Scientific Reports (Dec 2024)

A chain-mediated model of the effect of physical exercise on loneliness

  • Guoguo Zhao,
  • Kaihong Sun,
  • Yuan Xue,
  • Dong Dong

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81059-w
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract The physical and mental health development of college students has gradually become an important topic of social concern. The academic community focuses on different ways of physical exercise to improve the mental health of college students. On the basis of sports psychology, this paper discusses the interaction mechanism between physical activity and social support, interpersonal relationship quality and loneliness of college students, that is, physical and mental health effects of physical activities to promote the psychological level of college students. By random sampling, 784 college students were investigated and analyzed with physical exercise scale, loneliness scale, interpersonal relationship scale and social support scale, based on the general characteristics of the demographics variables, and through the analysis of multiple regression path model, this paper further explored the mechanism of the effects of physical activity, social support, loneliness and interpersonal relationship quality of college students. The results showed that physical exercise had a negative predictive effect on loneliness(β = − 0.246, p<0.01) and a positive predictive effect on interpersonal relationship quality and social support(β = 0.186, p<0.01; β = 0.156, p<0.01).In addition, social support and interpersonal relationship quality play a mediating role between physical exercise and loneliness, including three mediating paths, namely, social support and interpersonal relationship quality play an independent mediating role, the link mediating effect of social support and interpersonal relationship quality. According to the theory of psychological needs, the results show that physical exercise has an indirect effect on loneliness of college students through the chain mediating effect of interpersonal relationship quality and social support. College students can improve the level of social support and the quality of interpersonal relationships, and reduce the sense of loneliness.

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