The relationship between self-concept clarity, athletic identity, athlete engagement and the mediating roles of quality of life and smartphone use in Chinese youth athletes

BACKGROUND: Youth athletes represent the future of competitive sports, so examining their commitment to sport is critical. This study investigated the impacts of self-concept clarity and athletic identity on athlete engagement among Chinese youth athletes, and the mediating roles of quality of life and smartphone use. METHODS: 410 youth athletes from sports schools completed an online cross-sectional survey measuring self-concept clarity, athletic identity, quality of life, smartphone use, and athlete engagement. We used convenience sampling. Instruments included validated scales like the Self-Concept Clarity Scale. RESULTS: The direct effect of self-concept clarity and athlete engagement in youth athletes was not significant (β = 0.04, p = 0.344), but there was a direct effect of athletic identity and athlete engagement (β = 0.61, p < 0.05). Quality of life mediated the relationships between self-concept clarity(indirect effect = −0.054, 95 % CI = −0.114, −0.019), athletic identity(indirect effect = 0.202, 95 % CI = 0.114, 0.349) and athlete engagement. CONCLUSIONS: This study helps address gaps in understanding athlete engagement in youth athletes. The mediation model provides insights to improve self-concept clarity, athletic identity and quality of life to motivate greater engagement in youth athletes.