Effects of the Policy of Physical Education Entrance Examination for Senior High School on Health in Middle School Students

Background: The policy of the Physical Education (PE) Entrance Examination for Senior High School (PEESHS) is an operable and measurable educational policy proposed by the Chinese government to solve the youth’s physical health problems and promote health in middle school students. In recent years, the reform of PEESHS policy has brought youth sports to a new climax, and determining how to achieve the maximum benefit of health promotion with the PEESHS policy is the current focus of the Chinese government, society, schools, and families. The primary purpose was to investigate the health promotion benefits of PE on junior high school students under PEESHS policy and clarify the differences and correlation of overall health, physical fitness, sports participation, social adaptation, and learning facilitation. The secondary aim was to assess the practical value of PEESHS policy implementation on health promotion. Methods: The questionnaire of this study was compiled in four steps, and 31 provincial capitals across China were selected as sampling areas, using the convenience sampling method and snowball sampling method, respectively. The number of questionnaires collected was 11,373 (5703 online; 5670 offline), of which 8574 were valid, with an efficiency rate of 75.4%. Ultimately, 8574 students (4199 girls; 4375 boys) were recruited from junior high schools in 31 provinces and municipalities. Data analyses were performed using ANOVA, t-test, and Pearson bivariate correlation. Results: The results showed that the PEESHS significantly improved participants’ physical fitness, interpersonal relationships, exercise participation, learning efficiency, and psychological health after preparing for PEESHS. Exercise participation and physical fitness showed the most significant positive correlation. Excessive sports intensity was detrimental to health promotion. Conclusion: The PEESHS policy has significantly impacted the health of students participating in PEESHS