Associations between leaderboard usage in physical activity apps and perceived stress among university students: the...

Leaderboards are a common design element in smartphone-based health and physical activity tracking apps and embedded features and are widely used by young people. Although researchers have become increasingly interested in their behavioral implications, evidence remains limited regarding whether and how leaderboard usage relates to psychological outcomes. To address this gap, we conducted a cross-sectional survey involving 1,019 university students. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the associations between leaderboard usage, leaderboard-based ability social comparison, moderate-intensity physical activity, and perceived stress. Leaderboard usage was positively associated with social comparison (β = 0.298) and physical activity (β = 0.322), and social comparison was positively associated with physical activity (β = 0.201). Physical activity was negatively associated with perceived stress (β = -0.325). Leaderboard usage was also indirectly associated with higher physical activity via social comparison (β = 0.060). Although leaderboard usage showed no direct association with perceived stress (β = 0.004), it was indirectly associated with lower perceived stress through physical activity alone (β = -0.105) and through a serial pathway involving social comparison and physical activity (β = -0.019). The total association between leaderboard usage and perceived stress was negative (β = -0.120). Overall, these findings suggest that leaderboard usage may be associated with lower perceived stress among university students primarily through activity-related pathways.