Search

Objective: To explore the effect of problematic mobile phone use on college students’ physical activity and their relationships. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3980 college students from three universities in Jiangsu province by random cluster sampling. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short (IPAQ-SF) measured college students’ physical activity. The Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale for College Students (MPATS) measured problematic mobile phone use tendencies. College students’ physical activity was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short (IPAQ-SF), and the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale measured their mobile phone addiction tendency for College Students (MPATS). Results: (1) The proportions of the low-, medium-, and high-intensity physical activity were 83.5%, 10.7%, and 5.8%, respectively, with gender differences; The score of problematic mobile phone use tendency was 38.725 ± 15.139. (2) There were significant differences in problematic mobile phone use tendency among college students with different physical activity intensity (F = 11.839, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.007). (3) The level of physical activity was significantly correlated with the tendency of problematic mobile phone use (r = −0.173, p < 0.001). (4) Physical activity of college students could significantly predict the tendency of problematic mobile phone use (F (3,3605) = 11.296, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The physical activity of college students was mainly moderate to low intensity, while the tendency of problematic mobile phone use was high. College students’ physical activity level was one of the important constraints of problematic mobile phone use tendency.

Background: In the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of college students’ physical exercise, the detection rate of negative emotions, and their correlation should attract extensive attention. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the correlation between college students’ physical exercise and negative emotions. Methods: Data were collected via a web-based cross-sectional survey. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 3118 college students from five universities in Shanghai in March 2022. In addition to sociodemographic information, measures included Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). The chi-squared test and logistic regression were used to analyze the differences and test the relative risk of negative emotions caused by different amounts of physical exercise. Results: Most students (66.1%) performed a small amount of physical exercise. Male students’ physical-exercise level was higher than female students’, and the detection rate of negative emotions was lower than that of female students. Moderate and low physical-exercise levels were associated with a higher risk of depression (beta of 0.289 and 0.345, respectively) and anxiety (beta of 0.301 and 0.418) symptoms than high physical-exercise level. Conclusions: The anxiety symptoms of college students were significant during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The physical-exercise behavior of college students was closely related to negative emotions, and the weakening of physical-exercise behavior was one of the factors that induced negative emotions in college students.