The relationship between mindfulness, competitive anxiety, and self-efficacy in Taekwondo athletes with/without injury: The moderated mediation model

Objectives: Combat sports athletes are exposed to higher rates of injury, often resulting in increased anxiety and decreased pre-event self-efficacy. Mindfulness may serve as a protective buffer against these psychological effects. This study aimed to examine the relationship between athletic mindfulness and pre-event self-efficacy through competitive anxiety, as well as the moderating role of injury status among Taekwondo athletes. Methods: Collegiate Taekwondo athletes (N = 105) completed measures of athletic mindfulness, competitive anxiety, pre-event self-efficacy, and injury status prior to a national competition. A moderated mediation model was tested using PROCESS Models 4 and 59. Results: Athletic mindfulness significantly predicted pre-event self-efficacy through cognitive anxiety. Although injury status did not moderate the overall mediation pathway, it moderated the relationship between athletic mindfulness and cognitive anxiety. Conclusions: These findings suggest a pathway through which mindfulness enhances pre-event self-efficacy by reducing cognitive anxiety among combat sports athletes. Regardless of its moderation of the mediation effect, injury status revealed that mindfulness exerted a stronger influence on reducing cognitive anxiety among injured athletes.