The Relationship between Physical Exercise and Sleep Quality Among Chinese College Students: Mobile Phone Addiction as a Mediator

Abstract

This study investigated the direct and indirect effects of physical exercise on sleep quality of Chinese college students and the intermediary role of mobile phone addiction. A convenience sampling method was used to select 1522 university students, who completed the Physical Exercise Questionnaire, Mobile Phone Addiction Index Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale. Pearson correlation analysis and bootstrap methods were used to examine the intermediary role of mobile phone addiction between physical exercises and sleep quality. There was a significant negative correlation between physical exercise and sleep quality(r = -0.39, p ＜0.01), whereas sleep quality was positively correlated with mobile phone addiction(r = 0.53, p ＜0.01). Physical exercise was a negative predictor of sleep quality (b = −0.28, p < 0.01), and mobile phone addiction was a mediator between physical exercise and sleep quality; the mediating effect explained 53.6% of the total effect. Thus, mobile phone addiction plays an intermediary role between physical exercise and sleep quality among Chinese college students.