ReviewFrontiers in public health2026
Mind over matter: psychological insights for effective weight reduction through exercise in university students.
Review in Frontiers in public health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
This comprehensive review article examines the multifaceted psychological dimensions that underpin effective weight reduction through exercise among university students, a demographic uniquely vulnerable to weight gain and sedentary lifestyles during a critical transitional life period. Adopting a structured narrative (integrative) review approach and drawing on peer-reviewed literature identified through structured searches of PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC (2000-2025), with emphasis on studies recently published, the present review explores how psychological constructs including self-determination, self-efficacy, goal-setting, mindfulness, and habit formation interact with exercise behavior to facilitate or impede weight management in higher education settings. The article integrates well-established theoretical frameworks such as Self-Determination Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and the Theory of Planned Behavior, situating them within the specific psychosocial context of university life, including academic stress, peer dynamics, campus environments, and digital technology use. Case studies from various university settings are woven throughout each section to illustrate practical applications of these psychological insights. The review further examines how gender differences, mental health comorbidities, and technology-mediated interventions modulate the effectiveness of exercise-based weight reduction strategies. Findings consistently indicate that psychological readiness, intrinsic motivation, autonomy support, and personalized behavioral strategies are more predictive of sustained weight reduction than exercise prescription alone. The article concludes with evidence-based recommendations for university stakeholders, counselors, and health professionals seeking to design psychologically informed exercise programs that promote lasting weight management and holistic well-being among student populations.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.