How family structure influences middle-school students’ involvement in physical exercise and their academic achievement in China

Increasing research attention is being paid to the factors influencing the comprehensive and healthy development of adolescents. However, few studies have specifically considered cultural contexts, including that of China. Based on public database—The China Education Panel Survey (CEPS) data, this paper takes fixed-effect model to examine the relationship between family structure and physical exercise/academic achievement of middle-school students, plus their intermediary mechanisms. The results were as follows: (1) Middle-school students in intact families displayed higher levels of physical exercise and academic achievement than those in families with one or both parents absent; (2) Family structure influenced middle-school students’ development through the two mechanisms of family socioeconomic status and parental input; and (3) Fathers and mothers fulfill different roles in middle-school students’ development: fathers contribute more to their involvement in physical exercise; mothers contribute more to their academic achievement. The results carry theoretical and practical implications for the development of adolescents, both in China and elsewhere.