Zhao Binxia, Deng Xueqin, Zhou Zhengjun
Hainan Vocational University of Science and Technology, Haikou, 571126, China.
BMC Psychol. 2025 May 13;13(1):499. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02838-2.
As mental health issues receive increasing global attention, particularly the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms among college students, exploring effective intervention measures becomes crucial. This study aims to investigate the impact of physical activity on depression and anxiety among college students and to delve into the mediating role of self-esteem in these impacts.
A structured questionnaire was used to survey 326 undergraduates from three universities in Hainan Province. The questionnaire assessed their self-reported responses to physical activity, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the data collected in this study.
The results indicate that physical activity significantly negatively affects students' depression (β = -0.262, t = 4.268, p < 0.001) and anxiety (β = -0.170, t = 2.849, p < 0.01). Furthermore, self-esteem partially mediates the relationship between physical activity and both depression (β = -0.081, t = 3.158, p < 0.01) and anxiety (β = -0.063, t = 2.806, p < 0.01).
In conclusion, the findings provide a theoretical basis for developing physical activity programs aimed at enhancing college students' mental health, suggesting that future interventions should focus on increasing participation in physical activities and enhancing self-esteem to alleviate depression and anxiety, thus comprehensively improving students' psychological well-being.
随着心理健康问题在全球范围内受到越来越多的关注，尤其是大学生中抑郁和焦虑症状的普遍存在，探索有效的干预措施变得至关重要。本研究旨在调查体育活动对大学生抑郁和焦虑的影响，并深入探讨自尊在这些影响中的中介作用。
使用结构化问卷对海南省三所大学的326名本科生进行调查。该问卷评估了他们对体育活动、抑郁、焦虑和自尊的自我报告反应。采用偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS-SEM）对本研究收集的数据进行分析。
结果表明，体育活动对学生的抑郁（β = -0.262，t = 4.268，p < 0.001）和焦虑（β = -0.170，t = 2.849，p < 0.01）有显著的负面影响。此外，自尊在体育活动与抑郁（β = -0.081，t = 3.158，p < 0.01）和焦虑（β = -0.063，t = 2.806，p < 0.01）之间的关系中起部分中介作用。
总之，研究结果为制定旨在提高大学生心理健康的体育活动计划提供了理论依据，表明未来的干预措施应侧重于增加体育活动的参与度和提高自尊，以减轻抑郁和焦虑，从而全面改善学生的心理健康状况。
