1. Research aims and objectives
The study investigates how self-regulation indicators (awareness of standards, self-regulatory effort, and self-monitoring) and perceived physical environment (at home, in the local neighbourhood, and availability of health promotion programs) operate together in explaining moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). It is also examined whether these associations are moderated by an 'objective' physical environmental indicator, comparing towns/rural areas with fewer MVPA facilities with a large city with more MVPA facilities.


2. Theoretical background
In line with socio-ecological models, perceptions of the environment influence self-regulatory processes, which in turn may predict MVPA. A reciprocal relationship is also possible: lower self-regulation may bias individuals towards perceiving the environment as less MVPA-promoting and, via this path, predict lower MVPA.


3. Method
593 adolescents, adults, and older adults (aged 11-86 years; M = 33.79, SD = 16.78; 65.1% women) provided their data twice, spanning 8 months between T1 and T2. Two-group mediation models were tested with path analyses.


4. Results
The associations representing mediating effects, encompassing perceived neighbourhood environment → awareness of standards → MVPA, were significant and positive in the city (with more PA facilities), but no mediation effects were found among the subsample from towns/rural areas (with fewer PA facilities).


5. Conclusions
Different perceived environmental characteristics and self-regulatory action control facets may directly and indirectly predict MVPA, depending on whether individuals live in towns/rural areas versus in a larger city.