the study showed no significant differences between the gender and age groups. Conclusions: This study concluded that a physically active lifestyle can lead to higher levels of mental well-being and can improve life satisfaction. A healthy BMI may play a considerable role in increasing the levels of life satisfaction in adults.

This study examined the relationships between perfectionism, self-esteem, and the will to win and the effects of gender and the level of achievement on these variables. A total of 318 adolescents in the age group of 12–19 years (M = 16.10 ± 1.01) completed the self-esteem questionnaire, the will-to-win questionnaire, and the perfectionism inventory. Interstate level (ISL) athletes obtained higher scores than interdistrict level (IDL) athletes on the following variables: self-esteem, the will to win, and four of the eight dimensions of perfectionism (i.e., concern over mistakes, the need for approval, organization, and planfulness). Further, male athletes obtained higher self-esteem and perfectionism (i.e., the need for approval and rumination) scores than female athletes. Self-esteem, the will to win, and the dimensions of perfectionism were positively and significantly interrelated. However, one dimension, namely, perceived parental pressure, was unrelated to any factor except striving for excellence. Further, the will to win, concern over mistakes, high standard for others, and planfulness were unrelated to striving for excellence. The results of the discriminant analysis revealed that there was no significant difference between ISL and IDL athletes (variance explained = 9.480%). Finally, using path analysis showed that Model 3 (perfectionism self-esteem will-to-win) has provided good model fit such as Bentler's comparative fit index (CFI) (0.987), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) (0.876), normed fit index (NFI) (0.973), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) (0.097).

Physical activity (PA) plays a crucial role in promoting good health and an active lifestyle among university students. Quality Physical Education (QPE) program is instrumental in achieving sustainability in PA. Motivation is a key factor in encouraging PA in students. However, motivation alone may not lead to inclusivity unless quality components are thoughtfully integrated into physical education (PE) programs. This study aimed to address three research questions: i) Can the motivation for PA participation be enhanced through the provision of high-quality PE programs in university settings? ii) Does the quality provision of PE contribute to promoting sustainable PA among adolescents? and iii) Is this carry-over process influenced by gender? This cross-sectional study enrolled N = 610 university students, comprising 467 males and 143 females. Only students who had PE as a part of their coursework were included. These students participated in more than 27 different sports and had an average age of 20.76 years (SD = 3.47) and an average of 4.70 years (SD = 4.93) of athletic experience. To achieve the study's objectives, descriptive statistics (mean, SD), Pearson's correlation, and regression analysis were employed. Additionally, a 2 (Gender) by 2 (Type of Sport: Individual vs. Team) MANCOVA, with age as a covariate, was used to assess gender-based differences in the variables. The study found that the factors demonstrated strong reliability and positive correlations between QPE and exercise needs satisfaction. However, these factors did not establish significant correlations with PA. Perceived competence for exercise needs satisfaction showed gender differences, with males scoring higher. Additionally, QPE did not exhibit significant gender-based differences. In terms of PA, males had higher mean scores compared to females. The provision of QPE was identified as a crucial determinant of exercise satisfaction competence among students. While QPE provision was adequate at the university level, it did not promote PA among females as anticipated.

India’s increasing sedentary behavior among children and youth is becoming a national concern. Hence, developing an environment supportive of physical activity and sports would be a major means to increase the participation levels for adolescents. This study aims to examine differences in motivation to participate in physical activities and sports among students of three age categories, namely, early adolescence, middle adolescence and late adolescence. The result of factor analysis yielded a 19-item, four-factor structure on the participation motivation questionnaire (PMQ). Significant differences were found for all three age categories on the two extracted factors of sport action with friends and social status. Further, a significant difference has been identified between sex’s students on the factor of health and fitness and social status. The study provides sound psychometric and comparative results that can potentially be useful for education and formative reviews in applied settings, for research purposes and as a measurement tool for embedding motivation towards participation in physical activities (PA) and sports among adolescents.

This study examined the association between physical activity (PA) levels and life satisfaction for middle school students from Macau, Taipei, and Qianjiang. A total of 1002 middle school students (grades 7 to 9) were recruited in 2015 from three cities (Macau, N = 322; Taipei, N = 325; and Qianjiang, N = 355). Physical Activity Rank Scale-3 was used to evaluate the frequency, intensity, and duration of the PA. Further, students’ PA behaviors and life satisfaction were assessed using the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (MSLSS) devised by Zhang. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, t-test, and one-way ANOVA were conducted to process the data. In both Macau and Taipei, the life satisfaction of adolescents was significantly associated with adolescents’ amount of PA (p < 0.05). A significant relationship was observed between self-satisfaction and PA in students from both Macau and Taipei (p < 0.05). The study results indicate the importance of life experience in PA. The more PA that a student engaged in, the higher the level of life satisfaction they obtained. There was a significant difference in the overall life satisfaction among adolescents in Macau, Taipei, and Qianjiang.