The mediating role of psychological resilience and loneliness between physical activity and mobile phone addiction among adolescents

TL;DR

This study shows that physical activity reduces mobile phone addiction in teens, partly by boosting resilience and reducing loneliness.

Contribution

It identifies psychological resilience and loneliness as mediators in the relationship between physical activity and mobile phone addiction.

Findings

Physical activity is negatively linked to mobile phone addiction and loneliness.

Psychological resilience and loneliness mediate the effect of physical activity on mobile phone addiction.

A chain mediation effect of resilience and loneliness is observed between physical activity and addiction.

Abstract

To explore the relationship between physical activity and mobile phone addiction in adolescents and further explore the mediating chain effect of psychological resilience and loneliness.

1,226 adolescents were investigated by an International physical activity questionnaire, mobile phone addiction scale, Psychological resilience scale, and Loneliness scale.

There were significant gender differences in adolescents psychological resilience and mobile phone addiction (p < 0.01). Physical activity was negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction (r = −0.21, p < 0.01) and loneliness (r = −0.22, p < 0.01), physical activity was positively correlated with psychological resilience (r = 0.42, p < 0.01), psychological resilience was negatively correlated with loneliness (r = −0.26, p < 0.01), respectively was negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction (r = −0.23, p < 0.01), and loneliness was positively correlated with mobile phone addiction (r = 0.32, p < 0.01). Psychological resilience had a significant mediating effect between physical activity and mobile phone addiction, loneliness had a significant mediating effect between physical activity and mobile phone addiction, and psychological resilience and loneliness had a significant chain mediating effect between moderate and high physical activity and mobile phone addiction.

(1) Physical activity positively predicts phone addiction; (2) Physical activity can not only directly affect mobile phone addiction but also affect mobile phone addiction through the mediating effects of psychological resilience and loneliness respectively; (3) Physical activity can also influence mobile phone addiction through the chain mediating effect of psychological resilience and loneliness. These findings can be directly applied by integrating structured physical activity programs into school schedules to enhance adolescents’ psychological resilience against addictive behaviors.

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