Impact of physical exercise on sleep quality in college students: A Chain mediating role of self-efficacy and emotional control

TL;DR

This study explores how physical exercise improves sleep quality in college students by boosting self-efficacy and emotional control.

Contribution

The novel contribution is identifying self-efficacy and emotional control as independent mediating pathways between physical exercise and sleep quality.

Findings

Physical exercise indirectly improves sleep quality through enhanced self-efficacy.

Emotional control also mediates the relationship between physical exercise and sleep quality.

The indirect effects of physical exercise on sleep quality are significant despite a non-significant direct effect.

Abstract

The study aims to examine the impact of physical exercise on sleep quality among college students and elucidate the mediating roles of self-efficacy and emotional control in this relationship.

Data were obtained from the 2024 China College Students’ Physical Activity and Health Tracking Survey (CPAHLS-CS). A sample of 10,970 college students was included. Physical exercise levels were measured using the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), self-efficacy was measured using the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and emotional control was assessed using the Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale. Regression analysis and Bootstrap mediation analysis were employed to test the hypothesised relationships.

(1) The direct effect of physical exercise on sleep quality was not significant (β = 0.011, P > 0.05). However, the total effect was negative (β = −0.056, P < 0.001), indicating that indirect effects comprised the predominant mechanism. (2) Self-efficacy (effect size = −0.024) and emotional control (effect size = −0.022) each independently mediated the relationship between physical exercise and sleep quality. (3) In the pathway through which physical exercise influences sleep quality, self-efficacy, and emotional control functioned as independent mediating variables. Specifically, physical exercise indirectly improved sleep quality by enhancing self-efficacy while positively impacting sleep quality through a distinct mediating mechanism involving strengthening emotional control.

This study demonstrates the influence of physical exercise, self-efficacy, and emotional control on sleep quality. The findings suggest that physical exercise indirectly optimises sleep quality through a dynamic and synergistic mechanism involving the enhancement of self-efficacy and emotional control. This study provides theoretical support and practical pathways for sleep quality interventions in college students.

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