Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and depressive symptoms among college students in northeastern China: The mediating role of mobile phone use addiction.

Objective: Previous studies have explored the link between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and depressive symptoms, but the mediating role of Mobile Phone Use Addiction (MPUA) remains unclear. This study aims to examine how MPUA mediates the relationship between SSB consumption and depressive symptoms among college students in Northeast China. Methods: A prospective study was conducted with first-year university freshmen across three northeastern Chinese provinces. MPUA was assessed using the Adolescent Problematic Mobile Phone Use Self-Rating Questionnaire, and depressive symptoms were measured with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Generalized linear regression models were used to analyze the relationships, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test MPUA's mediating effect. Results: MPUA and depressive symptoms were present in 27.3 % and 36.2 % of participants, respectively. After adjusting for confounders, significant associations were found between SSB consumption (e.g., fruit drinks, tea beverages) and depressive symptoms in both genders. SEM revealed that MPUA accounted for 47.0 % of the total indirect effect in the relationship between SSB consumption and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: This study highlights the mediating role of MPUA in the SSB-depression relationship among college students in Northeast China. These findings suggest the need for interventions targeting both mobile phone addiction and dietary habits to improve mental health. Future research should explore the mechanisms and generalizability of these results.