Chinese college students COVID-19 phobia and negative moods: Moderating effects of physical exercise behavior.

Objective: We investigated the effects of COVID-19 fear on negative moods among college students, and assessed the efficacy of physical exercise behavior as a moderator variable. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. Students from three colleges and universities in Shangqiu City, Henan Province and Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province were enrolled in this study, which was performed during the COVID-19 pandemic using an online questionnaire. A total of 3,133 college students completed the questionnaire. Measurement tools included the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S), Depression-Anxiety-Stress Self-Rating Scale (DASS), and the Physical Activity Behavior Scale (PARS-3). Results: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the rates of depression, anxiety, and stressful negative moods among college students were 35.5, 65.5, and 10.95%, respectively; there was a positive correlation between COVID-19 fear and negative moods among college students (r = 0.479, p < 0.001), which was negatively correlated with physical exercise behavior (r = -0.4, p < 0.001); the regulating effects of physical exercise behavior were significant (ΔR2 = 0.04, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The rate of negative moods among college students is high, and the fear for COVID-19 is one of the key factors that lead to negative moods. Physical exercise can modulate the impact of COVID-19 fear among college students on negative moods. Studies should elucidate on mental health issues among different populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current Status and Correlation of Physical Activity and Tendency to Problematic Mobile Phone Use in College Students.

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.

Physical Fitness, Exercise Behaviors, and Sense of Self-Efficacy Among College Students: A Descriptive Correlational Study.

Background: Self-efficacy is an important component of the mental well-being of college students. This study aimed to evaluate the development and the correlation between physical fitness (PF), exercise behavior, and self-efficacy in college students. To examine whether PF in individual college students can predict self-efficacy, and whether exercise behavior mediates this relationship. Methods: This was an observational study of 1923 randomly selected college students (50.5% girl). Measures included the Physical Activity Rating Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale, and PF testing. Results: Self-efficacy was weakly correlated to both PF (r = 0.240) and exercise behavior (r = 0.248). In regression analysis, PF explained 24.7% of the variance in self-efficacy, increasing to 29.4% when exercise behavior was considered. Therefore, the predictive effect of PF on self-efficacy is partially realized through healthy exercise behavior. Conclusion: Physical fitness can predict self-efficacy among college students, with exercise behavior being an important mediation of this relationship. Strategies to improve positive exercise behaviors and PF could improve students' self-efficacy and overall mental health.

Chinese College Students' Physical-Exercise Behavior, Negative Emotions, and Their Correlation during the COVID-19 Outbreak.

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.