Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41024172›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2025

Psychological and behavioral characteristics of overweight and obese Chinese college students with high stress.

Jingyu Sun, Rongji Zhao, Jiajia Chen, Ke Yao, Tao Chen, Tianfeng Lu, Antonio Cicchella

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Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jingyu SunSports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
Rongji ZhaoSports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
Jiajia ChenSports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
Ke YaoSports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
Tao ChenSports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
Tianfeng LuSports and Health Research Center, Department of Physical Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China.
Antonio CicchellaInternational College of Football, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China. antonio.cicchella@unibo.it.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe synergistic effects of psychological stress and behavioral factors on health outcomes in obese college students remain poorly understood, particularly within China's unique campus environments. This study aimed to investigate the interrelationships between psychological distress, physical activity, eating behaviors, and sleep patterns among overweight/obese Chinese college students under high stress, with the ultimate goal of identifying key intervention targets to improve both mental and physical health outcomes in this vulnerable population.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study of 79 overweight/obese Chinese college students (age 19.62 ± 1.75 years; 27 females and 52 males) stratified by stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) questionnaire. Comprehensive assessments included psychological measures (PSS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HAMA], Self-Rating Depression Scale [SDS]), behavioral evaluations (International Physical Activity Questionnaire [IPAQ], Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R21 [TFEQR21]), and health status indicators (36-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF36], Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]). Independent Samples T-tests were used to examine differences in psychological and behavioral aspects between high-stress and low-to-moderate-stress Chinese university students with overweight/obesity. Correlation analyses were conducted to explore associations among these variables and identify key predictors of physical and mental health outcomes.

resultsOverweight/obese Chinese college students with high stress showed significantly poorer sleep quality (p = 0.04) and worse general health (p = 0.02) compared with their lower-stress peers. Paradoxically, they reported better mental health scores (p = 0.02) and higher levels of moderate-intensity physical activity (p = 0.02). Strong intercorrelations were observed among depression, anxiety symptoms, and maladaptive eating behaviors, suggesting shared psychopathological pathways in this population.

conclusionThese findings underscore the need for integrated interventions addressing sleep, physical activity, and mental health in high-stress obese students, with particular attention to China's unique campus environment constraints. Future research should explore culturally adapted mind-body interventions like tai chi to break the stress-obesity cycle.

Indexed as

Feeding BehaviorObesityOverweightStress, PsychologicalStudentsAdolescentAdultChinaCross-Sectional StudiesExerciseFemaleHumansMaleSleepSleep QualitySurveys and QuestionnairesCollege studentsObesityPhysical activityPsychological stressSleep quality

Identifiers

PMID41024172
PMCPMC12482486

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.