Sleep quality as a mediator of the relationship between screen time and negative emotions among Chinese college freshmen.

College freshmen are special populations facing great challenges in adapting to the brand new environment, and their lifestyle and emotional states are worthy of attention. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, their screen time and prevalence of negative emotions were significantly increased, but few studies have focused on such situation of college freshmen and illustrated relevant mechanisms. Thus, based on a sample of Chinese college freshmen during the COVID-19 pandemic, the current study aimed to investigate the association between their screen time and negative emotions (depression, anxiety and stress), and further explore the mediating effects of sleep quality. Data from 2,014 college freshmen was analyzed. The screen time was self-reported by participants using predesigned questionnaires. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Chinese Version of Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used to assess sleep quality and emotional states, respectively. The mediation analysis was conducted to examine the meditation effect. Results indicated that participants with negative emotions tended to have longer daily screen time and worse sleep quality, sleep quality partially mediated the association between screen time and negative emotions.The critical role of sleep quality and related intervention measures should be recognized and implemented.

Orthodontic retreatment need and related self-perceived factors among contemporary college freshmen in China.

Given that an increasing number of patients who received orthodontic treatment during their childhood or adolescence are seeking retreatment in contemporary China, it is of great necessity to comprehensively understand their motivations. A valid and reliable self-designed questionnaire, based on the Index of complexity, outcome and need (ICON), was distributed online to college freshmen who received orthodontic treatment during their childhood or adolescence. After collecting their basic information and orthodontic retreatment needs data from the survey, the participants' general self-perception of front facial appearance, lateral facial appearance and tooth alignment, as well as their self-perceived dental alignment, occlusal status, oral function and psychological status, were assessed. Correlation analysis, Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test and logistic regression were performed. Reliability was evaluated for 20 paired questionnaires, and all questions were found to be reliable (intraclass correlation coefficient, >0.70). Among the 1609 participants with a history of orthodontic treatment, 45.56% were males and 54.44% were females. Their mean age was 18.48 ± 0.91 years. Our results showed that self-perceived front facial appearance, lateral facial profile, tooth alignment, occlusal status, oral function and psychological status were significantly correlated with orthodontic retreatment needs. Both appearance and psychological status affected their self-perceived dental alignment and occlusal status. In conclusion, patients who received orthodontic treatment during their childhood or adolescence in contemporary China seek orthodontic retreatment because they desire better aesthetics of their front facial appearance and tooth alignment, especially the anterior region of the tooth, the lower part of the face and a decent pronunciation. Additionally, psychological concerns should be viewed as an urge, while intraoral factors should be viewed as the foundation during future clinical practice regarding orthodontic retreatment in this age group.

Associations among shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness in college freshmen: A longitudinal cross-lagged analysis.

This short-term longitudinal study examined the reciprocal associations among shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness in a sample of 361 Chinese college freshmen (138 male students, mean age = 18.57 years). A fully cross-lagged panel design was used in which shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness were assessed at three time points separated by 8 months. The results indicated that the associations among shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness were dynamic and bidirectional. The self-report scores and the pattern of cross-lagged associations among shyness, interpersonal relationships, and loneliness were the same for male and female students at all three times. Implications for loneliness interventions and future research directions are provided.

Association between lifestyle factors and suboptimal health status among Chinese college freshmen: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal health status (SHS) is the third state between good health and disease. SHS is the clinical or pre-disease status of psychosomatic disease and a major global public health challenge. Although its underlying causes remain unclear, lifestyle is one of the most important factors affecting health status. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at Renmin University of China in September of 2015. Data were collected from college freshmen using a questionnaire covering characteristics, lifestyle, nutrition status, and health status. A total of 6025 questionnaires were distributed during the study period, and 5344 completed responses were received. RESULTS: The prevalence rates for the "healthy," "SHS," and "disease" groups of college freshmen were 46.7% (2433), 51.2% (2667), and 2.1% (111), respectively. It is notable that health status was significantly positively correlated with lifestyle (Spearman's r = 0.4435, p < 0.001). The multivariate Logistic regression results showed that students who were relatively younger and students from rural areas had a higher percentage of SHS. Good sleep quality (aOR = 0.650, 95%CI = 0.612-0.690), abundant physical exercise (aOR = 0.889, 95%CI = 0.845-0.933), and adequate nutrition intake (aOR = 0.868, 95%CI = 0.864-0.908) are negatively associated with SHS. Overuse of electronic devices (aOR = 1.066, 95%CI = 1.013-1.121), smoking (aOR = 1.824, 95%CI = 1.195-2.755), and weight loss (aOR = 1.255, 95%CI = 1.043-1.509) are positively associated with SHS. CONCLUSIONS: Poor lifestyle behaviors are associated with SHS. In particular, the overuse of electronic devices is one of underlying causes of SHS. By altering lifestyle behaviors for the better, the health statuses of these college freshmen can be effectively improved.

Freshmen at a University in Appalachia Experience a Higher Rate of Campus than Family Food Insecurity.

Food insecurity means having limited or uncertain access, in socially acceptable ways, to an adequate and safe food supply. Ample evidence has identified college students as vulnerable to this problem, but little research has focused on freshmen. This cross-sectional study examined family and campus food insecurity among freshmen at a university in Appalachia. An online questionnaire contained sociodemographic items and scales that measured food security status, academic progress, coping strategies for accessing food, and social support. T-tests and Chi square analyses compared food insecure and food secure students. Statistical significance was p < .05. Participants were 456 freshmen, 118 males (26%) and 331 females (73%). Family and campus food insecurity were experienced by 32 (7.1%) and 98 (21.5%) of the freshmen, respectively, and 42.5% of those who experienced campus food insecurity believed their food access had worsened since starting college. Family and campus coping strategies, respectively, included stretching food (72.9 vs. 18.4%) and purchasing cheap, processed food (68.8 vs. 16.3%). Food secure students scored significantly higher on self-rated measures of academic progress (p < .01), and greater proportions of food secure students (60.7 vs. 43.9%, p < .01) perceived their eating habits since starting college as "healthy/very healthy," and perceived their health status as "good/excellent" (86.0 vs. 71.4%, p < .01). Students requested assistance with job opportunities (19.4%), affordable meal plans (18.4%), money management (13.3%), and eating healthy (11.2%). Findings suggest that college student food insecurity begins during the freshmen year, and that there is a need for campus and community-based interventions to increase food access among these freshmen and their families.

Longitudinal social networks impacts on weight and weight-related behaviors assessed using mobile-based ecological momentary assessments: Study Protocols for the SPARC study.

BACKGROUND: The transition from the home to college is a phase in which emerging adults shift toward more unhealthy eating and physical activity patterns, higher body mass indices, thus increasing risk of overweight/obesity. Currently, little is understood about how changing friendship networks shape weight gain behaviors. This paper describes the recruitment, data collection, and data analytic protocols for the SPARC (Social impact of Physical Activity and nutRition in College) study, a longitudinal examination of the mechanisms by which friends and friendship networks influence nutrition and physical activity behaviors and weight gain in the transition to college life. METHODS: The SPARC study aims to follow 1450 university freshmen from a large university over an academic year, collecting data on multiple aspects of friends and friendship networks. Integrating multiple types of data related to student lives, ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) are administered via a cell phone application, devilSPARC. EMAs collected in four 1-week periods (a total of 4 EMA waves) are integrated with linked data from web-based surveys and anthropometric measurements conducted at four times points (for a total of eight data collection periods including EMAs, separated by ~1 month). University databases will provide student card data, allowing integration of both time-dated data on food purchasing, use of physical activity venues, and geographical information system (GIS) locations of these activities relative to other students in their social networks. DISCUSSION: Findings are intended to guide the development of more effective interventions to enhance behaviors among college students that protect against weight gain during college.

The Interplay of Sleep Quality, Mental Health, and Sociodemographic and Clinical Factors among Italian College Freshmen.

Background/Objectives: Sleep and mental health are closely linked, with sleep deprivation increasing the risk of mental health problems in college students. This study aimed to analyze the role of sleep in the mental health status of a sample of Italian freshmen, considering various mental health outcomes and potential interactions between sleep and other relevant factors, such as sociodemographic characteristics, academic experiences, and mental health history. Methods: All freshmen from a medium-sized Italian university were invited to participate in a multidimensional online survey (n = 3756). Sleep quality was assessed through questions on average hours of sleep per night and on satisfaction of perceived sleep quality. Mental health outcomes included psychophysical well-being, psychological distress, substance use, and problematic internet use. Statistical analysis involved multivariate analysis of variance, followed by pairwise comparisons. Results: The sample (n = 721) exhibited low levels of well-being and a high prevalence of psychological distress (52.1%). Approximately one-third of students (n = 258) were dissatisfied with their sleep quality, and one-fourth (n = 186) reported inadequate sleep (less than 7 h per night). More specifically, 24.4% of students slept on average six hours per night, and 1.4% slept five hours or less. Satisfaction with perceived sleep quality significantly influenced well-being, psychological distress, and cannabis use (ηp2 = 0.02). Interaction effects were observed between satisfaction with sleep quality and drop-out intentions (ηp2 = 0.01), as well as between satisfaction with sleep quality and history of mental health diagnosis (ηp2 = 0.02), both of which were significant for psychological distress and cannabis use. Conclusions: This study highlights the influence of perceived sleep quality on academic distress among college freshmen, particularly those with higher intentions of leaving university and with a history of mental health diagnosis.

The impact of negative urgency on implicit mobile phone addiction tendency among college freshmen in the context of social exclusion.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of negative urgency on implicit mobile phone addiction tendency among college freshmen, and to observe whether social exclusion situations affect the relationship between negative urgency and implicit mobile phone addiction tendency. Methods: The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale was used to screen 575 freshmen from a certain university. The experiment utilized a GO/NO-GO paradigm. Experiment 1 employed a 2 (negative urgency group: high negative urgency group, low negative urgency group) × 2 (word type: phone related words, phone non-related words) two-factor mixed experimental design. Experiment 2 employed a 2 (negative urgency group: high negative urgency group, low negative urgency group) × 2 (social exclusion type: priming group, non-priming group) × 2 (word type: phone related words, phone non-related words) three-factor mixed experimental design. Results: Experiment 1 results showed a significant main effect of negative urgency group and a significant interaction effect between negative urgency group and word type. Experiment 2 results demonstrated a significant main effect of negative urgency group and a significant main effect of social exclusion type. There was a significant interaction effect between word type and social exclusion type, as well as between word type and negative urgency group. The three-way interaction effect among negative urgency group, word type, and social exclusion type was significant. Conclusion: College freshmen with high negative urgency exhibit a higher tendency toward implicit mobile phone addiction. In social exclusion situations, college freshmen show a higher tendency toward implicit smartphone addiction. Social exclusion situations and negative urgency jointly influence the implicit mobile phone addiction tendency of college freshmen.

Good adaptability of freshmen in medical universities under the Coronavirus 2019 pandemic: a questionnaire-based single center study in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the adaptability of freshmen in medical universities to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to understand the relevant factors affecting their adaptation in medical university. METHODS: Freshmen in a medical university in Guangdong Province were selected and surveyed using a self-administered general questionnaire and a college student adjustment scale prepared by Fang Xiaoyi et al. The results were analyzed statistically. RESULTS: A total of 741 questionnaires were collected and 736 valid questionnaires were recovered. The adaptation level of freshmen in the medical university was moderately high. There were no differences in gender, age, family geographical location, or higher education level, but there were significant differences in major, type of household, only children (yes/no), and voluntary enrollment in medicine (yes/no). The survey showed that 30.3% of the students had discomfort at the beginning of the semester, 92.5% chose medical university voluntarily, and 83.4% expressed their enhanced motivation to study medicine after the COVID-19 outbreak, but 65.1% exhibited influence in study and life caused by COVID-19, which were statistically significant factors affecting the adaptation score. CONCLUSIONS: Freshmen in the medical university are generally well-adjusted with many influencing factors. Medical schools should strengthen adaptability management in order to timely identify the adaptation challenges of the students.

Comparison Between High School Youth and College Freshmen Toward Their Psychological Disorders Under the Influence of Sleep Hygiene During COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Adolescents experience the critical period for physical and psychological growth. Few studies focus on the influence of sleep hygiene on the psychological health of adolescence aging from high school to freshmen year. Also, the influence from the COVID-19 pandemic has a public health significance. METHODS: A total of 698 students from high schools and colleges were included in the manuscript, and a cross-sectional procedure was conducted, objective to make an epidemiological comparison of the social phobia/depression prevalence, and discuss the effects of potential determinants. RESULTS: Psychological problems including social phobia and depression were prevalent especially among the high school students, with the female gender showing higher possibilities. Current results also indicated that the association between sleep status and the occurrence of social phobia is most obvious among high school students, while relatively higher MMR risks was found both for high school students showing symptoms of social phobia and college freshmen with depressive symptoms. Moreover, the interaction between social phobia and depression was obvious for both populations. CONCLUSIONS: Psychological problems including social phobia symptoms and depression are more prevalent among the high school females when compared with their male and freshemen peers. Sgnificant influencial factors for the risk of psychological problems among 2 populations are different, but media multitasking status should be paid attention to for both.

Erratum: The relationship between social support and Internet addiction among Chinese college freshmen: A mediated moderation model.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1031566.].

Relationship Between Freshmen's Psychological Health and Family Economic Status in Chinese Universities: A Latent Profile Analysis.

Purpose: With the rapid social changes, psychological health problems among freshmen in universities have become increasingly serious. Many researchers have studied the psychological health status of college freshmen using quantitative methods. However, most researchers have studied the psychological health of college freshmen by treating variables as the central concept and analysis unit, which has limitations on the variable-centered research method. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of family economic status and demographic variables on the psychological health of college freshmen, as well as the potential types of psychological health among college freshmen. Methods: Based on the SCL-90 and the self-evaluation of the family economic status of college freshmen, latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to analyze the psychological health of 1497 college freshmen selected through a whole-group sampling method. Freshmen completed the questionnaire from October 18 to October 20, 2022. Then, multinomial logistic regression analysis and variance analysis were conducted using SPSS 25.0 to analyze the impact of family economic status and demographic variables on different psychological health subtypes of college freshmen from a university in Eastern China. Results: There is obvious heterogeneity in the psychological health of college freshmen, which can be divided into three groups: psychological health group (69.54%), psychological distress group (24.65%), and psychological risk group (5.81%). The latent categories of psychological health among college freshmen differ by gender and family economic status. The psychological health status of female students is significantly better than that of male students. In addition, the lower the self-evaluation of family economic status of college freshmen, the lower their psychological health level. Conclusion: Three categories of mental health exist for college freshmen, with significant group heterogeneity. Gender and family economic status significantly influenced mental health outcomes with female students faring better. The study's significance lies in providing useful recommendations for educational administrators and developing targeted interventions for college freshmen. Given the practical realities of mental health education efforts, personalized strategies that utilize peer support, counseling, and psychological services can be adopted to assist freshmen in acclimating to university life and maintaining mental wellness. The findings suggest considering the role of family economic status and gender in promoting mental health and the need for further research to develop comprehensive and effective interventions.

Multiple Roles of Grit in the Relationship Between Interpersonal Stress and Psychological Security of College Freshmen.

Grit, as an important positive psychological quality, has rarely been studied for its role involved in the mechanism between stress and psychological security. This article explores the moderating and mediating role of grit in the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security of freshmen through two studies. In study 1, freshmen from several Chinese universities (N = 1,224) were recruited to complete a battery of questionnaire, including assessments about interpersonal stress, grit, and psychological security. The moderating effect analysis showed that grit moderated the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security. Specifically, grit buffered the negative effects of interpersonal stress on freshmen's psychological security, but this effect was obvious only when the level of interpersonal stress was relatively low, and decreased when the level of interpersonal stress was high. In study 2, college freshmen from another university apart from above ones (N = 604) were recruited, and we verified the results of study 1 and further explored the mediating role of grit in the relationship between interpersonal stress and security. The moderating effect analysis of study 2 also verified that of study 1. The mediating effect analysis showed that interpersonal stress not only negatively predicted psychological security, but also affected psychological security through the mediation of grit. In general, grit played a mediating and moderating role in the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security. This study provides first-hand evidence to explain the multiple roles of grit in the relationship between interpersonal stress and psychological security.

The relationship between psychological resilience, neuroticism, attentional bias, and depressive symptoms in college Chinese students.

In recent years, the incidence of depressive symptoms among Chinese college students has been increasing. Studies have shown that depressive symptoms are related to a variety of psychosocial factors, among which neuroticism, resilience, and attention bias are most notably related, but the correlation among the three is not clear. This study aimed to investigate the influence mechanisms of different degrees of resilience, attentional bias, and neuroticism in the formation of depressive symptoms. The college freshmen of this study were selected through stratified multi-stage cluster sampling. Students provided informed consent and then completed a general situation questionnaire and four scales: the Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Attention to Positive and Negative Information Scale, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and the Zung Self-Rating Depressive Symptoms Scale. In total, 1,493 freshmen participated in the research group. Our results showed that low resilience, negative attention bias, and high neuroticism jointly increased the risk of depressive symptoms. There is a significant correlation between these three factors and depressive symptoms. Additionally, strength, tenacity, and attention bias all had more significant effects on the occurrence of depressive symptoms. These findings indicate that there may be an important psychological mechanism for the occurrence, development, and poor prognosis of depressive symptoms.

The differences in learning motivation of college freshmen in Northwest China.

The study aimed to investigate the learning motivation of freshmen from a university in Northwest China, which can supply a reference for improving their learning quality and objectives. Data were collected from 800 freshmen of different majors with a learning motivation questionnaire. Differences in learning motivation between different majors, genders, regions, and students are studied. The results show that gender, seeking knowledge orientation, and material pursuit have significant effects on students' learning motivation. The gender had a significant impact on personal achievement and the only child or not had an obvious effect on material pursuit, while other factors had no obvious difference in gender, regional, and only child or not, while other factors on the gender, regional, and whether the one-child had no obvious difference. According to the results of the research, measures to improve learning motivation are proposed. Our research results provide a reference for improving learning attitude and the quality of universities.

Association between parental control and depressive symptoms among college freshmen in China: The chain mediating role of chronotype and sleep quality.

BACKGROUND: College freshmen tend to have more psychological and behavioral problems compared with other populations, especially depressive symptoms. Perceived parental control has been proved to play a significant role in mental health among children and adolescents. Based on the theoretical and empirical research of chronotype and sleep quality, this study constructed a chain mediating model to examine whether they mediated the relationship between parental control and depressive symptoms among Chinese college freshmen. METHODS: A total of 2014 college freshmen from Dali University were recruited to participate in this study and completed self-report Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). PROCESS 3.5 for SPSS was applied to determine the chain mediating effect of chronotype and sleep quality between parental control and depressive symptoms. RESULTS: College freshmen with depressive symptoms have higher levels of parental control and worse subjective sleep quality than normal population (all p < 0.001). All study variables are correlated with each other, while chronotype has no significant association with depressive symptoms (r = -0.03, p > 0.05). Both maternal and paternal control have a direct link with depressive symptoms (ß = 0.86, p < 0.001; ß = 0.88, p < 0.001). Parental control could affect depressive symptoms via the independent mediating effect of sleep quality and the chain mediating effect of chronotype and sleep quality. The total indirect effects of maternal and paternal control on depressive symptoms are 0.93 and 0.94, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Chronotype and sleep quality could mediate the association between parental control and depressive symptoms.

The Association between Body Mass Index and Muscular Fitness in Chinese College Freshmen.

(1) Background: The present study aimed to investigate the association between body mass index (BMI) and muscular fitness in Chinese college freshmen. (2) Methods: A total of 6425 college freshmen in mainland China were recruited. BMI was classified as underweight (<18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5~23.9 kg/m2), overweight (24~27.9 kg/m2), and obese (≥28 kg/m2), according to the Working Group on Obesity in China. Health-related physical fitness components including cardiorespiratory fitness, lower body explosive power, upper body muscular endurance, abdominal muscular endurance, flexibility, and vital capacity were assessed. Physical fitness index and muscular fitness index were calculated, respectively, as the sum score of the standardized values (z-score) of the corresponding components. Three regression models were used to evaluate the potential associations: a linear regression model, a polynomial regression model, and a restricted cubic spline regression model. Adjust R square was used to compare among models. (3) Results: Significant differences were observed among different BMI categories in nearly all physical fitness components as well as physical fitness z-score and muscular fitness z-score (p < 0.001), regardless of gender. Significant linear associations were found between BMI and physical fitness z-score as well as muscular fitness z-score among total, male, and female groups (p < 0.05). However, the restricted cubic spline regression model showed a better fitting effect (adjust R2 was 7.9%, 11.2%, and 4.8% in total, male, and female for physical fitness and 7.7%, 15.7%, and 4.0%, for muscular fitness, respectively), compared with the linear and polynomial regression models, presented by a higher adjusted R2. Restricted cubic splines analysis showed that BMI value and physical fitness z-score showed a non-linear relationship with an approximate inverted U curve in all groups, while an approximate reversed J-shaped association was observed between BMI and muscular fitness z-score in all groups. (4) Conclusions: The present study showed a nonlinear negative relationship between BMI and physical fitness with underweight and overweight/obese college freshmen having poorer physical fitness and muscular fitness than their normal BMI peers, which may provide useful evidence to the development of public health recommendations and encourage the health management of young adults. Future studies should further explore the relationship between BMI and muscular fitness with multi-centered large sample size studies.

Association between multiple sleep dimensions and functional bowel disorders among Chinese college freshmen.

BACKGROUND: Although sleep disorder is thought as a risk factor for functional bowel disorders, its impact role in adolescents remains unknown and the contribution of different sleep dimensions may deserve further attention. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between multiple sleep dimensions and functional bowel disorders among Chinese college freshmen. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in college freshmen from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China in September 2019 with random cluster sampling method. All participants completed questionnaires about living habits, sleep and digestive symptoms. Diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation were based on the Rome IV criteria. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were applied to assess the association of sleep dimensions with irritable bowel syndrome or functional constipation. RESULTS: Based on the 3335 individuals who completed the questionnaire, the overall prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome and functional constipation in college freshmen were 2.5% and 1.7%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that compared with individuals reporting good sleep quality, those reporting poor (OR = 7.269, 95%CI: 2.876-18.370) were associated with increased risk of irritable bowel syndrome. Similarly, those reporting fair (OR = 2.068, 95%CI: 1.010-4.236) and poor (OR = 5.664, 95%CI: 1.864-17.205) were associated with increased risk of functional constipation. There was no statistically significant association between other sleep dimensions (sleep duration, sleep timing, or sleep latency) and irritable bowel syndrome or functional constipation. CONCLUSION: Self-reported poor sleep quality was a stronger independent predictor of functional bowel disorders than other sleep dimensions among Chinese college freshmen. Future intervention studies should consider the role of sleep quality for the prevention of FBDs in adolescents.

Characteristics of the school adaptation of college freshmen during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Few studies have actually explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in college students, although many studies have suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic poses a great threat to people's mental health in many cohorts. Furthermore, college students may be a particularly vulnerable cohort that needs more attention and access to psychological services due to the psychological changes involved in the transition to college and the characteristics of college students' study habits and lifestyle. Therefore, investigating the basic characteristics of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college freshmen is of great practical importance and has theoretical implications for the identification and provisioning of services to vulnerable cohorts. A total of 5,818 college freshmen completed the College Student Adaptability Inventory. The results suggest that the mean detection rate of the seven dimensions of undergraduate maladjustment to university is 27.13%. Specifically, livelihood self-management adaptability has the highest detection rate (48.93%), while environmental general evaluation has the lowest detection rate (9.81%). Moreover, the school adaptation of college freshmen is impacted by gender, number of siblings, and family socioeconomic status (SES). Specifically, students who are female, an only child, and have a lower SES have lower levels of school adaptation. However, the school adaptation of college freshmen is not influenced by minority status or left-behind status. The findings of the present study suggest that the maladaptation of college freshmen has been a common phenomenon in China during the COVID-19 epidemic. Prevention programs may be most helpful if they pay more attention to effective intervention efforts for students who are female, an only child, and have a lower SES.

The relationship between social support and Internet addiction among Chinese college freshmen: A mediated moderation model.

Purpose: Internet addiction has become a worldwide mental health problem, and this problem is particularly prominent in China. Although current studies have shown that social support is closely related to Internet addiction, the mechanism of the relationship between the two is not clear at present. This study aimed to find out the influencing factors and the mechanism of Internet addiction among college freshmen, and to form scientific prevention and intervention plan on this basis. Method: This study adopts the cluster sampling method to select 322 college freshmen in a typical postsecondary school in Shandong Province, using Chinese Internet Addiction Scale (CIAS), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), and Network-related Maladaptive Cognition Scale (NRMCS) to investigate the relationship between social support, network-related maladaptive cognition, gender, and the degree of Internet addiction. Results: The findings of this study are as follows: (1) After controlling age and family location, social support had a significant negative predictive effect on Internet addiction; (2) Gender acted as a moderator between the relationship of social support and Internet addiction; and (3) Additionally, the moderating effect of gender was completely mediated by network-related maladaptive cognition. Conclusion: There is a mediated moderating effect between social support and Internet addiction. That is, gender plays a moderating role between social support and Internet addiction, and this moderating effect is mediated by network maladaptive cognition.