The Physical Exercise Rating Scale, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Ruminative Thinking Scale (RRS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) are used to conduct the questionnaire among a sample of 1,006 college students (average age = 19.95 years, SD = 1.86 years) to figure out whether there is any correlation between physical exercise and sleep quality in college students as well as how the mechanism of mindfulness and ruminative thinking plays a role in them. For data analysis, the Harman single-factor test was used; for the common method deviation test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and the mediating effect tested by using the bootstrap method were carried out. Results: (1) Overall, 34% (PSQI ≥ 8) of college students’ sleep quality is poor. (2) The PSQI is positively correlated with ruminative thinking, while both are negatively correlated with the level of physical exercise and mindfulness; the level of physical exercise is positively correlated with the level of mindfulness. (3) Physical exercise can significantly negatively predict sleep quality (β = −0.08, P < 0.05), significantly positively predict mindfulness (β = 0.12, P < 0.001), and significantly negatively predict ruminative thinking (β = −0.07, P < 0.05). When participate in physical exercise, mindfulness, and ruminative thinking enter the regression equation at the same time, only mindfulness and ruminative thinking can predict sleep quality(β = −0.15, P < 0.001) significantly negatively predicted sleep quality and ruminative thinking (β = 0.22, P < 0.001) significantly positively predicted sleep quality, while physical exercise (β = −0.04, P > 0.05) had no significant predictive effect on sleep quality. (4) After controlling for age and gender, physical exercise appears to have an impact on sleep quality of college students through the independent intermediary role of mindfulness and ruminative thinking and the chain intermediary role of mindfulness and ruminative thinking, with a total mediating effect value of −0.007. This study reveals the relationship between physical exercise and sleep quality, as well as its mechanism, thus guiding college students to actively participate in physical exercise. It also provides corresponding suggestions to improve sleep quality as well as physical and mental health in college students.
BackgroundSleep quality has become a frequent and prominent public health problem in Chinese universities, which seriously hinders the healthy development of college students and the improvement of the quality of higher education.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality among Chinese college students, and the mechanism of psychological resilience and social adaptation, and provide suggestions for improving the sleep quality among Chinese college students.MethodsFrom August to September 2022, a cross-sectional survey was conducted by using the convenience sampling method in Guangdong Province. 1,622 college students were investigated with Physical Activity Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI), Psychological Resilience Scale, and Social Adaptation Diagnostic Scale, of which 893 were male and 729 were female. Use SPSS 23.0 and PROCESS plug-ins to analyze data.Results(1) There was a significant negative correlation between physical activity and sleep quality (r = −0.237), and the direct path of physical activity to sleep quality was significant (β = −0.236, t = −9.888, p < 0.01); (2) physical activity can positively predict psychological resilience (β = 0.215, t = 8.823, p < 0.01) and social adaptation (β = 0.164, t = 7.773, p < 0.01); psychological resilience can negatively predict sleep quality (β = −0.337, t = −15.711, p < 0.01), positive prediction of social adaptation (β = 0.504, t = 23.961, p < 0.01); social adaptation can negatively predict sleep quality (β = −0.405, t = −18.558, p < 0.01); (3) psychological resilience and social adaptation play a significant mediating role between physical activity and sleep quality. The mediation effect consists of three paths: physical activity → psychological resilience → sleep quality (mediation effect value is −0.0723), physical activity → social adaptation → sleep quality (mediation effect value is −0.0662), and physical activity → psychological resilience → social adaptation → sleep quality (mediation effect value is −0.0438). (4) There is no gender difference in chain mediated effect.Conclusion(1) Physical activity can significantly positively predict college students’ psychological resilience and social adaptation, and negatively predict sleep quality, which means that physical activity may help improve college students’ psychological resilience and social adaptation, and reduce sleep quality problems; (2) physical activity can not only directly affect the quality of sleep, but also indirectly affect the quality of sleep through the independent intermediary role of psychological resilience and social adaptation and the chain intermediary role of both. This further explains the reason why physical activity plays a role in college students’ sleep quality, which will help to provide some inspiration for colleges and universities to reduce college students’ sleep quality problems and formulate intervention plans.
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