Unraveling Physical Literacy: A Psychological Network Approach to Understanding Youth Physical Activity

Background: Physical activity (PA) is essential for healthy development, yet less than a quarter of U.S. youth meet the recommended PA levels. Physical literacy (PL) has emerged as a holistic framework to support sustained PA through the integration of motivation, confidence, physical competence, and knowledge and understanding; however, the field remains limited by measurement challenges and insufficient attention to the social climate in which PA is experienced. Objective: To address this gap, the present study proposes and empirically tests social climate as a fifth core domain of PL and examines PL as a dynamic, interconnected system using psychological network analysis. Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected from 771 youth (ages 9–14) enrolled in 24 afterschool programs serving underserved communities in the southeastern United States (2018–2024). Validated questionnaires assessed knowledge and understanding, motivation, confidence, and social climate, while physical competence was operationalized as objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA; daily and afterschool) using ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers. Results: Domain-level networks revealed that all five domains were positively interconnected, with a particularly salient Social Climate–Knowledge–Motivation feedback loop. At the scale level, regulatory motivation of PA affect (PAR) showed the highest node strength, followed by social support from friends and autonomous self-regulation (TSRQA). Bridge analyses identified TSRQA, need for relatedness, and perceived PA ability as key connectors linking social, motivational, and cognitive processes. Conclusions: Findings provide empirical support for social climate as a core PL domain and highlight the integrated roles of motivational regulation (PAR), intrinsic enjoyment (PAII), and applied PA knowledge reflected in autonomous self-regulation (TSRQA) as strategic targets for PA interventions aimed at strengthening PL and promoting sustained youth PA engagement.