Peer-reviewed article

Family Sport Involvement and Adolescent Prosocial Behavior: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Xu J, Zhong L, Sun K · 22 Sept 2026

Abstract

Background Family sport involvement is critical for adolescent prosocial development, yet how distinct patterns of parental engagement relate to prosocial behavior and through what psychological processes remains unclear. Integrating Self-Determination Theory with Bourdieu's sociological concepts of habitus and capital, this study aimed to examine the distinct profiles of family sport involvement and their mechanisms in predicting adolescents' prosocial behavior. Methods Data were drawn from a large-scale national survey of Chinese youth (N= 14,271). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was utilized to identify familial sport involvement profiles. Subsequently, multiple regression and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate the direct and indirect associations, as well as the moderating role of family socioeconomic status (SES). Results LPA identified four distinct profiles of family sport involvement: disengaged (24.80%), moderate involvement (31.36%), modeling-only (19.61%), highly supportive (24.22%). Compared to the disengaged profile, the moderate involvement, modeling-only, and highly supportive profiles were significantly associated with adolescents' prosocial behavior. Mechanistically, these effects were mediated by autonomous motivation, self-efficacy, and extracurricular physical exercise. Self-efficacy emerged as the primary mediator, accounting for 75-83% of the indirect effects. Crucially, family SES moderated these pathways: higher SES amplified the developmental benefits, though this moderation was uniquely significant only within the highly supportive profile. Conclusion This study theoretically bridges the gap between psychological agency and structural realities in youth development. Practically, while objective capital (SES) maximizes developmental benefits, cultivating an autonomy-supportive sport habitus is the core psychological driver of positive youth development. Promoting highly supportive family sport involvement offers a vital pathway to mitigate socio-structural disparities through targeted parenting interventions.