Physical activity and mental health among college students: Resilience and self-control as mediators

The connection between college students’ physical activity and their mental health has gained increasing research attention worldwide. We assessed the physical activity, mental health, resilience, and self-control of 790 Chinese college students through an online survey. The results showed a significant correlation between physical activity and students’ mental health, resilience, and self-control. Both resilience and self-control were positively correlated with mental health. Physical activity positively predicted mental health, and both resilience and self-control mediated the relationship between physical activity and mental health. We found that physical activity directly predicted mental health outcomes, and there was also an indirect influence via resilience and self-control, both independently and as chain mediators. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for future research on multidimensional intervention pathways targeting college students’ mental health and underscore the importance of incorporating physical exercise, psychological resilience, and self-control into comprehensive health-promotion programs.