The effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerability
Abstract Background Life events are important risk factors for negative psychology such as depression and anxiety. However, individuals who experienced the same life events might not necessarily develop mental health problems. Some inherent psychological qualities among individuals may determine the...
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BMC
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02539-w |
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| author | Zhifeng Wang Fengyun Wang Baolei Ma Haihong Xue Botao Liu Dongmei Wang |
| author_facet | Zhifeng Wang Fengyun Wang Baolei Ma Haihong Xue Botao Liu Dongmei Wang |
| author_sort | Zhifeng Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Life events are important risk factors for negative psychology such as depression and anxiety. However, individuals who experienced the same life events might not necessarily develop mental health problems. Some inherent psychological qualities among individuals may determine their mental health status under life events. Physical activity is beneficial to physical and mental health. What is the combined effect of physical activity and life events on individual depression and anxiety, and whether it can alleviate the psychological risk induced by life events, at present, there is no relevant research report. Objective To systematically analyze the combined effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students and the related mediating mechanism. Methods Guided by a series of hypotheses, the study conducted a cross-sectional survey on the physical activity level, life event experience, psychological vulnerability, depression and anxiety of 3552 Chinese college students. On the basis of hierarchical comparison, correlation analysis, logistics regression analysis and structural equation model method were further used to explore the effect of physical activity and life events on mental health and the relationship between variables, and to test the research hypotheses in sequence. Results Physical activity was negatively but life events were positively correlated with anxiety and depression; Psychological vulnerability played a partial mediating role between physical activity and life events and mental health, accounting for 22.17% and 23.42% of the total effect, respectively; Physical activity and life events had an interaction effect on mental health, and psychological vulnerability played a completely mediating role, accounting for 91.86% of the total effect; Physical activity could significantly reverse the negative effect of life events on mental health. Conclusions Life events are important risk factors for poor mental health such as depression and anxiety. However, physical activity can effectively reverse the adverse effects of life events on mental health, and it is related to the mediating role of psychological vulnerability. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2f33e7f75b0441da83cedccb07d56602 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-2f33e7f75b0441da83cedccb07d566022025-08-20T02:56:09ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-03-0113111410.1186/s40359-025-02539-wThe effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerabilityZhifeng Wang0Fengyun Wang1Baolei Ma2Haihong Xue3Botao Liu4Dongmei Wang5Department of Physical Education, Xi’an Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Physical Education, Xi’an Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Physical Education, Xi’an Polytechnic UniversityDepartment of Physical Education, Xi’an Polytechnic UniversitySchool of Mathematical Sciences, Xinjiang Normal UniversityCollege of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Life events are important risk factors for negative psychology such as depression and anxiety. However, individuals who experienced the same life events might not necessarily develop mental health problems. Some inherent psychological qualities among individuals may determine their mental health status under life events. Physical activity is beneficial to physical and mental health. What is the combined effect of physical activity and life events on individual depression and anxiety, and whether it can alleviate the psychological risk induced by life events, at present, there is no relevant research report. Objective To systematically analyze the combined effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students and the related mediating mechanism. Methods Guided by a series of hypotheses, the study conducted a cross-sectional survey on the physical activity level, life event experience, psychological vulnerability, depression and anxiety of 3552 Chinese college students. On the basis of hierarchical comparison, correlation analysis, logistics regression analysis and structural equation model method were further used to explore the effect of physical activity and life events on mental health and the relationship between variables, and to test the research hypotheses in sequence. Results Physical activity was negatively but life events were positively correlated with anxiety and depression; Psychological vulnerability played a partial mediating role between physical activity and life events and mental health, accounting for 22.17% and 23.42% of the total effect, respectively; Physical activity and life events had an interaction effect on mental health, and psychological vulnerability played a completely mediating role, accounting for 91.86% of the total effect; Physical activity could significantly reverse the negative effect of life events on mental health. Conclusions Life events are important risk factors for poor mental health such as depression and anxiety. However, physical activity can effectively reverse the adverse effects of life events on mental health, and it is related to the mediating role of psychological vulnerability.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02539-wPhysical activityLife eventsAnxietyDepressionPsychological vulnerabilityMediating role |
| spellingShingle | Zhifeng Wang Fengyun Wang Baolei Ma Haihong Xue Botao Liu Dongmei Wang The effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerability BMC Psychology Physical activity Life events Anxiety Depression Psychological vulnerability Mediating role |
| title | The effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerability |
| title_full | The effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerability |
| title_fullStr | The effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerability |
| title_full_unstemmed | The effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerability |
| title_short | The effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students: the mediating role of psychological vulnerability |
| title_sort | effect of physical activity and life events on mental health of college students the mediating role of psychological vulnerability |
| topic | Physical activity Life events Anxiety Depression Psychological vulnerability Mediating role |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02539-w |
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