Table 2 Main effects and mediation effects (n = 2077).

Region (dummy variable is Nanjing)

 Northern Jiangsu

0.354***

0.124*

0.115*

0.084*

0.298***

0.076

0.061

 Central Jiangsu

0.274***

0.137**

0.132**

0.116**

0.172**

0.040

0.032

 Southern Jiangsu

0.179**

0.156**

0.148**

0.154***

0.025

0.003

− 0.012

 Type of high school

− 0.064

− 0.009

− 0.001

− 0.029

− 0.014

0.040

0.053

 Registered permanent residence

− 0.094*

− 0.094*

− 0.093*

− 0.070*

− 0.046

− 0.046

− 0.044

 Gender

0.233***

0.165***

0.154***

0.255***

− 0.108*

− 0.174***

− 0.194***

 Grade level

− 0.071

− 0.006

− 0.002

− 0.023

− 0.029

0.034

0.042

 Only child status

0.033

0.016

0.017

0.016

0.017

< 0.001

0.002

Family type(dummy variable for intact families)

 Reorganized families

− 0.417**

− 0.124

− 0.142

− 0.128

− 0.277*

0.006

− 0.027

 Single parent family

− 0.112

− 0.033

− 0.044

− 0.027

− 0.089

− 0.013

− 0.033

 Self-control

0.578***

0.570***

0.287***

0.558***

0.543***

 Self-control square

0.057***

0.004

0.101***

 School adaptation

0.520***

 F

10.999***

149.323***

136.718***

268.988***

5.153***

114.750***

112.272***

 R²

0.036

0.364

0.370

0.566

0.017

0.307

0.328

 Adjusted R²

0.033

0.364

0.370

0.563

0.014

0.305

0.325

 ΔR²

0.036***

0.330***

0.007***

0.192***

0.017***

0.290***

0.021***