Impact of sports participation on gender inequality ideology among Chinese women-an empirical study based on the CGSS 2023 data.

Objectives: Influenced by traditional Chinese cultural values, Chinese women persistently face deeply rooted ideologies of gender inequality. Socioeconomic and demographic factors, along with social capital and engagement in sports activities, play a significant role in shaping this ideological framework. This study seeks to investigate the association between sports participation and women's gender inequality ideology. Methods: Data were collected from the 2023 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS). To explore the effect of sports participation on women's gender inequality ideology, a multiple ordinary least squares (OLS) regression model was utilized. In addition, propensity score matching (PSM) was implemented to perform robustness checks, and an instrumental variables two-stage least squares (IV-2SLS) regression approach was also used to correct for possible bias in the analysis. Results: (1) The ideology underpinning gender inequality against women was more prominently manifested in the central and western regions. (2) Among individuals aged 15-44 years, those residing in non-agricultural households in eastern urban areas, with higher educational attainment, occupying social hierarchy levels 2-10, and exhibiting elevated socioeconomic status demonstrated a greater propensity to participate in women's sports activities. (3) Compared to women who did not engage in sports activities, those who participated in sports exhibited a reduction of 4.069 in their endorsement of gender inequality ideology. This finding further substantiates the positive impact of sports participation on diminishing gender inequality beliefs among women. (4) After conducting endogenous and robustness analyses, the findings indicated a substantial level of robustness, and regular engagement in sports was shown to significantly reduce the average level of gender inequality ideology by 13.25, a magnitude notably greater than the estimates obtained from the OLS model. Conclusion: This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the changes in women's perspectives on gender inequality, highlighting the pivotal role of sports participation in advancing gender equality among women in China. Future research efforts could enhance the understanding of the causal relationships between these variables by employing longitudinal tracking methodologies. It is advisable that forthcoming public policy initiatives prioritize the ongoing optimization of educational resources and the equitable allocation of fitness resources between urban and rural regions.