Understanding students’ intentions to continue football training: a dual-model perspective integrating the stimulus–organism–response and health belief models

Abstract

Sustaining university students’ engagement in football training is vital for fostering lifelong physical activity and advancing public health. However, the factors influencing their intentions to continue participating remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated university students’ intentions to continue football training by integrating the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework with the Health Belief Model. A cross-sectional survey was performed among university students enrolled in structured football training programs in Beijing, China. Data were collected through on-site questionnaires and an online survey disseminated through social media communities. Following data screening, 612 valid responses were retained from the 785 questionnaires collected. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, group comparison tests, and partial least squares structural equation modeling. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity. The findings showed that social support for physical activity, perceived facility quality, and the coach–athlete relationship significantly influenced students’ health-related psychological evaluations. Health motivation, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers jointly explained 56.6% of the variance in continuation intention. Mediation analysis indicated that the effects of environmental factors on continuation intention were primarily transmitted through health motivation, perceived benefits, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity, whereas the indirect effect through perceived barriers was not significant. Significant differences were also observed across gender and participation type, indicating that social and organizational contexts contribute to sustained football participation. These findings extend understanding of continuation intention by integrating environmental and health-related perspectives and provide practical guidance for universities, coaches, and policymakers seeking to promote long-term engagement in football training.