Effects of a 16-week structured functional music-based physical activity program on attitude toward sports among rural Chinese high school students: a quasi-experimental study

This study examined the impact of a 16-week Structured Functional Music-Based Physical Activity (FMPA) program on attitudes toward sports among rural Chinese high school students. Using a quasi-experimental design, a total of 98 first-year students from a rural high school in Henan Province were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 50) or a control group (n = 48). The intervention group participated in FMPA sessions five times weekly, while the control group engaged in routine collective running. Attitudes were measured using the revised exercise attitude scale (EAS), assessing affective experience, behavioral intention, and behavioral cognition, with assessments conducted before and after the program. ANCOVA results, adjusted for baseline scores, indicated that the FMPA group showed greater improvements in behavioral intention (p = 0.032, d = 0.51) and total attitude (p = 0.008, d = 0.58). The findings suggest that functional music-integrated physical activity had a significant positive effect on attitudes toward sports in rural adolescent populations.