Bidirectional reduction effects of perceived stress and general self-efficacy among college students: a cross-lagged study

The relationship between stress, anxiety and eating behavior among Chinese students: a cross-sectional study

Background

The expansion of higher education and the growing number of college students have led to increased awareness of mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and eating disorders. In China, the educational system and cultural expectations contribute to the stress experienced by college students. This study aims to clarify the role of anxiety as a mediator in the relationship between stress and eating behaviors among Chinese college students.

Methods

This study utilized data from the 2021 Psychology and Behavior Investigation of Chinese Residents, which included 1,672 college students under the age of 25. The analysis methods comprised descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson correlation analyses, and mediation effect analysis.

Results

The findings indicate that Chinese college students experience high levels of stress, with long-term stress slightly exceeding short-term stress. Both types of stress were positively correlated with increased anxiety and the adoption of unhealthy eating behaviors. Anxiety was identified as a significant mediator, accounting for 28.3% of the relationship between long-term stress and eating behavior (95% CI = 0.058-0.183). The mediation effect of short-term stress on eating behavior through anxiety was also significant, explaining 61.4% of the total effect (95% CI = 0.185-0.327).

Conclusion

The study underscores the importance of stress management and mental health services for college students. It recommends a comprehensive approach to reducing external pressures, managing anxiety, and promoting healthy eating behaviors among college students. Suggestions include expanding employment opportunities, providing career guidance, enhancing campus and societal support for holistic development, strengthening mental health services, leveraging artificial intelligence technologies, educating on healthy lifestyles, and implementing targeted health promotion programs.

Exploring the Interplay between Stress Perception and Approach-Avoidance Achievement Goal Orientation among Rural Students in College: A Longitudinal Study in China

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between stress perception and achievement goals among rural college students in China. Using a two-wave random intercept cross-lagged model, this study analyzed data from a longitudinal survey conducted at 15 public universities in Beijing. First, there was a significant decline in stress levels among Chinese rural students from their junior to senior years. Second, the achievement goal orientations of these students remained relatively stable during the period. Third, while no significant association was found between approach goals and stress perception, a clear positive reciprocal relationship emerged between avoidance goals and stress perception. These results suggest that educators should focus on alleviating the stress experienced by rural college students through academic, employment, and interpersonal support to break the vicious cycle of stress perception and avoidance goal orientation. Future research should further explore the influence of diverse group characteristics and emotional states on these outcomes.

Evaluating music education interventions for mental health in Chinese university student: a dual fuzzy analytic method

This study addresses the growing anxiety and depression among Chinese university students by evaluating and ranking music education strategies to alleviate these issues. We integrates Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). FAHP was utilized to determine the weight of factors such as academic pressures, social relationships, and cultural norms, while fuzzy TOPSIS ranked the effectiveness of music education interventions based on these weights. The results revealed that 'Mental health stigma' and 'Academic Pressures and Rigidity' are among the highest weighted factors, significantly impacting student anxiety. 'Music Appreciation and Music-Based Self-Care' emerged as the most effective strategy. These results highlight the importance of direct involvement in music-related activities for improving student mental health.

A longitudinal examination of the effect of physical exercise on the emotional states of college students: exploring the sense of coherence as a mediator through a cross-lagged panel analysis

Purpose

This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between physical exercise and emotional states among university students, focusing on the mediating role of sense of coherence.

Method

A total of 1,215 university students (aged 18-25 years) were recruited and completed questionnaires assessing physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form), emotional states (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule), and sense of coherence (Sense of Coherence Scale-13) at three time points over a three-month period. Preliminary analyses included independent samples t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlations. Cross-lagged panel mediation analysis was conducted using Mplus 8.3, with bootstrapping employed to test indirect effects.

Results

Results indicated that sense of coherence significantly predicted positive affect (β = 0.259-0.369, p < 0.001). Positive affect, in turn, predicted physical exercise (β = 0.083-0.182, p < 0.05), while negative affect also influenced physical exercise (β = -0.096-0.203, p < 0.05). Physical exercise indirectly influenced positive affect through sense of coherence (β = 0.037, p = 0.045), and positive affect indirectly influenced physical exercise through sense of coherence (β = 0.029, p = 0.028). Other indirect effects involving physical exercise, sense of coherence, and negative affect were non-significant.

Conclusion

This study underscores the importance of sense of coherence in promoting emotional well-being among university students and in the reciprocal relationship between physical exercise and positive emotional states. Findings suggest that interventions targeting sense of coherence may enhance the emotional benefits of physical exercise. Future research should explore other potential mediators and moderators of the relationship between physical exercise and emotions and examine the effectiveness of sense of coherence-based interventions on well-being in this population.

Multilayer perceptron-based literature reading preferences predict anxiety and depression in university students

Objective

This study aims to precisely model the nonlinear relationship between university students' literature reading preferences (LRP) and their levels of anxiety and depression using a multilayer perceptron (MLP) to identify reading-related risk factors affecting anxiety and depression among university students.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, an internet-based questionnaire was conducted among 2,092 undergraduate students (aged 18-22, 62.7% female, from seven provinces in China). Participants completed a customized questionnaire on their LRP, followed by standardized assessments of anxiety and depression using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory, respectively. An MLP with residual connections was employed to establish the nonlinear relationship between LRP and anxiety and depression.

Results

The MLP model achieved an average accuracy of 86.8% for predicting non-anxious individuals and 81.4% for anxious individuals. In the case of depression, the model's accuracy was 90.1% for non-depressed individuals and 84.1% for those with depression. SHAP value analysis identified "Tense/Suspenseful-Emotional Tone," "War and Peace-Thematic Content," and "Infrequent Reading-Reading Habits" as the top contributors to anxiety prediction accuracy. Similarly, "Sad-Emotional Tone Preference," "Emotional Depictions-Thematic Content," and "Thought-Provoking-Emotional Tone" were the primary contributors to depression prediction accuracy.

Conclusion

The MLP accurately models the nonlinear relationship between LRP and mental health in university students, indicating the significance of specific reading preferences as risk factors. The study underscores the importance of literature emotional tone and themes in mental health. LRP should be integrated into psychological assessments to help prevent anxiety and depression among university students.

Longitudinal Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Anxiety in College Students: The Mediating Effect of Emotion Reregulation Strategy and Moderating Effect of Parent-Child Relationship

Objective

Based on Conservation of resources theory, process model of emotion regulation and attachment theory, the present study examined how psychological capital affects anxiety through the mediation of emotion regulation strategies and explored the moderating role of parent-child relationship.

Methods

Using a longitudinal study method, 962 college students were surveyed twice at one-year intervals.

Results

(1) College students' emotion regulation strategies (including cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) partially mediated psychological capital and anxiety mood; (2) parent-child relationship moderated the pathways of psychological capital and expressive suppression on anxiety, respectively.

Conclusion

College students with higher levels of parent-child relationship had stronger predictive effects of psychological capital and weaker predictive effects of expressive suppression on anxiety mood. The research findings clarify the combined effects of emotion regulation and parent-child relationships on anxiety among college students, providing valuable reference for the design and implementation of interventions to promote individual psychological well-being.

The relationship between physical activity and procrastination behavior among Chinese university students: a chain mediated effect of body self-esteem and overall self-esteem

Objective

This study aimed to explore the relationship between physical activity and procrastination behavior among college students and the serial mediating roles of body self-esteem and overall self-esteem.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 1,018 college students. The Physical Activity Rating Scale, the College Students' Physical Self-perception Profile, the Self-Esteem Scale, and the Chinese Procrastination Scale were utilized. Serial mediating effect analysis and Bootstrap analysis were applied to the data.

Results

(1) Individuals engaging in high levels of physical activity demonstrated significantly lower levels of procrastination behavior compared to those with moderate or low levels of physical activity (Partial η2 = 0.01, F = 2.762, p < 0.01). (2) Physical activity was positively correlated with body self-esteem (r = 0.37, p < 0.01) and overall self-esteem (r = 0.29, p < 0.01), and negatively correlated with procrastination behavior (r = -0.14, p < 0.01). body self-esteem was positively correlated with overall self-esteem (r = 0.11, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with procrastination behavior (r = -0.13, p < 0.01). Overall self-esteem also showed a significant negative correlation with procrastination behavior (r = -0.26, p < 0.01). (3) Mediation effect analysis indicated that body self-esteem and overall self-esteem played partial mediating roles in the relationship between physical activity and procrastination behavior among college students. The mediating effects were composed of three pathways: "Physical Activity → body self-esteem → Procrastination Behavior," "Physical Activity → Overall Self-Esteem → Procrastination Behavior," and "Physical Activity → body self-esteem → Overall Self-Esteem → Procrastination Behavior," with the effect sizes accounting for 27.70, 12.26, and 7.28% of the total effect, respectively.

Conclusion

The findings of this study lead to several key conclusions regarding the relationship between physical activity, self-esteem, and procrastination behavior among college students. Firstly, engagement in moderate levels of physical activity is more effective in reducing procrastination behavior among college students. Secondly, participation in high volumes of physical activity is associated with increased levels of both body self-esteem and overall self-esteem. Lastly, physical activity not only directly impacts procrastination behavior but also indirectly influences it by enhancing body self-esteem and overall self-esteem, thereby further reducing the individual's level of procrastination. These conclusions suggest that physical activity plays a multifaceted role in mitigating procrastination behavior in college students. By promoting self-esteem, physical activity can foster a positive psychological state that is conducive to proactive behavior and academic success. The study's findings underscore the importance of integrating physical activity into college students' daily routines as a strategy to combat procrastination and enhance self-esteem.

The Relationship between Stress and Academic Self-Efficacy among Students at Elite Colleges: A Longitudinal Analysis

Stress and academic self-efficacy are crucial factors in the psychological health of college students. Previous research has shown that stress is associated with academic self-efficacy, but their longitudinal relationships among students at elite colleges remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the longitudinal relationships between stress and academic self-efficacy among students from five elite colleges in China. Descriptive statistics indicated that students experienced a slight reduction in stress accompanied by a marginal increase in academic self-efficacy from the junior year to the senior year. Correlation analysis revealed that stress was negatively correlated with academic self-efficacy. According to cross-lagged models, heightened stress significantly predicted lower levels of academic self-efficacy. However, greater academic self-efficacy did not significantly predict lower stress. In conclusion, stress exhibited a unidirectional negative prediction on academic self-efficacy over time among students at elite colleges. The results of this study suggested that elite colleges should pay more attention to the mental health of students and provide appropriate guidance, such as establishing a positive mental health atmosphere in the educational environment and employing advanced technological means.

The relationship between boredom proneness, the behavioral inhibition system, and anxiety in college students: variable-centered and person-centered analytic approaches

Objective

To explore the relationship among boredom proneness, the behavioral inhibition system, and anxiety among college students based on variable-centered and person-centered analytic approaches.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was conducted on 1,102 college students from a university in Hebei Province using the Boredom Proneness Questionnaire (BPQ) for College Students, the Behavioral Inhibition System Scale (BIS), and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7).

Results

The results reveal that boredom proneness was negatively correlated with scores on the behavioral inhibition system (r = -0.100, p < 0.01), and positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.457, p < 0.001), while the behavioral inhibition system was positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.086, p < 0.01). In the variable-centered analyses study, it was found that the behavioral inhibition system partially mediated the association between boredom proneness and anxiety. In the person-centered analyses study, three subtypes were identified: the high boredom-low inhibition group (9.35%), the moderate boredom-inhibition group (66.70%), and the low boredom-high inhibition group (23.95%). Individuals in these subtypes showed significant differences in anxiety scores (F = 4.538, p < 0.05), with the low boredom-high inhibition group scoring the highest.

Conclusion

The results showed that the behavioral inhibition system partially mediates the relationship between boredom proneness and anxiety in college students; boredom proneness and the behavioral inhibition system exhibit group heterogeneity, with distinct classification features closely related to anxiety.

Longitudinal trajectories of self-esteem, related predictors, and impact on depression among students over a four-year period at college in China

Self-esteem plays a crucial role in the psychological development of college students. Based on four-wave longitudinal data, this study empirically investigated the longitudinal trajectories of self-esteem, related predictors, and the impact on depression in a sample of Chinese college students. Piecewise growth mixture modeling was utilized to identify potential self-esteem trajectories. Furthermore, multinomial logistic regression models were employed along with the Kruskal‒Wallis test to analyze the factors that influence self-esteem development trajectories and assess variations in depression. The results showed that college students’ self-esteem trajectories can be divided into three categories: slowly decreasing (81.04%), rising then falling (16.94%), and falling then rising (2.02%). Various personal factors (e.g. ethnicity, family residence, self-reported health status, extroversion) and socioeconomic factors (e.g. closeness with classmates, family economic level, family social status, and the mother’s educational level) can influence the classification of students’ self-esteem development trajectories. Moreover, notable differences in depression were observed among students in different self-esteem trajectory groups. The results emphasize the imperative of implementing interventions to enhance self-esteem among college students.

More romantic or more realistic: trajectories and influencing factors of romantic love among Chinese college students from entering college to graduation

College is a significant transition in the growth of individuals, and romantic relationships play an important role in the future development of individuals. Understanding young people’s attitudes toward love is helpful for formulating strategies to guide them to form correct attitudes toward love, promote the formation of positive and healthy attitudes toward marriage and life. This study aimed to explore the trajectories of college students’ attitudes toward love, reveal the development law of their attitudes toward love, and identify the influencing factors that lead to changes in their attitudes toward love. Descriptive and correlation analyses were performed on participants’ attitudes toward love, followed by utilization of a growth mixture model to explore latent trajectory classes and a multinomial logistic regression model to analyze influencing factors across trajectories.The results indicated that romantic attitudes could be divided into three groups: “high-increasing”, “low-decreasing” and “low-increasing”, and realistic attitudes could be divided into three groups: “high-increasing”, “low-increasing” and “high-decreasing”. Gender, major, extroversion, and hometown location were factors influencing whether students fell into different trajectory classes. Overall, society and colleges should pay more attention to changes in college students’ attitudes toward love, provide timely intervention and guidance, and prevent them from suffering from behavioral, physical, and psychological problems.

The relationship between health-promoting behaviors and negative emotions in college freshmen: a cross-lagged analysis

Background

The prevalence of mental health issues has been gradually increasing among college students in recent years. Improvements in mental health can be achieved through changes in daily behavior and the use of psychological counseling. This study aims to investigate the relationship between health-promoting behaviors and negative emotions among college freshmen as they enter the university. It also examines the impact of various sub-dimensions of health-promoting behaviors and other factors on the negative emotions (stress, anxiety, and depression) experienced by college freshmen.

Methods

Using the Negative Emotion and Health-Promoting Behavior scales, a 7-month longitudinal study was conducted on 4,252 college freshmen, with collection of data at two time points (T1: November 12, 2021; T2: June 17, 2022). Out of this longitudinal study, 3,632 valid samples were obtained. This research aimed to explore the association and impact between negative emotions and the level of health-promoting behaviors among college students during their time at the university.

Results

① There were significant differences in the levels of health-promoting behaviors and negative emotions over the course of 7 months (P < 0.05). Health-promoting behaviors were found to have a significant negative correlation with negative emotions (P < 0.05). ② Negative emotions at T1 significantly negatively predicted health-promoting behaviors at T2 (β = -0.11, P < 0.01), while health-promoting behaviors at T1 significantly negatively predicted negative emotions at T2 (β = -0.12, P < 0.001). ③ Stress management (β = -0.104, P < 0.05; β = -0.087, P < 0.05), self-actualization (β = -0.282, P < 0.01; β = -0.260, P < 0.05), health responsibility (β = -0.057, P < 0.05; β = -0.088, P < 0.05), and interpersonal relations (β = 0.068, P < 0.01; β = 0.138, P < 0.05) were important components in improving stress and anxiety. Self-actualization (β = -0.437, P < 0.001), exercise (β = 0.048, P < 0.001), nutrition (β = 0.044, P < 0.001), and interpersonal relations (β = 0.065, P < 0.001) were important components in improving depression. ④ Gender, place of household registration, and whether the individual is the only child were significant factors affecting negative emotions in college freshmen.

Conclusion

The level of health-promoting behaviors is an important indicator for assessing the negative emotional states of college freshmen. Enhancing health-promoting behaviors across various dimensions can help alleviate different types of negative emotions. Gender, place of household registration, and being the only child are significant factors that influence negative emotions.