Sleep as a Priority: 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Mental Health of Chinese College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Research on the combined role of 24-hour movement behaviors (sleep, sedentary behavior [SB], and physical activity) in adult mental health, though important, is in its infancy. In the context of Canadian 24-hour movement guidelines integrating quantitative recommendations for sleep, SB, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), this study aimed to examine the associations between meeting guidelines and mental health among college students. The study used a cross-sectional sample of 1846 Chinese college students surveyed online in August 2020. Through network analysis and multivariate analysis of covariance, the individual and combined associations between meeting 24-hour movement guidelines and the levels of depression and anxiety after adjusting sociodemographic factors were analyzed. Results indicated that meeting the sleep guideline had stronger associations with depression and anxiety than meeting the SB or MVPA guideline. Specifically, compared to meeting no guidelines, meeting the sleep guideline (alone or in combination with other guidelines) was associated with significantly lower levels of depression and anxiety; meeting both SB and MVPA guidelines was also associated with a significantly lower level of depression. Hence, meeting more guidelines, especially adhering to a healthy sleep routine, may play an important role in promoting the mental health of young adults.

Chinese College Students’ Physical-Exercise Behavior, Negative Emotions, and Their Correlation during the COVID-19 Outbreak

“…Follow-up prospective cohort studies are needed to further explore the dose–response relationship between the two. In addition, there are many factors that induce negative emotions (such as diet, sleep, home environment, smoking, and drinking) [ 42 , 53 ]. Our study design was a cross-sectional study design, so we only considered physical activity.…”

Interventions in Chinese Undergraduate Students’ Mental Health: Systematic Review

“…Social support was provided by government authorities [ 49 , 52 - 54 , 61 , 62 , 68 , 72 , 84 , 86 - 88 ]; university authorities [ 12 , 48 , 50 , 51 , 53 - 55 , 57 - 59 , 62 , 64 , 65 , 67 , 69 , 91 , 93 ]; students’ affairs counselors and teachers [ 54 , 75 , 83 - 85 , 87 , 93 ]; family members [ 52 , 54 , 57 , 83 , 94 ]; health care authorities and professionals [ 52 , 63 , 66 , 75 , 77 - 79 , 87 ]; researchers [ 70 , 85 ]; and media-, internet-, and smartphone-based interventions [ 26 , 53 , 55 , 56 , 60 , 71 , 73 , 75 , 77 , 80 , 81 ]. Positive coping strategies were adopted by undergraduate students themselves [ 52 , 82 , 83 , 85 , 86 , 89 , 92 , …”

“…A recent study mentioned positive coping strategies as intervention measures to help improve college students’ psychological well-being [ 2 ]. Some of the 49 included studies reported positive coping strategies, including regulating emotions effectively [ 52 , 85 ]; meeting the sleep, sedentary behavior, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity guidelines [ 82 ]; developing optimistic attitudes [ 86 ]; adopting problem-focused and adaptive emotion-focused coping [ 89 ]; enhancing positive self-beliefs (eg, hope and self-efficacy) and physical and psychological exercises [ 92 ]; and managing stress through time management and regular exercise [ 93 ]. Moreover, undergraduate students need to provide mutual peer support and accessible care, because perceived peer support and care alleviated depressive symptoms and met young people’s psychological and emotional needs [ 83 ].…”

“…Moreover, undergraduate students need to provide mutual peer support and accessible care, because perceived peer support and care alleviated depressive symptoms and met young people’s psychological and emotional needs [ 83 ]. All of these positive coping strategies were proven to be effective in promoting undergraduate students’ mental health [ 82 ].…”

“…Eight of the 49 included studies reported positive coping strategies [ 52 , 82 , 83 , 85 , 86 , 89 , 92 , 93 ], which effectively improved undergraduates’ mental health conditions. Four of the 49 publications proposed negative coping strategies [ 52 , 59 , 74 , 75 , 89 ], which may cause disastrous consequences.…”