Physical Activity and Happiness of College Students: Chain Mediating Role of Exercise Attitude and Sleep Quality

Overview

Journal Front Public Health

Date 2025 Feb 6

PMID 39911221

Authors

Kehan Li

Roxana Dev Omar Dev

Wenhao Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: This study explores the role of physical activity, exercise attitude, and sleep quality in college students' happiness, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for improving college students' mental health.

Methods: The study employed a whole group sampling method, utilizing a physical activity level scale, exercise attitude scale, sleep quality scale, and happiness scale. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 1,308 college students from four universities in China.

Results: The analysis yielded three key findings: (1) Physical activity significantly improves college students' happiness, and this improvement can be achieved through direct and indirect effects. (2) Positive exercise attitude plays an important mediating role between physical activity and happiness, and a high level of exercise attitude can enhance happiness. In addition, the effect of physical activity on happiness is most significant through exercise attitude. (3) Although sleep quality did not significantly mediate the relationship between physical activity and happiness alone, it played a positive role in the chain mediation path of "physical activity → exercise attitude → sleep quality → happiness."

Discussion: The discovery of the chain mediation path shows that physical activity not only affects happiness, but also indirectly affects college students' happiness through the combined effects of psychological and physiological factors.

References

Otsuka Y, Kaneita Y, Itani O, Jike M, Osaki Y, Higuchi S . The relationship between subjective happiness and sleep problems in Japanese adolescents. Sleep Med. 2020; 69:120-126. DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2020.01.008. View

Sejbuk M, Mironczuk-Chodakowska I, Witkowska A . Sleep Quality: A Narrative Review on Nutrition, Stimulants, and Physical Activity as Important Factors. Nutrients. 2022; 14(9). PMC: 9103473. DOI: 10.3390/nu14091912. View

Badri M, Alkhaili M, Aldhaheri H, Yang G, Yaaqeib S, Albahar M . "Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been": a path analysis of the associations between happiness and health, sleep, physical activities for older people in Abu Dhabi. BMC Geriatr. 2023; 23(1):554. PMC: 10498523. DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04244-y. View

Buysse D, Reynolds 3rd C, Monk T, BERMAN S, Kupfer D . The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res. 1989; 28(2):193-213. DOI: 10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4. View

Diener E, Oishi S, Tay L . Advances in subjective well-being research. Nat Hum Behav. 2019; 2(4):253-260. DOI: 10.1038/s41562-018-0307-6. View

Herbert C . Enhancing Mental Health, Well-Being and Active Lifestyles of University Students by Means of Physical Activity and Exercise Research Programs. Front Public Health. 2022; 10:849093. PMC: 9082407. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.849093. View

Hooker S, Masters K . Purpose in life is associated with physical activity measured by accelerometer. J Health Psychol. 2014; 21(6):962-71. DOI: 10.1177/1359105314542822. View

Compare A, Zarbo C, Marin E, Meloni A, Rubio-Arias J, Berengui R . PAHA study: psychological active and healthy aging: psychological wellbeing, proactive attitude and happiness effects of whole-body vibration versus Multicomponent Training in aged women: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2014; 15:177. PMC: 4039325. DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-15-177. View

Gulia K, Kumar V . Sleep disorders in the elderly: a growing challenge. Psychogeriatrics. 2018; 18(3):155-165. DOI: 10.1111/psyg.12319. View

10.

Podsakoff P, Mackenzie S, Lee J, Podsakoff N . Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. J Appl Psychol. 2003; 88(5):879-903. DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879. View

11.

Gawronski B, Bodenhausen G . Associative and propositional processes in evaluation: an integrative review of implicit and explicit attitude change. Psychol Bull. 2006; 132(5):692-731. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.132.5.692. View

12.

Eller T, Aluoja A, Vasar V, Veldi M . Symptoms of anxiety and depression in Estonian medical students with sleep problems. Depress Anxiety. 2006; 23(4):250-6. DOI: 10.1002/da.20166. View

13.

Moljord I, Moksnes U, Eriksen L, Espnes G . Stress and happiness among adolescents with varying frequency of physical activity. Percept Mot Skills. 2011; 113(2):631-46. DOI: 10.2466/02.06.10.13.PMS.113.5.631-646. View

14.

Richards J, Jiang X, Kelly P, Chau J, Bauman A, Ding D . Don't worry, be happy: cross-sectional associations between physical activity and happiness in 15 European countries. BMC Public Health. 2015; 15:53. PMC: 4320474. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-1391-4. View

15.

Hosker D, Elkins R, Potter M . Promoting Mental Health and Wellness in Youth Through Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Sleep. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2019; 28(2):171-193. DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2018.11.010. View

16.

Graham D, Sirard J, Neumark-Sztainer D . Adolescents' attitudes toward sports, exercise, and fitness predict physical activity 5 and 10 years later. Prev Med. 2010; 52(2):130-2. PMC: 3062438. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.11.013. View

17.

Memon A, Gupta C, Crowther M, Ferguson S, Tuckwell G, Vincent G . Sleep and physical activity in university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2021; 58:101482. DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101482. View

18.

Rutter M . Psychosocial resilience and protective mechanisms. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 1987; 57(3):316-331. DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-0025.1987.tb03541.x. View

19.

Jiang W, Luo J, Guan H . Gender Difference in the Relationship of Physical Activity and Subjective Happiness Among Chinese University Students. Front Psychol. 2021; 12:800515. PMC: 8688753. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.800515. View

20.

Krueger J, Frank M, Wisor J, Roy S . Sleep function: Toward elucidating an enigma. Sleep Med Rev. 2015; 28:46-54. PMC: 4769986. DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2015.08.005. View