ArticleFrontiers in psychology2025
The association of health anxiety with low back pain and physical inactivity in Chinese university students: a structural equation modeling study.
Article in Frontiers in psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Background: Health anxiety involves excessive worry about illness and heightened vigilance toward bodily sensations. These concerns may relate to reduced physical activity and musculoskeletal symptoms such as low back pain (LBP). However, the interrelationships among health anxiety, physical inactivity, and LBP in Chinese university students remain insufficiently explored. This study examined these associations using structural equation modeling (SEM). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between February and May 2025 among 5,607 third- and fourth-year students from 39 universities in Guangdong Province, China. Standardized instruments measured health anxiety, physical activity, participation in physical education (PE) classes, and LBP. SEM was used to evaluate direct and indirect associations while adjusting for demographic and behavioral covariates. Results: Among participants (64.99% female; 22.32 ± 0.67 years), 44% were classified as physically inactive and 33.93% reported LBP in the past month. Higher health anxiety was associated with a greater likelihood of physical inactivity ( Conclusion: Health anxiety was linked to both physical inactivity and LBP, and physical inactivity partially accounted for this association. The findings underscore the importance of integrated approaches addressing both psychological concerns and activity-related behaviors among university students. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify temporal pathways and evaluate whether interventions targeting health anxiety or sedentary behavior may help reduce LBP in young adults.
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