Exploring the mediating roles of physical literacy and mindfulness on psychological distress and life satisfaction among college students

Background Psychological distress has been a growing challenge to healthy living worldwide. Special attention has been concentrated on examining the cost of psychological distress on the life satisfaction of college students who are vulnerable groups coping with the challenge. The purpose of this study is to explore the roles of physical literacy (PL) and mindfulness in mediating the impact of psychological distress on life satisfaction among college students in China. Methods A sample of 653 students from six universities across three cities in China participated in an online survey, which included measures of PL, mindfulness, life satisfaction, as well as stress, anxiety, and depression levels. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was implemented to analyze the survey data. Results The findings of the SEM analysis demonstrated an acceptable model fit (X2/df = 3.63, CFI = 0.951, TLI = 0.940, RMSEA = 0.068, 90% CI = [0.060, 0.075], SRMR = 0.051) with a large effect size (R2 = 0.36) for life satisfaction, indicating that 36% of the variation in life satisfaction could be explained by the model. In addition, significant partial-mediation effects of PL and mindfulness were observed in the relationship between psychological distress and life satisfaction. These findings provide empirical support for the notion that interventions targeting PL and mindfulness practices may effectively enhance well-being and alleviate psychological distress among college students. Furthermore, this study suggests that integrating PL and mindfulness components into physical education and activity programs could be beneficial in meeting individuals’ holistic health needs.