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Physical activity plays a crucial role in maintaining health and reducing stress, particularly among students in demanding disciplines such as nursing. This study examines how social media and self-efficacy influence exercise behavior and stress relief, drawing on the Social Cognitive Theory and Uses and Gratifications Theory. Data were collected from 295 Vietnamese undergraduate nursing students and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that both social media use and self-efficacy significantly and positively affect stress relief, with exercise behavior acting as a mediating variable. The proposed model explains 69.2% of the variance in exercise behavior and 57.8% in stress relief. These findings suggest that exposure to fitness-related content and higher confidence in one’s ability to exercise contribute to greater engagement in physical activity and improved stress management. The study highlights the importance of integrating digital media and self-efficacy enhancement strategies into university health promotion programs. Universities should consider using social media platforms to share motivational content, facilitate online exercise communities, and organize student-led fitness initiatives. Policy-makers may also support campaigns promoting physical activity as an effective stress management strategy for health-related professions.

Early childhood is a critical period for developing exercise habits, and parental involvement plays a decisive role in shaping children’s physical activity behaviors. Drawing on Expectancy Value Theory, this study examined parents of kindergarten-aged children across five constructs: Ability Expectation, Required Effort, Psychological Cost of Failure, Cost of Others’ Expectations, and Perceived Value. Results revealed a notable gap between the perceived importance and actual satisfaction of the Psychological Cost of Failure, indicating parents’ concern about potential frustration or pressure their children might face. In contrast, Perceived Value was consistently rated high in both importance and satisfaction, underscoring parents’ recognition of the social and emotional benefits of parent–child physical activities. These findings highlight the need for schools to provide emotional support and positive reinforcement in activity design.

In recent years, increased understanding has led individuals to prioritize exercise for the purposes of sustaining health, achieving weight loss, preventing various diseases, and alleviating stress. This research aims to deepen our understanding of human exercise behavior by examining the factors that influence this trend. The writers utilize the framework of "Social Learning Theory" to elucidate the correlation among influencing factors, exercise behavior, and stress relief. This study details a survey that involved 323 participants, primarily Vietnamese college students with a focus on tourism. The analysis comprised 151 males and 172 females. This research employed structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis. The results showed that enabling circumstances and social impact have a positive impact on stress relief, with exercise activity playing a mediating role. The model accounts for 57.3% of the variance in exercise behavior and 57.1% in stress relief. Moreover, social impact has a direct favorable impact on students' stress relief. In conclusion, both enabling factors and social impact are associated with increased exercise activity. These characteristics increase the likelihood of students participating in exercise and reducing their academic stress. The study also that the institution introduces a course that combines academics with yoga and team sports to the general education curriculum. The institution should offer on-campus fitness or partner with local gyms. Finally, joining clubs and organizations might encourage university students to exercise.