Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41030341›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in psychology2025

Physical activity and sleep quality among Chinese college students: the serial mediating roles of anxiety and depression.

Zhiwei Zhang, Zhaozhi Liu, Yongxia Lin, Mingkun Guo, Xiongzhuang Xu, Li Peng

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Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

6 authors.

Zhiwei ZhangCollege of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Zhaozhi LiuCollege of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Yongxia LinCollege of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Mingkun GuoCollege of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Xiongzhuang XuCollege of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
Li PengCollege of Physical Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: Physical activity is a modifiable lifestyle factor that plays a significant role in promoting mental health and sleep quality. However, empirical studies exploring the mechanisms by which varying intensities of physical activity influence sleep quality-particularly the mediating roles of anxiety and depression-remain limited. This study aims to investigate the relationships between moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity and sleep quality among Chinese university students, with a focus on the serial mediating effects of anxiety and depression. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from October to November 2024, employing convenience sampling to recruit 5,803 undergraduate students from a university in Chongqing, China. Participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data were analyzed using a bootstrap-based serial mediation model. Results: (1) Compared to the low-intensity physical activity group, students engaging in moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity exhibited significantly lower levels of anxiety ( Conclusion: Among Chinese university students, different intensities of physical activity are significantly associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep quality. Moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity levels are significantly correlated with lower anxiety and depression scores and better sleep quality. Serial mediation analysis further reveals that anxiety and depression have significant indirect effects in the relationship between physical activity intensity and sleep quality, indicating that the association between physical activity and sleep quality is partially influenced by the serial effects of anxiety and depression. Notably, vigorous-intensity physical activity demonstrates a stronger association with these psychological indicators and sleep quality.

Indexed as

anxietycollege studentsdepressionphysical activitysleep

Identifiers

PMID41030341
PMCPMC12477209

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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.