The relationship between gender roles and physical health in adolescents:The mediating role of sports behavior and gender difference CHEN Shao-qing，WANG Fang，WANG Mei-fang
(1.Department of Physical Education，Capital Normal University，Beijing 100048，China；2.Department of Psychology，Capital Normal University，Beijing 100048，China；3.School of Elementary Education，Capital Normal University，Beijing 100048，China) Abstract: In order to investigate the relationship among gender roles, sports behavior and physical health, a total of 1 051 second-grade students in junior high school and in senior high school from 6 schools in Beijing were recruited to participant in questionnaire survey and physical measurement. The structural equation model was used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of gender roles on physical health in adolescents. Results show that: the direct effect of masculine trait on physical health was not significant, but feminine trait can significantly and positively predict to physical health. Both masculine and feminine trait had indirect effects on physical health through sports behavior, but there was no significant gender difference of mediation model that adolescents’ gender roles affects physical health. The conclusion is that, as for adolescents, masculine trait had indirect effect on physical health by sports behavior, rather than the direct effect. Feminine trait had direct effect on physical health, as well as indirect effect on physical health through sports behavior. The effect mechanism of adolescent gender roles on physical health were the same for both boys and girls. Keywords: adolescents；gender roles；sports behavior；physical health；mediating effect