Associations between physical activity and sleep quality among college students: the chain-mediating roles of rumination and emotion regulation strategies.

OBJECTIVE

Sleep problems are common among college students and represent an important public health concern. Previous studies have shown that physical activity is related to sleep quality. However, the psychological processes involved in this association are not fully understood. This study examined the association between physical activity level and sleep quality in college students and explored the sequential roles of rumination and emotion regulation strategies, including cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression.

METHODS

This study adopted a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from college students using self-report questionnaires measuring physical activity, rumination, emotion regulation strategies, and sleep quality. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were conducted. Bootstrapping was used to test the proposed chain mediation model.

RESULTS

Physical activity level was significantly associated with sleep quality. Rumination significantly mediated this association. In addition, two sequential indirect pathways were significant: physical activity → rumination → cognitive reappraisal → sleep quality (effect = -0.003, 95% CI [-0.006, -0.001]) and physical activity → rumination → expressive suppression → sleep quality (effect = -0.003, 95% CI [-0.006, -0.001]). The total indirect effect was also significant (effect = -0.029, 95% CI [-0.035, -0.023]).

CONCLUSION

This study provides an integrated view of how physical activity, rumination, and emotion regulation strategies are associated with sleep quality among college students. The findings highlight the importance of considering cognitive and emotional factors when examining sleep problems in this population. These results may inform physical activity-based approaches to sleep and mental health promotion in university settings. Due to the cross-sectional design, future studies using longitudinal or intervention methods are needed to further examine these associations.