Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41211589›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in behavioral neuroscience2025

Inverted-U association between daily steps and WHO-5 in university students: non-linear modeling and robustness checks.

Huakai Zhang, Shiguang Wang, Yongchao Huang, Lei Xiu, Yan Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 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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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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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Huakai ZhangMedical College, Zhengzhou University of Industrial Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Shiguang WangMedical College, Zhengzhou University of Industrial Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Yongchao HuangMedical College, Zhengzhou University of Industrial Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Lei XiuMedical College, Zhengzhou University of Industrial Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
Yan WangMedical College, Zhengzhou University of Industrial Technology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Physical activity is linked to mental health, yet the dose-response shape remains debated. Methods: In a cross-sectional sample of Chinese university students, 820 participants (mean age 21.5 years; 51.8% women) wore wrist accelerometers for 7 days. Subjective well-being (SWB) was measured with the WHO-5 (0-100). Restricted cubic spline models adjusted for age, sex, sleep quality, perceived stress, and socioeconomic status. Sensitivity analyses included quadratic and segmented models, trimming/winsorization, and E-value assessment. Peaks/plateaus were estimated via the delta method and bootstrap-BCa confidence intervals. Results: The steps-SWB association was non-linear (overall p<0.05). SWB rose steeply up to ~8,650 steps/day and then leveled off, with a statistical plateau near ~19,300 steps/day (bootstrap-BCa 95% CI: 7,997-17,896; delta-method 95% CI: 9,394-14,462). No contrast versus 4,000 steps/day exceeded the prespecified minimal clinically important difference (MCID=10 points). Findings were consistent across specifications; right-tail precision was limited due to few very high step counts. Conclusion: Among university students, higher daily steps are associated with better SWB up to ~8,000-12,000 steps/day, beyond which benefits plateau with diminishing returns rather than harm. Results support range-based, progressive step guidance for student mental health. Please replace the current abstract with the structured IMRaD version provided above.

Indexed as

daily step countdose–responsenon-linear associationperceived stresssleep qualitysubjective wellbeinguniversity students

Identifiers

PMID41211589
PMCPMC12592034

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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.