The Moderating Effect of Spatial Contexts: Unpacking the Coupling Mechanism between Public Sports Facilities and Subjective Well-Being

Purpose: To explore the well-being effects of public sports facilities (PSFs) in complex spaces, this study aims to reveal the cross-level moderating and coupling mechanisms of spatial contexts on PSF service quality and residents’ subjective well-being (SWB). Methods: Taking Shengzhou, a typical Chinese county-level city, as a case study, we nested objective GIS spatial data with 1236 resident questionnaires. Coupling coordination model, Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were comprehensively employed for empirical testing. Results: 1) The coordination between PSFs and SWB exhibits a “core-periphery” decline, with a significant objective-subjective “perception deficit” in old urban areas. 2) Physical activity acts as a significant mediator linking PSF quality to SWB. 3) Spatial context features (e.g., community cohesion and population density) exert a significant cross-level direct effect on subjective well-being. Furthermore, a significant cross-level interaction (moderating) effect exists between community PSF quality and individual health status, wherein high-quality provision demonstrates a prominent compensatory function for health-vulnerable groups. 4) Improvements in underserved rural facilities are associated with the highest marginal gains in SWB. Conclusion: The translation of PSFs into well-being is highly dependent on spatial contexts. The allocation of grassroots public sports resources should shift from “absolute equalization” to spatially sensitive and precision interventions based on spatial heterogeneity.