Physical exercise is not only an important way to improve physical fitness, but also plays a role in expanding interpersonal communication, enhancing mutual trust, and promoting mutual exchange and integration of residents. In 2016, the China State Council successively promulgated the "plan to promote the acquiring of urban hukou of 100 Million non-registered urban dwellers in cities" (No.72) and the "national population development plan (2016-2030)" (No.87), clearly stressed the promotion of urban population integration, and further promoted transferred agricultural populations and other permanent urban residents to acquire urban hukou in cities and towns, and optimize the quality of urbanization. As the most important part of the non-registered urban population, the floating population reached 241 million people in 2018. However, only 36.1% of the Chinese floating population wish to acquire urban hukou1. Therefore, exploring how to increase the acquisition of urban hukou in the floating population in cities has important policy significance for reaching the target of registering100 million non-registered people in cities. Physical exercise has been shown to play a positive role in promoting interpersonal communication, social trust, and social capital among university students, and the elderly2,3. However, research on physical exercise’s role in social communication, integration and acquisition of urban hukou in floating populations is scarce. So, this study asks: Does physical exercise play a role in promoting social communication, integration, and acquisition of urban hukou in China's floating population? The discussion on this issue is enlightening for the makers of China's population and urbanization development policies, and it also makes important academic contributions to research in the areas of exercise and labor mobility, and even has value as a reference for the construction of harmonious communities.
Physical exercise plays a role in promoting physical and mental health4,5. In addition, physical exercise also has a positive impact on improving life satisfaction and subjective well-being6–8. Moljord et al. 9 found that the higher the frequency of physical exercise, the higher the individual's happiness level. Blomstrand et al. 10 follow-up survey of middle-aged women in the Netherlands also showed that there is a strong positive relationship between physical exercise during leisure time and subjective well-being. Edwards 11 found that regular physical exercise can not only significantly improve happiness, but also fortify individuals’ stress resistance and mental health. Moreover, participating in physical exercise has a significant positive impact on improving self-discipline and self-confidence.
People who have participated extensively in outdoor physical exercise and those who have been involved in physical exercise for a longer period of time often have wider social networks, higher achievement levels, and a higher sense of belonging 12. Federico et al. 13 research on Italian adults also found that groups who participated more frequently in physical exercise were also groups with higher education levels. Di Bartolomeo &Papa 14 found that, in the short-term, participants who have been exposed to physical exercise show more trust and are more prominently friendly. In addition, rather than individual-centered physical exercise, participation in collective physical exercise, such as team sports, is more likely to create wider social networks through mutual communication 15. Similarly, Perks 16 and Brown et al. 17 found that trust is strengthened among members participating in physical exercise in the same community.
Specifically, physical exercise has a positive impact on the degree of community integration 18. This positive effect will be strengthened by an increase in the level of community interaction 19,20. Some studies have found that the positive relationship between physical exercise and social integration is most significant among women 21. At the same time, the degree of community integration plays a mediating role between participation in physical exercise and community safety perception 22. Therefore, increasing the construction of sports facilities and promoting the integration of the community will effectively promote the stability and harmony of the community.
Social integration is an important factor affecting the decisions of floating populations concerning acquiring urban hukou 23. Xiao & Xu 24 research on migrant workers' urban hukou acquisition behavior in Beijing, Shanghai, and other cities in China, found that social integration has a positive relationship with the acquisition of urban hukou. That means that the higher the degree of social integration, the higher the willingness to acquire urban hukou among migrant workers in cities25. A sense of belonging and the degree of community integration of the floating populations are the key factors in their acquisition of urban hukou decision-making 26,27. When the floating populations have a higher level of acceptance of locals, a stronger sense of social identity, and a higher degree of social integration 28,29, their willingness to acquire urban hukou in the long term is higher 30. Furthermore, Sun, Li & Qi31 found that the higher the social integration of migrant workers in small cities, the more they prefer to acquire urban hukou in cities.
Besides social integration, the characteristics of demography, family, and city also have an impact on the floating population's urban hukou decision-making 32. For example, Gu et al. 33 found that the higher the education level, the higher the income level, and the more children in the family, the less likely is acquisition of urban hukou. Secondly, the migration distance also has a negative effect on the acquisition of urban hukou in the floating population. Zhu &Chen 34 research on the settlement decisions of migrants showed that women and highly educated migrants engaged in non-productive work are more willing to settle and acquire urban hukou in work cities in China. Therefore, there is a significant gender difference in the floating population in terms of acquiring urban hukou; women's willingness to acquire urban hukou is significantly higher than men's 35. Additionally, migration time and house prices are also important factors influencing urban hukou decision making. For example, Hu et al. 36 used data from a comprehensive survey of Chinese society to find that the longer the migration time, the higher the willingness of floating populations to acquire urban hukou in the work city. A study by Whalley &Zhang 37 of 31 provinces in China showed that the higher the price of housing in a city, the more likely rural-urban migrants are to acquire urban hukou in the city.
Overall, physical exercise is conducive to the improvement of individual wellbeing and has strong social benefits, which are conducive to the development of individual careers, enhancing social capital, promoting harmonious communities, and harmonious social development. Then, does physical exercise have an impact on individual urban hukou acquisition decision-making? In other words, will the physical exercise of an individual in a city affect his or her choice of acquiring urban hukou in that city? The social effect of physical exercise has been shown to effectively improve community communication, community trust, community belonging, and the social integration of exercisers. So, does this social effect also exist in different groups, in particular in the floating population. Next, if physical exercise can promote the social integration of the floating population, and directly affects their acquisition of urban hukou, will physical exercise further influence the acquisition behavior through the intermediary factor of social integration? To address these questions, this paper uses the latest China Labor Force Dynamics Survey data to explore the impact of physical exercise and social integration on the decision-making of the floating population in acquiring urban hukou.