Using Structural Equation Modeling to Examine Pathways between Physical Activity and Sleep Quality among Chinese...

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Public Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Problematic social media use, particularly on platforms like TikTok, is linked to adverse health outcomes, including sleep disturbances.
• Physical activity (PA) is recognized for its potential health benefits, yet its role in mitigating negative impacts of social media use on sleep remains underexplored.
• Understanding the mediating factors between PA and sleep health in the context of social media use is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the pathways through which physical activity (PA) influences sleep quality among TikTok users.
• To examine the mediating roles of stress, mental health issues (depression, anxiety), and bedtime delay for TikTok use in the relationship between PA and sleep quality.
• To propose and test a framework elucidating how PA can benefit sleep health in the context of problematic TikTok engagement.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 660 Chinese TikTok users was conducted using online questionnaires.
• Data collected included physical activity volume, perceived stress (PSS-10), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), bedtime delay for TikTok, and sleep quality (PSQI).
• Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the proposed pathways from PA to sleep quality.

Main Results:

• Physical activity (PA) significantly improved sleep quality through indirect pathways (β = -0.056, p = 0.001).
• Stress emerged as a critical mediator, with pathways involving stress and mental health issues significantly contributing to the total effect (β = -0.048, p = 0.002).
• PA influenced bedtime delay for TikTok use via stress and mental health issues (β = -0.043, p = 0.001), though these pathways were relatively weaker.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a framework demonstrating how physical activity (PA) benefits sleep quality in TikTok users, primarily by reducing bedtime delays.
• Stress and mental health issues are significant mediators in the relationship between PA and improved sleep outcomes for social media users.
• Further research is recommended to explore additional indirect pathways and confirm causal relationships to enhance understanding of PA's role in digital well-being.