Background: Self-efficacy is an important component of the mental well-being of college students. This study aimed to evaluate the development and the correlation between physical fitness (PF), exercise behavior, and self-efficacy in college students. To examine whether PF in individual college students can predict self-efficacy, and whether exercise behavior mediates this relationship.Methods: This was an observational study of 1923 randomly selected college students (50.5% girl). Measures included the Physical Activity Rating Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale, and PF testing.Results: Self-efficacy was weakly correlated to both PF (r = 0.240) and exercise behavior (r = 0.248). In regression analysis, PF explained 24.7% of the variance in self-efficacy, increasing to 29.4% when exercise behavior was considered. Therefore, the predictive effect of PF on self-efficacy is partially realized through healthy exercise behavior.Conclusion: Physical fitness can predict self-efficacy among college students, with exercise behavior being an important mediation of this relationship. Strategies to improve positive exercise behaviors and PF could improve students’ self-efficacy and overall mental health.

Background: In recent years, there has been an increase in the incidence of health problems among college students in China, the lack of adequate physical exercise is the major reason. This study aimed to investigate methods to promote exercise behavior and cardiovascular fitness among college students based on the motivation theory.Methods: Cardiovascular fitness levels of 641 college students (20.72 ± 1.41 years old) were measured. Exercise motivation was assessed using the physical exercise motivation scale and physical exercise rating scale. Correlation analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation models were used to assess exercise motivation, exercise behavior, and cardiovascular fitness. Energy relationships were determined to develop a path model that promotes exercise behavior and aerobic fitness among college students.Results: The exercise motivation of college students was directly related to cardiovascular fitness (effect value: 0.577) or indirectly related through the mediating effect of exercise behavior (effect value: 0.215). The influence of health motivation on exercise behavior (β = 0.132,p = 0.001) and cardiovascular fitness (β = 0.251,p < 0.001) was greater than that of other factors of motivation.Conclusions: The physical exercise behavior of college students partially mediates the relationship between exercise motivation and cardiovascular fitness. Therefore, the educational concept of “Health First” should be promoted in college sports. Internal motivation of exercise can be transformed into external motivation to improve students’ exercise behavior and cardiovascular fitness through enhancing their cardiopulmonary capacity.

Background: In the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of college students’ physical exercise, the detection rate of negative emotions, and their correlation should attract extensive attention. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the correlation between college students’ physical exercise and negative emotions. Methods: Data were collected via a web-based cross-sectional survey. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 3118 college students from five universities in Shanghai in March 2022. In addition to sociodemographic information, measures included Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3) and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). The chi-squared test and logistic regression were used to analyze the differences and test the relative risk of negative emotions caused by different amounts of physical exercise. Results: Most students (66.1%) performed a small amount of physical exercise. Male students’ physical-exercise level was higher than female students’, and the detection rate of negative emotions was lower than that of female students. Moderate and low physical-exercise levels were associated with a higher risk of depression (beta of 0.289 and 0.345, respectively) and anxiety (beta of 0.301 and 0.418) symptoms than high physical-exercise level. Conclusions: The anxiety symptoms of college students were significant during the COVID-19 pandemic period. The physical-exercise behavior of college students was closely related to negative emotions, and the weakening of physical-exercise behavior was one of the factors that induced negative emotions in college students.

Objective: To explore the effect of problematic mobile phone use on college students’ physical activity and their relationships. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 3980 college students from three universities in Jiangsu province by random cluster sampling. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short (IPAQ-SF) measured college students’ physical activity. The Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale for College Students (MPATS) measured problematic mobile phone use tendencies. College students’ physical activity was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short (IPAQ-SF), and the Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale measured their mobile phone addiction tendency for College Students (MPATS). Results: (1) The proportions of the low-, medium-, and high-intensity physical activity were 83.5%, 10.7%, and 5.8%, respectively, with gender differences; The score of problematic mobile phone use tendency was 38.725 ± 15.139. (2) There were significant differences in problematic mobile phone use tendency among college students with different physical activity intensity (F = 11.839, p < 0.001, η² = 0.007). (3) The level of physical activity was significantly correlated with the tendency of problematic mobile phone use (r = −0.173, p < 0.001). (4) Physical activity of college students could significantly predict the tendency of problematic mobile phone use (F (3,3605) = 11.296, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The physical activity of college students was mainly moderate to low intensity, while the tendency of problematic mobile phone use was high. College students’ physical activity level was one of the important constraints of problematic mobile phone use tendency.

Objective: Negative moods in college students have caused frequent extreme behaviors. This study analyzed the current status and correlation between physical activity and negative moods in college students. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used in the present research. Data on college students’ physical activity and negative moods were collected using the Sports Questionnaire Star software. The questionnaires were administered to college students in five colleges and universities in Henan and Jiangsu Provinces, China, and a total of 3711 correctly completed questionnaires were returned. Data on sociological and demographic information, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) were collected. The research was conducted in December 2021. Results: The low-intensity physical activity rate among college students was 55.56%, while depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms were detected in 35.14%, 65.29%, and 10.99%of the college students, respectively. Depression (K = 35.58, p < 0.001) and anxiety (K = 15.56, p < 0.001) rates were significantly different among the different physical activity intensity groups. The proportion of students who perform high-intensity physical activities was lower than those who perform low- and moderate-intensity physical activities. Conclusion: Low physical activity and high anxiety are evident among college students, and prolonged moderate-to-low-intensity physical activity (including static behavior) induces depression and anxiety. In the future, further studies can be conducted on improving the physical activity intensity of college students, improving the mental health monitoring and intervention systems of college students, and exploring the dose–effect relationship between physical activity and negative moods.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the influence of physical exercise (PE) on emotional management ability (EMA) among college students and to investigate the mediating roles of exercise adherence (EA) and psychological resilience (PR) in the relationship between PE and EMA. Method: Demographic information was collected using stratified, cluster, and multi-stage sampling methods. Data on PE, EA, PR, and EMA were collected from college students via the Wenjuanxing platform, resulting in a final sample of 11,388 valid questionnaires. Results: Significant positive correlations were found between PE and EMA (r = 0.164, P   < 0.01), PE and EA (r = 0.452, P   < 0.01), and PE and PR (r = 0.201, P < 0.01). Significant positive correlations were also observed between EA and PR (r = 0.329, P   < 0.01), and EA and EMA (r = 0.478, P < 0.01). PR was significantly positively correlated with EMA (r = 0.411, P < 0.01). PE significantly negatively predicted EMA (β = −0.009, P < 0.001). EA mediated the relationship between PE and EMA (95% CI: [0.039, 0.045]). PR also mediated the relationship between PE and EMA (95% CI: [0.001, 0.004]). A serial mediation effect of EA and PR was found in the relationship between PE and EMA (95% CI: [0.008, 0.010]). Conclusion: This study reveals the impact of PE, EA, and PR on EMA. The findings suggest that enhancing PE participation, improving EA, and increasing PR can improve EMA among college students.