ArticleFrontiers in public health2025
Dual-pathway protection: physical activity buffers the relationship between perceived stress and problematic smartphone use via social anxiety by a moderated mediation model in Chinese college students.
Article in Frontiers in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Physical activity, emotional eating, screen-based sedentary behavior, and physical and mental health in chinese university students: a cross-sectional study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Perceived social support and social/non-social problematic smartphone use among Chinese university students: a cross-sectional study of indirect associations via social anxiety.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
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Abstract
Objective: This study investigates the dual-pathway mechanism through which physical activity mitigates problematic smartphone use (PSU) among Chinese college students, examining the mediating role of social anxiety and the moderating effects of physical activity within a stress-PSU framework. Methods: General stress theory was introduced to explore the intrinsic mechanisms by which perceived stress influences PSU. A total of 2,905 undergraduate students from universities in Shandong Province were selected using a convenient sampling method. Validated scales were used to measure perceived stress (PSS-14), social anxiety (IAS), physical activity (PARS-3) and PSU tendency (MPATS). Data analysis included correlation tests, regression analysis and moderated mediation modeling (PROCESS Macro Model 4/15). Results: (1) There was a significant positive correlation between perceived stress, social anxiety and problematic smartphone use (All Conclusion: Physical activity disrupts the stress-PSU cycle through two synergistic mechanisms: directly reducing stress-driven addiction and decoupling social anxiety from excessive smartphone use. Universities should implement structured physical activity programs as a dual-path intervention against PSU.
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