To examine the relationship among physical education core literacy, exercise self-efficacy, physical self-esteem and subjective exercise experience among middle school students, and to analyze the latent classes of exercise self-efficacy, so as to provide evidence for enhancing adolescents' subjective exercise experience.

Using stratified cluster random sampling, 2 569 students from 12 provinces, autonomous regions or municipality directly under the central govement (Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Guizhou, Henan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Shandong, Hubei, Hebei) were surveyed from September to November in 2024 with Core Competency Scale of Physical Education, Subjective Exercise Experiences Scale, Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale, and Physical Self-esteem Scale. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationships among physical education core literacy, exercise self-efficacy, physical self-esteem, and subjective exercise experience. Mediation models with Bootstrap testing were employed to examine the mediating roles of exercise self-efficacy and physical self-esteem in the relationship between physical education core literacy and subjective exercise experience. Latent profile analysis (LPA) of exercise self-efficacy was performed using Mplus 8.3.

Pearson correlation analysis revealed positive associations between physical education core literacy and exercise self-efficacy (r=0.21), physical self-esteem (r=0.38), and subjective exercise experience (r=0.40); exercise self-efficacy was positively correlated with physical self-esteem (r=0.25) and subjective exercise experience (r=0.45); and physical self-esteem was positively correlated with subjective exercise experience (r=0.34) (all P < 0.01). Mediation analysis indicated that physical education core literacy positively predicted subjective exercise experience (β=0.41, P < 0.05), with exercise self-efficacy and physical self-esteem serving as partial mediators (effect size=0.14, P < 0.01), accounting for 34% of the total effect. LPA identified three latent classes of exercise self-efficacy: low (14.71%, n=378), moderate (65.51%, n=1 683), and high (19.78%, n=508) exercise self-efficacy groups.

Adolescents' exercise self-efficacy demonstrates heterogeneity, and both exercise self-efficacy and physical self-esteem mediate the relationship between physical education core literacy and subjective exercise experience.