<![CDATA[This study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of physical activity and snack consumption patterns on physical fitness, with exercise motivation as a mediating variable among elementary school students. A quantitative design with path analysis was applied to a sample of 65 fifth-grade students selected through random sampling. Data were collected using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), a Likert-scale motivation questionnaire, a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and the Indonesian Physical Fitness Test (TKSI). The results showed that all independent variables significantly influenced physical fitness (p < 0.001), with exercise motivation emerging as the strongest predictor (β = 0.581; 33.75%). Physical activity (β = 0.281) and snack consumption (β = 0.311) also had significant direct effects. Moreover, both variables demonstrated indirect effects through motivation, confirmed by Sobel test results (p < 0.001). The model explained 95.2% of the variance in physical fitness. In conclusion, exercise motivation plays a critical mediating role, highlighting the importance of integrating behavioral and psychological approaches to improve students’ physical fitness]]>
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