The relationship between physical activity, sleep, and negative emotions in physically weak college students
Yunchen Meng1, Yang Wang1, Qiushi Liu2
1Department of Physical Education and Research, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China.
Frontiers in Public Health
|August 7, 2025
Summary
Physically weak college students experience more negative emotions, but increased physical activity reduces this risk. Better sleep quality partially mediates this positive effect, improving mental health.
Area of Science:
- Mental Health
- Exercise Science
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- Physically weak college students report higher rates of negative emotions.
- Limited physical activity is linked to increased mental health risks in this demographic.
- Understanding the interplay of physical activity, sleep, and negative emotions is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between physical activity, sleep quality, and negative emotions.
- To examine the mediating role of sleep quality in this association.
- To inform mental health interventions for physically weak students.
Main Methods:
- 1,248 first- and second-year university students in Beijing participated.
- Assessed physical activity using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF).
- Evaluated sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and negative emotions via the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21).
- Employed chi-square tests, logistic regression, and mediation analysis.
Main Results:
- Physically weak students showed significantly higher incidence of negative emotions.
- Increased physical activity intensity correlated with lower negative emotions (OR=0.514).
- Higher physical activity intensity was linked to better sleep quality (a=-0.185, p<0.01).
- Sleep quality partially mediated the physical activity-negative emotions link, accounting for 14.6% of the effect.
Conclusions:
- Increased physical activity is associated with reduced negative emotions in physically weak college students.
- Sleep quality plays a significant mediating role in this relationship.
- Findings support targeted interventions emphasizing physical activity and sleep for student mental well-being.
Related Concept Videos
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
33.6K
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...
33.6K
02:20Correlations
33.8K
Correlation means that there is a relationship between two or more variables (such as ice cream consumption and crime), but this relationship does not necessarily imply cause and effect. When two variables are correlated, it simply means that as one variable changes, so does the other. We can measure correlation by calculating a statistic known as a correlation coefficient. A correlation coefficient is a number from -1 to +1 that indicates the strength and direction of the relationship between...
33.8K
01:13Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
214
Insufficient sleep refers to not getting the recommended amount of sleep for optimal functioning, even if it's just slightly less than needed. Sleep insufficiency may occur due to lifestyle choices, such as staying up late for social events or work, resulting in routinely getting less sleep than required. For example, consistently sleeping 6 hours when the body needs 7-9 hours can lead to cumulative effects on health and well-being.
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
214
01:24Primary Motives: Sleep, Sex, and Pain Avoidance
1.5K
Primary motives such as sleep, sex, and pain avoidance are crucial drivers of behavior in humans and animals. These motives ensure survival, reproductive success, and overall well-being by prompting actions that meet essential bodily needs.
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
Sleep is a fundamental physiological drive that fosters a state of restfulness crucial for several bodily functions. It facilitates body restoration, the process by which the body repairs, rejuvenates, and maintains itself during sleep, including memory...
1.5K
01:24Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
217
Substance use disorders involve a pattern of using drugs more extensively than intended and continuing use despite harmful consequences. This includes legal substances like alcohol and nicotine, as well as illegal drugs. These disorders often involve both physical and psychological dependence, reflecting compulsive use of substances that significantly alter thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, contributing to a major public health issue.
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
217
01:11Understanding Sleep
505
Sleep, an essential biological state, involves significant reductions in physical activity, sensory awareness, and interaction with the environment. This complex physiological process is primarily regulated by specific brain regions, notably the hypothalamus and pons, which govern the sleep-wake cycle or circadian rhythm.
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
505