ArticleScientific reports2024
Cross sectional associations of physical activity and sleep with mental health among Chinese university students.
Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
28 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among university students in the post-COVID-19 period: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Prevalence of sleep disturbance among chinese college students: an updated meta-analysis.BMC psychiatry · 2026Pooled it
- The influence of outdoor physical activity on the physical and mental health of college students: a systematic review.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Lifestyle Behaviors and their association with self-rated health among university students in Spain: A cross-sectional study.Preventive medicine reports · 2026Article
- Mood States, Physical Activity, and Sleep Quality in University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Educational Settings.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Article
- Article
- Prevalence, symptom phenotype, and multidomain associated factors of fatigue among Chinese college students: a nationwide cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Exercise motivation patterns in emerging adults: dual roles of weight and shape concern in activation and inhibition pathways.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- The impact of physical activity on executive function in college students: the chain mediating role of anxiety and sleep quality.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Unveiling the relationship between dietary patterns and sleep quality: cross-sectional evidence from university students in Jinan city.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Health behaviors, physical activity, and subjective well-being: rural-urban inequities among double first-class university graduate students in China.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Article
- Dose-response relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in adolescents.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Early rising as an intervention to alleviate anxiety and enhance self-efficacy among college students.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- The impact of emotional management ability on sleep quality of university students: chain mediation of physical exercise and electronic health literacy.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Relationships Between Sleep Quality, Anxiety and Depression in University Students: Stable Trends over Time and a Pronounced Concern for Sleep Initiation.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- College students' depression and body image: Unraveling the Link.World journal of psychiatry · 2025Article
- To explore the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality of college students based on the mediating effect of stress and subjective well-being.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Mental and Physical Health of Chinese College Students After Shanghai Lockdown: An Exploratory Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
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15 authors.
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Abstract
objectiveThis study aimed to examine the levels of physical activity (PA), sleep, and mental health (MH), specifically depression, anxiety, and stress, among Chinese university students. It also aimed to analyze the influencing factors of MH, providing a theoretical foundation for developing intervention programs to improve college students' mental health.
methodsA stratified, clustered, and phased sampling method was employed. In September 2022, a survey was conducted among 36,756 university students from 104 higher education institutions across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in China. The participants' PA behaviors, sleep patterns, depressive symptoms (use the CES-D), anxiety symptoms (use the GAD-7), smoking and drinking behaviors, and demographic information were assessed through an online questionnaire using Questionnaire Star software.
resultsA total of 30,475 valid questionnaires were completed. The proportion of university students engaging in light-intensity PA was 77.6%. The prevalence of insufficient sleep was 39.5%, whereas the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 16.7%. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 10%, and the prevalence of anxiety symptoms was 23.3%. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that engaging in moderate to high-intensity PA and having sufficient and high-quality sleep were associated with a lower likelihood of depressive symptoms (OR = 0.207-0.800, P < 0.01), whereas appropriate sleep duration and higher sleep quality were associated with a lower likelihood of anxiety symptoms (OR = 0.134-0.827, P < 0.001).
conclusionThe intensity of PA among university students is predominantly light, and the reported rate of insufficient sleep is relatively high. Moderate to high-intensity PA and sufficient high-quality sleep may alleviate MH issues among college students, with an interaction effect observed among PA, sleep, and depression symptoms. Future studies should further explore targeted interventions combining PA and sleep behaviors to enhance the MH of university students.
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