Association between anxiety symptoms on risky e-biking riding behavior among adolescents: based on gut-brain axis.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between anxiety symptoms and risky e-bike riding behavior (RERB) among adolescents and to explore whether gut microbiota mediates this relationship. Methods: Adolescents using e-bikes were recruited through a combined online and offline recruitment approach. Data collection involved supervised electronic questionnaire completion in face-to-face settings, with biological samples collected independently by participants. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale. RERB were evaluated via a structured questionnaire, yielding separate scores for aggressive behaviors (ABS), violation behaviors (VBS), and negligent behaviors (NES), along with total behavior scores (TBS). Fecal samples were obtained for metagenomic sequencing to characterize gut microbiota composition. Multiple linear regression was employed to elucidate the associations between anxiety symptoms and RERB. Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) was applied to evaluate the potential mediating role of gut microbiota in these associations. Results: A total of 71 adolescents were included in this cross-sectional study. Anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with RERB, including TBS and VBS (both Conclusions: Anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with RERB among adolescents. Specific gut microbiota may mediate these associations, suggesting a potential microbiota-brain-behavior pathway.