Relationship of Physical Activity to depression：Coping Styles and Loneliness Mediating Effects among College Students

Relationship of Physical Activity to depression：Coping Styles and Loneliness Mediating Effects among College Students | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Relationship of Physical Activity to depression：Coping Styles and Loneliness Mediating Effects among College Students Huaying Fu, Siqiang Guo, Kelei Guo This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4057803/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose : To explore the relationship between physical activity and depression among college students and the mediating role of coping styles and loneliness in the relationship. Methods : A stratified whole group sampling method was used to survey 1112 college students using the Physical Activity Scale, Depression Scale, Coping Styles Scale, and Loneliness Scale. Results : (1) Physical activity was significantly negatively correlated with depression (r =-0.51), and the direct path of physical activity on depression was significant ( β = -0.21, t = -8.418 , p＜0.01), (2) Physical activity positively predicted coping styles ( β = 0.39， t = 14.202， p ＜0.01) and negatively predicted loneliness ( β = -0.40， t = -15.039， p ＜0.01), and Coping styles significantly and negatively predicted depression ( β = -0.28， t = -10.281， p ＜0.01) and loneliness ( β = -0.41， t = -17.187， p ＜0.01), and Loneliness significantly and positively predicted depression ( β = 0.26， t = 10.289， p ＜0.01). Conclusion : Physical activity can not only directly affect depression, but also indirectly through the separate mediating effects of coping styles and loneliness, as well as the chain mediating effects of the two. Biological sciences/Psychology/Human behaviour Health sciences/Health care/Quality of life Health sciences/Health care/Health care economics Biological sciences/Psychology physical activity coping styles loneliness depression college students Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Depression is characterized by sadness, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbances in sleep or appetite, lack of concentration and loss of enjoyment of daily life 1 , and in severe cases, even self-harming, suicidal thoughts or behaviors 2 . Countries around the world have detected up to 18.0%-44.5% of college students with depression 3,4 . And the depression detection rate of college students in China is as high as 31.38%, which is increasing year by year 5 , and 33.48% of depressed college students also have self-injurious behaviors 6 . Research has shown that physical activity is an effective means to alleviate depression 7,8 , therefore, the present study examines how physical activity affects depression among college students. Physical Activity Effects on Depression Physical activity is defined as any energy-consuming body movement resulting from the contraction of skeletal muscles 9 . Lack of physical activity is a significant risk factor for the development of depression and anxiety symptoms among college students 10,11 . It has been found that physical activity can be effective in alleviating negative emotions such as depression 7 . In addition, there is a dose-effect relationship between frequency and intensity, with moderate-intensity exercise improving depression and increasing the degree of improvement as the intensity of exercise increases 12 . Physical activity has both fast-and slow-acting effects on the alleviation of depression, and in studies of exercise interventions for depression, a combination of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, resistance training, and a variety of coordinated workouts was more effective than a single low-intensity aerobic workout 8 , especially when each session lasted between 70 and 90 minutes for better alleviation of depression effects 13 . At the same time, Neurophysiological researchs have shown that physical activity promotes the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and endorphins, which improves anxiety and depression 14 . Based on the above discussion, we propose the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1. Physical activity positively predicts depressive state (H1). Independent mediating effects of coping style Coping styles refer to the cognitive and behavioral approaches that individuals adopt in the face of frustration, stress, and related emotional distress, and are classified into positive and negative coping 15 . Positive coping involves seeking internal and external resources and constructing problem-solving strategies, whereas negative coping refers to the individual’s tendency to avoid, deny, and fantasize about the problem 16 . Research has found that physical activity help promote positive coping styles among college students 17 . College students who engage in physical activity are more inclined to choose positive and mature forms of coping strategies in the face of stress 18 . Individuals who engage in physical activity often use “problem solving” to deal with stress, while individuals who engage in low-frequency physical activity often use “emotional catharsis” 16 . More physical activity college students show greater resilience and adopt positive and effective coping strategies to deal with problems 19 . When college students take on negative coping styles, such as emotional exhaustion and academic and life stressors, they experience a strong sense of burnout and meaninglessness, which can cause psychological withdrawal and lead to depression 20 . Emotional exhaustion may trigger negative self-evaluations and negative reactions to others and further lead to states such as low mood and depression 21 . Hypothesis 2 was proposed in this study: physical activity influences depression in college students through a mediating effect (H2). Independent mediating effects of loneliness Loneliness is a phenomenon that reflects an individual’s closed-mindedness and can be defined as social distress caused by perceived deficits in the quality or quantity of social connections, affecting the way people engage in social activities and reconnect with others 22 . According to the Social Skills Deficiency Vulnerability Model 23 , an individual’s lack of social skills can cause him to be hindered and frustrated in interpersonal interactions, and to fall into relative isolation, which can increase loneliness. With the advent of the smart era, individuals become dependent on pre-screen behaviors and become sedentary, which reduces physical activity and further triggers loneliness 24 . When college students overdependent on social networks at the neglect of physical activity, there is a weakening of the sense of belonging in the real environment, and this brings about loneliness 25 . Loneliness itself is a negative emotion that can cause individuals to feel unhappy and unfulfilled, which can lead to depression, and studies have confirmed that loneliness is an important factor in triggering depression 26 . According to interpersonal theory, depression and social withdrawal may be triggered when individuals feel lonely in interpersonal interactions 27 . High-level loneliness predict more severe levels of depression 28 , and groups with loneliness are more likely to suffer from depression compared to those without loneliness 29 . Loneliness can lead to low self-worth from depressed mood, which can cause depression to emerge 30 . A third research hypothesis was proposed: loneliness mediates the relationship between physical activity and depression (H3). Coping styles and loneliness chain mediating effects It has been found that positive coping styles are significantly negatively correlated with loneliness, while negative coping styles are significantly positively correlated with loneliness 31 . Emotion-oriented coping is associated with loneliness, while problem-oriented coping is associated with better mental health 32 . Adopting mature coping styles reduces loneliness, whereas lonely college students are more likely to choose negative coping styles 33 . When facing pressure, people tend to adopt strategies such as self-consolation, acceptance of reality, emotionality and avoidance, which lead to loneliness 34 . Research Hypothesis 4 is proposed, that coping styles act as chain mediators between physical activity and depression (H4). Therefore, this study constructed a chain mediation model using physical activity as the independent variable, depression as the dependent variable, and coping styles and loneliness as the mediating variables (as shown in Figure 1). Materials And Methods Procedure and participants The stratified cluster sampling was used to select 1200 students from four university in Zhaoqing city, the invalid questionnaires with regular answers were deleted, and 1112 valid questionnaires were obtained, with an effective recovery rate of 92.7%. The age range of the subjects was 18-22 years old, with an average age of 20.05±1.04, including 508 boys (45.7%) and 604 girls (54.3%). There were 302 freshmen, 332 sophomores, 295juniors and 183 seniors. According to the Declaration of Helsinki, This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Zhaoqing University (No. 2023-0711-05). The collective test was adopted. Before the survey, the students were explained that the questionnaire was anonymously answered, emphasizing voluntary filling. The content is strictly confidential, and the results are only for scientific research. All questionnaires were collected on the spot. All subjects were informed of the purpose and characteristics of the study and signed informed consent and consent to publication. Measures and instruments Physical activity We used the Life Orientation Test developed by Chen et al 35 and revised by Wu 36 to measure physical activity. The scale consists of 8 items, divided into two dimensions. Items 1-4 measure physical exercise commitment, which are all positively scored; items 5-8 measure physical exercise persistence, where items 5, 7, and 8 are positively scored (e.g., Items 7: “I have the habit of physical activity”), while 6 is negatively scored (e.g., “I have lack of perseverance in physical activity”). The responses were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 indicating “strongly disagree” and 5 indicating “strongly agree”. The total score reflects the participants’ level of physical activity, with higher scores indicating high-level physical activity and lower scores indicating lower- level physical activity. The scale has been proven to have high applicability among Chinese college students 37 . In this study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.92. Coping Style Scale Simple coping style questionnaire developed revised by Xie Yaning 38 . The scale has 20 items, which are divided into two dimensions: positive coping and extreme coping. The first 12 entries measure positive coping dimensions (e.g., Sticking to one's own positions). Items 13-20 measure negative coping dimensions (e.g., Believes that time will change things and the only thing to do is to wait).A 4-point Likert scale was used, with 1 being “not used”, 2 being “occasionally used”, 3 being “sometimes used” and 4 being “often used”. The scale has been proven to have high applicability among Chinese college students 39 . In this study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.83. Loneliness The short-form of loneliness was developed by Russell 40 and revised by Zhou et al 41 was used to assess the level of loneliness in individuals. Higher scores indicate that individuals are more isolated. The scale has been shown to have high applicability in the mass population of Chinese university students 42 . The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for this scale in this study was 0.81. Self-Rating Depression Scale The Depression Scale was developed by Zung 43 and consists of two items for psychotic-affective symptoms, eight items for somatic disorders, two items for psychomotor disorders, and eight items for depressive mental disorders. A 4-point Likert scale was used, with 1 representing "never" and 4 representing “always”. The scale consisted of 20 questions, 10 positive and 10 directional, and the SDS scores were summed and multiplied by 1.25 and rounded to the nearest whole number, with higher scores indicating higher depression. The scale has been shown to have high applicability among Chinese university students 44 . The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for this scale in this study was 0.84. Design and statistical analysis The study used SPSS 26.0 for descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis of the collected data. First, the common method bias was tested using the Harman one-factor method. Second, 95% confidence intervals for the mediating effect were estimated by 5,000 replicate samples, controlling for gender and age, according to Hayes’ SPSS macro program PROCESS plug-in model 6. Results Common method bias test Harman’s single factor test was used to test the common method deviation. The results showed that there were eight factors characteristic roots greater than 1, and the first factor explained only 22.67% of the variance, which was less than the critical criterion of 40%, indicating that the data in this study did not have serious common method bias. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis As shown in Table 1, the correlation coefficients for physical activity, coping styles, loneliness and depression were statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed that physical activity was significantly positively correlated with coping styles, and significantly negatively correlated with both loneliness and depression, Coping styles were significantly and negatively related to loneliness and depression, loneliness and depression were significantly and positively related. The relationships between the variables supported the subsequent testing of the hypotheses. TABLE 1 | Means, standard deviations, and correlations among variables. Variable M SD gender physical activity Coping styles loneliness depression physical activity 27.99 7.17 -0.31** 1 Coping styles 58.14 8.31 -0.02 0.39 ** 1 loneliness 10.36 3.15 0.14** -0.51** -0.43** 1 depression 42.43 9.08 0.14** -0.51** -0.61** 0.55** 1 N =1112 ； ** p<0.01. Mediating effects test of coping styles and loneliness SPSS Process model 6 combined with Bootstrap method was used to test the mediating effect of coping styles and loneliness between physical activity and depressive after 5,000 sampling and controlling for gender and age. The results of regression analysis showed (Table 2) that physical activity can significantly and negatively predict depressive ( β = -0.51, t = -19.701, p＜0.01), and Hypothesis 1 was verified. Physical activity significantly positively predicted coping styles (β= 0.39, t= 14.202, p < 0.01), and coping styles significantly negatively predicted depression (β= -46, t= -17.187, p < 0.01), and Hypothesis 2 was tested.Physical activity significantly negatively predicted loneliness (β= -0.40, t= -15.039, p<0.01 p=0.00), and loneliness significantly positively predicted depression (β= 0.26, t= 10.289, p<0.01), Hypothesis 3 was tested.Coping styles significantly and negatively predicted loneliness (β= -0.28, t= -10.281, p < 0.01), indicating the existence of a chain mediation between coping styles and loneliness, and Hypothesis 4 was tested. Table2 Analysis of regression relationship among variables Effect item Effect SE t p LLCI ULCI Direct effect physical activity⇒depression -0.2120 0.0252 -8.4177 0.000 -0.2614 -0.1626 Indirect Effect Process physical activity⇒coping styles 0.3921 0.0276 14.2016 0.000 0.3379 0.4463 physical activity⇒ loneliness -0.4031 0.0268 -15.0386 0.000 -0.4557 -0.3505 coping styles⇒ loneliness -0.2756 0.0268 -10.2805 0.000 -0.3282 -0.2230 coping styles⇒depression -0.4128 0.0240 -17.1869 0.000 -0.4600 -0.3657 loneliness⇒depression 0.2645 0.0257 10.2893 0.000 0.2141 0.3150 Total effect physical activity⇒depression -0.5091 0.0258 -19.7070 0.000 -0.5598 -0.4584 LLCI is the lower 95% limit for Bootstrap sampling and ULCI is the upper 95% limit for Bootstrap sampling. Tests were performed using the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method (5000 replicate samples). As can be seen in Table 3, the results of the 95% confidence interval for the mediating effect Bootstrap were: physical activity → coping styles → depression symptoms, the amount of the mediating effect was -0.1619, and the proportion of the mediating effect to the total effect was 54.5%. Physical Activity → Loneliness → depression, with a mediated effect size of -0.1066 and a mediated effect of 35.9%. Physical Activity → Coping Style → Loneliness → depression, with a mediated effect size of -0.0286 and a mediated effect of 9.6%. None of the Bootstrap 95% confidence intervals for the above mediating effects included 0, indicating a significant mediating effect, with the mediating effect of coping style being the most significant. Table 3 | Mediation effect and effect size Path Effect SE The mediating proportion of the total effect 95% confidence interval Boot LLCI Boot ULCI physical activity→coping styles→depression -0.1619 0.0152 54.5% -0.1933 -0.1332 physical activity→loneliness→depression -0.1066 0.0139 35.9% -0.1364 -0.0812 physical activity→coping styles→loneliness →depression -0.0286 0.0046 9.6% -0.0396 -0.0209 Total effect -0.2971 0.0217 -0.3409 -0.2549 Discussion This study explored the relationship between physical activity and depression, and the mediating role of coping styles and loneliness between the two, and found that physical activity can not only directly affect depression, but also indirectly through the separate mediating roles of coping styles and loneliness, as well as the chain mediating role of the two. This further explains why physical activity affects depression, which is important for intervention and prevention of depression in college students. Physical Activity Effects on depression It was found that physical activity was negatively and significantly associated with depression. This result is consistent with previous research 44 and verifies Hypothesis 1. First, it was shown in neurophysiology that physical activity improves cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory function and promotes the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, and endorphins, which improves psychological states such as tension, anxiety, and restlessness 45 . Secondly, when engaging in physical activities, individuals can not only effectively relieve negative emotions, but also receive encouragement and support from peers, and develop self-will quality and improve interpersonal communication. In addition, Physical activity also has a significant effect on enhancing positive emotions such as self-efficacy, resilience, and cooperation and competitiveness among college students, which in turn alleviates or reduces depression. Coping style independent mediator effect The present study found that coping styles mediated the relationship between physical activity and depression, validating Hypothesis 2. This is consistent with research evidence that physical activity helps to enhance coping styles 18 , and that coping styles help to alleviate depression 46 . On the one hand, individuals with high-level of physical activity demonstrate positive coping skills. According to the Health Action Process Orientation Theory 47 , physical activity stimulates an individual’s ability to self-manage and self-monitor, thereby raising mental health. In the face of stress, pressure or negative events, individuals with a high-level physical activity tend to adopt the behavior pattern of holding optimistic beliefs 48 , showing a calm approach to problems and choosing problem-solving oriented coping strategies. Conversely, those college students with lower-level physical activity endure relatively less psychological stress and present lower-level self-control in the face of stressful events, and individuals may be less volitional in their efforts and prone to negative emotions, with a tendency to opt for negative approaches such as moodiness, denial, fantasy, and avoidance 16 . On the other hand, positive coping styles predict the occurrence of depression. When college students face stress, by adopting a problem-solving-oriented positive coping style and by adjusting their mindset, emotions, and cognition, individuals will actively seek help to reduce negative consequences, thus avoiding the emergence of depression. On the contrary, immature and negative coping styles may cause negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, self-blame, and frustration, individuals show confusion and adopt unreasonable or ineffective methods when dealing with events, and lack of active change makes it difficult to get rid of difficulties, which may induce depression. Independent mediating effects of loneliness The present study found that loneliness mediated the relationship between physical activity and depression, validating Hypothesis 3. This is consistent with previous research evidence that physical activity negatively predicts loneliness 7 loneliness positively predicts depression 49 . On the one hand, physical activity could negatively predict loneliness. In the process of physical activity will face some pressure and challenges, peer or social mutual encouragement and support can increase mutual trust and friendship between students, and through the recognition of classmates, in the activities to enhance self-worth, and thus reduce the sense of isolation. Due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the internet, physical activities have been replaced by social media, and sedentary time and screen behavior have increased, making people ignore real interpersonal communication, thus increasing the risk of loneliness. On the other hand, loneliness positively predicts depression. Based on interpersonal theories, Individuals who are excluded from the outside world during interactions can trigger loneliness further producing depression, social withdrawal and other behaviors to occur. College students are in the stage of immature mind but very strong self-consciousness, they are highly concerned about their status and image in social occasions and attach importance to others’ evaluation of them. When this need is not met, loneliness and depression and distress can occur. This kind of emotional state can easily bring about subjective perception of the difference between actual social relations and expectations, thus causing negative emotional reactions and leading to depression 50 . The chain-mediated effect Coping styles and Loneliness Based on the above studies, a chain mediation model was constructed to explore the process and mechanism of physical activity and depression. Coping style and loneliness play a chain mediating role between physical activity and depression. Specifically, physical activity is conducive to improving coping style. High-level coping style is an important factor in predicting loneliness, and loneliness is a further predictor of depression. This confirms Hypothesis 4 of this study. An individual’s mental health and emotional regulation depends largely on coping styles. Effective coping with stressful situations can lead to positive emotional experiences, such as happiness, self-confidence. Conversely, ineffective coping can lead to depression and feelings of isolation. According to stress theory of physical exercise 51 , physical activity, which is characterized by hardship, fatigue, and competition, plays an important role in developing the qualities of resilience, self-confidence, bravery, and resourcefulness, as well as contributing to the formation of mature and stable personality traits among college students, which leads to the development of coping styles that are positively protective of psychological well-being. When facing academic pressure, life pressure or other setbacks, college students with good coping styles are not only able to be problem-solving oriented, but also take the initiative to seek the support and help of others to get through the difficult situation, so as to make life more meaningful.Individuals with low-level physical activity tend to be isolated and have negative emotions, which further negates self-denial and reduces the sense of social value and leads to loneliness. Therefore,physical activity is positively correlated with the coping style level among college students, which helps to improve individual emotional experience and life satisfaction, thus alleviating or reducing loneliness. In addition, individuals with lower-level loneliness were more likely to communicate with classmates, develop positive confidence, and contribute to improved mental health and reduced depression. practical significance This study explored the effects of physical activity on college students’ depression, enriched the research on the correlation between physical activity and the field of depression, and is of practical significance in preventing or alleviating college students' depression. First, colleges should emphasize physical activity as an important antecedent variable in preventing or alleviating depression. Secondly, the result that coping style and loneliness play a mediating role between physical activity and depression suggests that educators should pay attention to the important influence of these two factors on the depressive state of college students, and pay attention to improving their coping style and reducing their loneliness. Limitations and Prospects In this study we were unable to infer the causal relationship between variables. Longitudinal follow-up or experimental intervention designs can be adopted in the future. In addition, in this study we considered only the mediating effects of coping style and loneliness. In fact, there may be other mediating variables, such as self-control and meaning in life, which need to be further explored. Conclusion (1) Physical activity can significantly and positively predict college students’ coping styles and significantly and negatively predict loneliness and depression, which suggests that physical activity may help to improve college students’ coping styles and prevent, alleviate, or reduce loneliness and depression. (2) Physical activity not only directly predicts college students’ depression, but also indirectly predicts college students’ depression through the separate mediating roles of coping styles and loneliness, and indirectly predicts depression through the chain mediating roles of coping styles and loneliness. These suggest that not only physical activity but also coping styles and loneliness should be emphasized in improving depression among college students. Declarations Acknowledgement In this study, we are very grateful to all the college students and teachers who participated in the survey for their help. Author contributions KL Guo: designed and managed this study. HY Fu investigated and revised manuscript. SQ Guo original draft, collected and analyzed the data, wrote manuscript. All authors approved the submitted version. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. 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Relationship between Loneliness Characteristics and Coping Style of College Freshmen. China Journal of Health Psychology . 21, 1397-1399 (2013). https://doi.org/10.13342/j.cnki.cjhp.2013.09.026 Zhu, H. L. Methods and Strategies on Coping with Stressful Events of Female College Students. Journal of Jinhua Polytechnic . 14, 24-27 (2014). https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1671-3699.2014.03.007 Chen, S. P., Li, S. Z. & Yan, Z. L. Research on Mechanism of Exercise Persistence Based on Sport Commitment Theory. China Sport Science . 26, 48-55 (2006). https://doi.org/10.16469/j.css.2006.12.010 Wu, Z. Y. Development of Decision-making Model of Exercise Adherence: The Added Value of Self-regulatory Progress and Affective Experience (Master’s thesis). Beijing Sport University (2016). https://doi.org/ CNKI:CDMD:2.1016.150860 Guo, X. Influences of Participating Behavior of Physical Activities on Physical Self-Concept of Higher Vocational Students. 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Journal of Central South University . 37, 1124-1128+5 (2012). https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1672-7347.2012.11.008 Xiao, R. & Du, J. W. Reliability and validity of the 6-item UCLA Loneliness Scale(ULS-6)for application in adults. Journal of Southern Medical University . 43, 900-905 (2023). https://doi.org/ 10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2023.06.04 Zung, W. A Self-rating Depression Scale. Archives of general psychiatry . 12, 63-70 (1965). https://doi.org/10.1001/ARCHPSYC.1965.01720310065008 Wang, P. et al. Relationship Between Physical Activity Level and depression in College Students: A Pathway Analysis Based on EEG. Journal of Shanghai University of Sport . 47, 51-60 (2023). https://doi.org/10.16099/j.sus.2022.07.30.0003 Gustafsson, G. et al. The acute response of plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor as a result of exercise in major depressive disorder. Psychiatry research . 169, 244-248 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2008.06.030 Zhu, W. Study on the correlation between self-esteem, life events, coping style and depression of college students. PSY , 18, 95-97 (2023). https://doi.org/10.19738/j.cnki.psy.2023.01.027 Ralf, W. Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) as a Theoretical Framework to Understand Behavior Change. Actualidades en Psicología . 30, 119-130 (2016). https://doi.org/10.15517/ap.v30i121.23458 Gao, W., Yang, L. Z. & Li, X. X. The Health Action Process Approach: Its Development and Future. Advances in Psychological Science . 20, 1651-1662 (2012). https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1042.2012.01651 Holvast, F. et al. Loneliness is associated with poor prognosis in late-life depression: Longitudinal analysis of the Netherlands study of depression in older persons, Journal of affective disorders . 185, 1-7 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.06.036 Cacioppo, J. T. & Hawkey, L. C. Perceived social isolation and cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences . 13, 447-454 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2009.06.005 Yan, J. & Chen, A. G. Review on physical exercises and coping of stress. Journal of Wuhan Sports University . 11, 58-61+65 (2008). https://doi.org/10.15930/j.cnki.wtxb.2008.11.015 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4057803","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":277716094,"identity":"35f7e691-51ce-4796-9e12-e92496002b9f","order_by":0,"name":"Huaying Fu","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAyklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACef7Gxsc/DP7L8bM3EKnFcMbhZmOGAmZjyZ4DxFpzIL1NmuEDc+KGGwlE6mBsONgmXWDAlthw8/HGGww1NtEEtbAzNzZbzzDgMW6cnVZswXAsLbeBCFsab/AYSMg2S+eYSTA2HCasheFAYoMEj4EBY5vkGeK1NEnzGCQo9kjwEKnFcMbBZsMZBgeMJXiAfkkgxi/y/O0PH3z4c0DO/vjhjTc+1NgQ4TAkYCCRQIpyiBZSdYyCUTAKRsHIAAAGwUKlWAzfwAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"","institution":"Zhaoqing University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Huaying","middleName":"","lastName":"Fu","suffix":""},{"id":277716095,"identity":"194ab892-b483-424f-84dc-816a178c3e61","order_by":1,"name":"Siqiang Guo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zhaoqing University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Siqiang","middleName":"","lastName":"Guo","suffix":""},{"id":277716096,"identity":"7c93441f-02e6-467f-86cb-33c360f361df","order_by":2,"name":"Kelei Guo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Zhaoqing University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kelei","middleName":"","lastName":"Guo","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-03-09 15:32:08","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4057803/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4057803/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":52404757,"identity":"74c48677-cd45-433f-886f-2d026c5ce702","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-11 08:22:16","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":15632,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eResearch on Mediation Model\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4057803/v1/6868bb4801659edb58f29b21.png"},{"id":52404752,"identity":"47a8672f-2cbc-47bd-a4f0-a3d03d11d2b7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-11 08:22:10","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":35029,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eChain mediation model of coping styles and loneliness between physical activity and depression.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4057803/v1/9c2318a81c53469539179085.png"},{"id":53787060,"identity":"57362deb-f31b-4cd2-a533-53594b7df62b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-30 14:53:44","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":508568,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4057803/v1/8445c4d9-7bef-4dbf-aadd-bf53d40f3bfe.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Relationship of Physical Activity to depression：Coping Styles and Loneliness Mediating Effects among College Students","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eDepression is characterized by sadness, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbances in sleep or appetite, lack of concentration and loss of enjoyment of daily life\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e, and in severe cases, even self-harming, suicidal thoughts or behaviors\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e. Countries around the world have detected up to 18.0%-44.5% of college students with depression\u003csup\u003e3,4\u003c/sup\u003e. And the depression detection rate of college students in China is as high as 31.38%, which is increasing year by year\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e, and 33.48% of depressed college students also have self-injurious behaviors\u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e. Research has shown that physical activity is an effective means to alleviate depression\u003csup\u003e7,8\u003c/sup\u003e, therefore, the present study examines how physical activity affects depression among college students.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhysical Activity Effects on Depression\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhysical activity is defined as any energy-consuming body movement resulting from the contraction of skeletal muscles\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e. Lack of physical activity is a significant risk factor for the development of depression and anxiety symptoms among college students\u003csup\u003e10,11\u003c/sup\u003e. It has been found that physical activity can be effective in alleviating negative emotions such as depression\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e. In addition, there is a dose-effect relationship between frequency and intensity, with moderate-intensity exercise improving depression and increasing the degree of improvement as the intensity of exercise increases\u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003e. Physical activity has both fast-and slow-acting effects on the alleviation of depression, and in studies of exercise interventions for depression, a combination of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, resistance training, and a variety of coordinated workouts was more effective than a single low-intensity aerobic workout\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e, especially when each session lasted between 70 and 90 minutes for better alleviation of depression effects\u003csup\u003e13\u003c/sup\u003e. At the same time, Neurophysiological researchs have shown that physical activity promotes the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and endorphins, which improves anxiety and depression\u003csup\u003e14\u003c/sup\u003e. Based on the above discussion, we propose the following hypotheses: Hypothesis 1. Physical activity positively predicts depressive state (H1).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndependent mediating effects of coping style\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoping styles refer to the cognitive and behavioral approaches that individuals adopt in the face of frustration, stress, and related emotional distress, and are classified into positive and negative coping\u003csup\u003e15\u003c/sup\u003e. Positive coping involves seeking internal and external resources and constructing problem-solving strategies, whereas negative coping refers to the individual\u0026rsquo;s tendency to avoid, deny, and fantasize about the problem\u003csup\u003e16\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eResearch has found that physical activity help promote positive coping styles among college students\u003csup\u003e17\u003c/sup\u003e. College students who engage in physical activity are more inclined to choose positive and mature forms of coping strategies in the face of stress\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e. Individuals who engage in physical activity often use \u0026ldquo;problem solving\u0026rdquo; to deal with stress, while individuals who engage in low-frequency physical activity often use \u0026ldquo;emotional catharsis\u0026rdquo;\u003csup\u003e16\u003c/sup\u003e. More physical activity college students show greater resilience and adopt positive and effective coping strategies to deal with problems\u003csup\u003e19\u003c/sup\u003e. When college students take on negative coping styles, such as emotional exhaustion and academic and life stressors, they experience a strong sense of burnout and meaninglessness, which can cause psychological withdrawal and lead to depression\u003csup\u003e20\u003c/sup\u003e. Emotional exhaustion may trigger negative self-evaluations and negative reactions to others and further lead to states such as low mood and depression\u003csup\u003e21\u003c/sup\u003e. Hypothesis 2 was proposed in this study: physical activity influences depression in college students through a mediating effect (H2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndependent mediating effects of loneliness\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLoneliness is a phenomenon that reflects an individual\u0026rsquo;s closed-mindedness and can be defined as social distress caused by perceived deficits in the quality or quantity of social connections, affecting the way people engage in social activities and reconnect with others\u003csup\u003e22\u003c/sup\u003e.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the Social Skills Deficiency Vulnerability Model\u003csup\u003e23\u003c/sup\u003e, an individual\u0026rsquo;s lack of social skills can cause him to be hindered and frustrated in interpersonal interactions, and to fall into relative isolation, which can increase loneliness. With the advent of the smart era, individuals become dependent on pre-screen behaviors and become sedentary, which reduces physical activity and further triggers loneliness\u003csup\u003e24\u003c/sup\u003e. When college students overdependent on social networks at the neglect of physical activity, there is a weakening of the sense of belonging in the real environment, and this brings about loneliness\u003csup\u003e25\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLoneliness itself is a negative emotion that can cause individuals to feel unhappy and unfulfilled, which can lead to depression, and studies have confirmed that loneliness is an important factor in triggering depression\u003csup\u003e26\u003c/sup\u003e. According to interpersonal theory, depression and social withdrawal may be triggered when individuals feel lonely in interpersonal interactions\u003csup\u003e27\u003c/sup\u003e. High-level loneliness predict more severe levels of depression\u003csup\u003e28\u003c/sup\u003e, and groups with loneliness are more likely to suffer from depression compared to those without loneliness\u003csup\u003e29\u003c/sup\u003e. Loneliness can lead to low self-worth from depressed mood, which can cause depression to emerge\u003csup\u003e30\u003c/sup\u003e. A third research hypothesis was proposed: loneliness mediates the relationship between physical activity and depression\u0026nbsp;(H3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoping styles and loneliness chain mediating effects\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has been found that positive coping styles are significantly negatively correlated with loneliness, while negative coping styles are significantly positively correlated with loneliness\u003csup\u003e31\u003c/sup\u003e. Emotion-oriented coping is associated with loneliness, while problem-oriented coping is associated with better mental health\u003csup\u003e32\u003c/sup\u003e. Adopting mature coping styles reduces loneliness, whereas lonely college students are more likely to choose negative coping styles\u003csup\u003e33\u003c/sup\u003e. When facing pressure, people tend to adopt strategies such as self-consolation, acceptance of reality, emotionality and avoidance, which lead to loneliness\u003csup\u003e34\u003c/sup\u003e. Research Hypothesis 4 is proposed, that coping styles act as chain mediators between physical activity and depression\u0026nbsp;(H4).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, this study constructed a chain mediation model using physical activity as the independent variable, depression as the dependent variable, and coping styles and loneliness as the mediating variables (as shown in Figure 1).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials And Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProcedure and participants\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe stratified cluster sampling was used to select 1200 students from four university in Zhaoqing city, the invalid questionnaires with regular answers were deleted, and 1112 valid questionnaires were obtained, with an effective recovery rate of 92.7%. The age range of the subjects was 18-22 years old, with an average age of 20.05\u0026plusmn;1.04, including 508 boys (45.7%) and 604 girls (54.3%). There were 302 freshmen, 332 sophomores, 295juniors and 183 seniors. According to the Declaration of Helsinki, This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Zhaoqing University (No. 2023-0711-05). The collective test was adopted. Before the survey, the students were explained that the questionnaire was anonymously answered, emphasizing voluntary filling. The content is strictly confidential, and the results are only for scientific research. All questionnaires were collected on the spot. All subjects were informed of the purpose and characteristics of the study and signed informed consent and consent to publication.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeasures and instruments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhysical activity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe used the Life Orientation Test developed by Chen et al\u003csup\u003e35\u003c/sup\u003e and revised by Wu\u003csup\u003e36\u003c/sup\u003e to measure physical activity. The scale consists of 8 items, divided into two dimensions. Items 1-4 measure physical exercise commitment, which are all positively scored; items 5-8 measure physical exercise persistence, where items 5, 7, and 8 are positively scored (e.g., Items 7: \u0026ldquo;I have the habit of physical activity\u0026rdquo;), while 6 is negatively scored (e.g., \u0026ldquo;I have lack of perseverance in physical activity\u0026rdquo;). The responses were evaluated using a 5-point Likert scale, with 1 indicating \u0026ldquo;strongly disagree\u0026rdquo; and 5 indicating \u0026ldquo;strongly agree\u0026rdquo;. The total score reflects the participants\u0026rsquo; level of physical activity, with higher scores indicating high-level physical\u0026nbsp;activity and lower scores indicating lower- level physical activity. The scale has been proven to have high applicability among Chinese college students\u003csup\u003e37\u003c/sup\u003e. In this study, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.92.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoping Style Scale\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSimple coping style questionnaire developed revised by Xie Yaning\u003csup\u003e38\u003c/sup\u003e. The scale has 20 items, which are divided into two dimensions: positive coping and extreme coping. The first 12 entries measure positive coping dimensions (e.g., Sticking to one\u0026apos;s own positions). Items 13-20 measure negative coping dimensions (e.g., Believes that time will change things and the only thing to do is to wait).A 4-point Likert scale was used, with 1 being \u0026ldquo;not used\u0026rdquo;, 2 being \u0026ldquo;occasionally used\u0026rdquo;, 3 being \u0026ldquo;sometimes used\u0026rdquo; and 4 being \u0026ldquo;often used\u0026rdquo;. The scale has been proven to have high applicability among Chinese college students\u003csup\u003e39\u003c/sup\u003e. In this study, the Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.83.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLoneliness\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe short-form of loneliness was developed by Russell\u003csup\u003e40\u003c/sup\u003e and revised by Zhou et al\u003csup\u003e41\u003c/sup\u003e was used to assess the level of loneliness in individuals. Higher scores indicate that individuals are more isolated. The scale has been shown to have high applicability in the mass population of Chinese university students\u003csup\u003e42\u003c/sup\u003e. The Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient for this scale in this study was 0.81.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSelf-Rating Depression Scale\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Depression Scale was developed by Zung\u003csup\u003e43\u003c/sup\u003e and consists of two items for psychotic-affective symptoms, eight items for somatic disorders, two items for psychomotor disorders, and eight items for depressive mental disorders. A 4-point Likert scale was used, with 1 representing \u0026quot;never\u0026quot; and 4 representing \u0026ldquo;always\u0026rdquo;. The scale consisted of 20 questions, 10 positive and 10 directional, and the SDS scores were summed and multiplied by 1.25 and rounded to the nearest whole number, with higher scores indicating higher depression. The scale has been shown to have high applicability among Chinese university students\u003csup\u003e44\u003c/sup\u003e. The Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha coefficient for this scale in this study was 0.84.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDesign and statistical analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe study used SPSS 26.0 for descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis of the collected data. First, the common method bias was tested using the Harman one-factor method. Second, 95% confidence intervals for the mediating effect were estimated by 5,000 replicate samples, controlling for gender and age, according to Hayes\u0026rsquo; SPSS macro program PROCESS plug-in model 6.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommon method bias test\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHarman\u0026rsquo;s single factor test was used to test the common method deviation. The results showed that there were eight factors characteristic roots greater than 1, and the first factor explained only 22.67% of the variance, which was less than the critical criterion of 40%, indicating that the data in this study did not have serious common method bias.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDescriptive statistics and correlation analysis\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table 1, the correlation coefficients for physical activity, coping styles, loneliness and depression were statistically significant. Correlation analysis showed that physical activity was significantly positively correlated with coping styles, and significantly negatively correlated with both loneliness and depression, Coping styles were significantly and negatively related to loneliness and depression, loneliness and depression were significantly and positively related. The relationships between the variables supported the subsequent testing of the hypotheses.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTABLE\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;|\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eMeans, standard deviations, and correlations among variables.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"113%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.894736842105264%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eVariable\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.421052631578947%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eM\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eSD\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003egender\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.842105263157894%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.736842105263158%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoping styles\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eloneliness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003edepression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.894736842105264%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.421052631578947%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e27.99\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e7.17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.31**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.842105263157894%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.736842105263158%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.894736842105264%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCoping styles\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.421052631578947%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e58.14\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e8.31\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.02\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.842105263157894%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.39 **\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.736842105263158%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.894736842105264%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eloneliness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.421052631578947%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.36\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3.15\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.14**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.842105263157894%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.51**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.736842105263158%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.43**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.894736842105264%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003edepression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.421052631578947%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e42.43\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.08\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"9.473684210526315%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.14**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.842105263157894%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.51**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"14.736842105263158%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.61**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.55**\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.578947368421053%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eN =1112\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e；\u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e** p\u0026lt;0.01. \u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMediating effects test of coping styles and loneliness\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSPSS Process model 6 combined with Bootstrap method was used to test the mediating effect of coping styles and loneliness between\u0026nbsp;physical activity and depressive\u0026nbsp;after 5,000 sampling and controlling for gender and age. The results of regression analysis showed (Table 2) that physical activity can significantly and negatively predict depressive (\u003cem\u003e\u0026beta;\u003c/em\u003e= -0.51, \u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e= -19.701, p＜0.01), and Hypothesis 1 was verified. Physical activity significantly positively predicted coping styles (\u0026beta;= 0.39, t= 14.202, p \u0026lt; 0.01), and coping styles significantly negatively predicted depression (\u0026beta;= -46, t= -17.187, p \u0026lt; 0.01), and Hypothesis 2 was tested.Physical activity significantly negatively predicted loneliness (\u0026beta;= -0.40, t= -15.039, p\u0026lt;0.01 p=0.00), and loneliness significantly positively predicted depression (\u0026beta;= 0.26, t= 10.289, p\u0026lt;0.01), Hypothesis 3 was tested.Coping styles significantly and negatively predicted loneliness (\u0026beta;= -0.28, t= -10.281, p \u0026lt; 0.01), indicating the existence of a chain mediation between coping styles and loneliness, and Hypothesis 4 was tested.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable2 \u0026nbsp; Analysis of regression relationship among variables\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv align=\"center\"\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"107%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"28.823529411764707%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEffect\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"57.05882352941177%\"\u003e\n \u003cpre\u003e\u003cem\u003eitem\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"2.3529411764705883%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEffect\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"2.3529411764705883%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"2.3529411764705883%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"2.3529411764705883%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"2.3529411764705883%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLLCI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"2.3529411764705883%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eULCI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"55.367231638418076%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDirect effect\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.51412429378531%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u0026rArr;depression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.2120\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0252\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-8.4177\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.2614\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.1626\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.07207207207207%\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIndirect Effect Process\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"6.981981981981982%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u0026rArr;coping styles\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.936936936936936%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.3921\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.936936936936936%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0276\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.936936936936936%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e14.2016\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.936936936936936%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.26126126126126%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.3379\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.936936936936936%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.4463\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.24050632911393%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u0026rArr;\u0026nbsp;loneliness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.4031\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0268\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-15.0386\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.4557\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.3505\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.24050632911393%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ecoping styles\u0026rArr;\u0026nbsp;loneliness\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.2756\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0268\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-10.2805\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.3282\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.2230\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.24050632911393%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ecoping styles\u0026rArr;depression\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.4128\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0240\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-17.1869\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.4600\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.3657\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.24050632911393%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eloneliness\u0026rArr;depression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.2645\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0257\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10.2893\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.2141\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.126582278481013%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.3150\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"55.367231638418076%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal effect\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"17.51412429378531%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u0026rArr;depression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.5091\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0258\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-19.7070\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.000\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.5598\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"4.519774011299435%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.4584\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLLCI is the lower 95% limit for Bootstrap sampling and ULCI is the upper 95% limit for Bootstrap sampling.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTests were performed using the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method (5000 replicate samples). As can be seen in Table 3, the results of the 95% confidence interval for the mediating effect Bootstrap were: physical activity \u0026rarr; coping styles \u0026rarr; depression symptoms, the amount of the mediating effect was -0.1619, and the proportion of the mediating effect to the total effect was 54.5%. Physical Activity \u0026rarr; Loneliness \u0026rarr; depression, with a mediated effect size of -0.1066 and a mediated effect of 35.9%. Physical Activity \u0026rarr; Coping Style \u0026rarr; Loneliness \u0026rarr; depression, with a mediated effect size of -0.0286 and a mediated effect of 9.6%. None of the Bootstrap 95% confidence intervals for the above mediating effects included 0, indicating a significant mediating effect, with the mediating effect of coping style being the most significant.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e3\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;|\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Mediation effect and effect size\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv align=\"center\"\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"121%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.175257731958766%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePath\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.24742268041237%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEffect\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"7.216494845360825%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSE\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.68041237113402%\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe mediating proportion of the total effect\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.68041237113402%\" colspan=\"2\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e95% confidence interval\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"47.61904761904762%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBoot LLCI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"52.38095238095238%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBoot ULCI\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.583333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u0026rarr;coping styles\u0026rarr;depression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.333333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.1619\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"7.291666666666667%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0152 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.916666666666668%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e54.5%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.416666666666666%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.1933\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.1332\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.583333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u0026rarr;loneliness\u0026rarr;depression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.333333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.1066\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"7.291666666666667%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0139 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.916666666666668%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35.9%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.416666666666666%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.1364\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.0812\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.583333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ephysical activity\u0026rarr;coping styles\u0026rarr;loneliness\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026rarr;depression\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.333333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.0286\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"7.291666666666667%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0046 \u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.916666666666668%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e9.6%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.416666666666666%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.0396\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.0209\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"39.583333333333336%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTotal effect\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"8.333333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.2971\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"7.291666666666667%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e0.0217\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"22.916666666666668%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"10.416666666666666%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.3409\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"11.458333333333334%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e-0.2549\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study explored the relationship between physical activity and depression, and the mediating role of coping styles and loneliness between the two, and found that physical activity can not only directly affect depression, but also indirectly through the separate mediating roles of coping styles and loneliness, as well as the chain mediating role of the two. This further explains why physical activity affects depression, which is important for intervention and prevention of depression in college students.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePhysical Activity Effects on depression\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was found that physical activity was negatively and significantly associated with depression. This result is consistent with previous research\u003csup\u003e44\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eand verifies Hypothesis 1. First, it was shown in neurophysiology that physical activity improves cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and respiratory function and promotes the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptophan, and endorphins, which improves psychological states such as tension, anxiety, and restlessness\u003csup\u003e45\u003c/sup\u003e. Secondly, when engaging in physical activities, individuals can not only effectively relieve negative emotions, but also receive encouragement and support from peers, and develop self-will quality and improve interpersonal communication. In addition, Physical activity also has a significant effect on enhancing positive emotions such as self-efficacy, resilience, and cooperation and competitiveness among college students, which in turn alleviates or reduces depression.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCoping style independent mediator effect\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present study found that coping styles mediated the relationship between physical activity and depression, validating Hypothesis 2. This is consistent with research evidence that physical activity helps to enhance coping styles\u003csup\u003e18\u003c/sup\u003e, and that coping styles help to alleviate depression\u003csup\u003e46\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the one hand, individuals with high-level of physical activity demonstrate positive coping skills. According to the Health Action Process Orientation Theory\u003csup\u003e47\u003c/sup\u003e, physical activity stimulates an individual\u0026rsquo;s ability to self-manage and self-monitor, thereby raising mental health. In the face of stress, pressure or negative events, individuals with a high-level physical activity tend to adopt the behavior pattern of holding optimistic beliefs\u003csup\u003e48\u003c/sup\u003e, showing a calm approach to problems and choosing problem-solving oriented coping strategies. Conversely, those college students with lower-level physical activity endure relatively less psychological stress and present lower-level self-control in the face of stressful events, and individuals may be less volitional in their efforts and prone to negative emotions, with a tendency to opt for negative approaches such as moodiness, denial, fantasy, and avoidance\u003csup\u003e16\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, positive coping styles predict the occurrence of depression. When college students face stress, by adopting a problem-solving-oriented positive coping style and by adjusting their mindset, emotions, and cognition, individuals will actively seek help to reduce negative consequences, thus avoiding the emergence of depression. On the contrary, immature and negative coping styles may cause negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, self-blame, and frustration, individuals show confusion and adopt unreasonable or ineffective methods when dealing with events, and lack of active change makes it difficult to get rid of difficulties, which may induce depression.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIndependent mediating effects of loneliness\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present study found that loneliness mediated the relationship between physical activity and depression, validating Hypothesis 3. This is consistent with previous research evidence that physical activity negatively predicts loneliness\u003csup\u003e7\u0026nbsp;\u003c/sup\u003eloneliness positively predicts depression\u003csup\u003e49\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the one hand, physical activity could negatively predict loneliness. In the process of physical activity will face some pressure and challenges, peer or social mutual encouragement and support can increase mutual trust and friendship between students, and through the recognition of classmates, in the activities to enhance self-worth, and thus reduce the sense of isolation. Due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence and the internet, physical activities have been replaced by social media, and sedentary time and screen behavior have increased, making people ignore real interpersonal communication, thus increasing the risk of loneliness.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, loneliness positively predicts depression. Based on interpersonal theories, Individuals who are excluded from the outside world during interactions can trigger loneliness further producing depression, social withdrawal and other behaviors to occur. College students are in the stage of immature mind but very strong self-consciousness, they are highly concerned about their status and image in social occasions and attach importance to others\u0026rsquo; evaluation of them. When this need is not met, loneliness and depression and distress can occur.\u0026nbsp;This kind of emotional state can easily bring about subjective perception of the difference between actual social relations and expectations, thus causing negative emotional reactions and leading to depression\u003csup\u003e50\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe chain-mediated effect Coping styles and Loneliness\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBased on the above studies, a chain mediation model was constructed to explore the process and mechanism of physical activity and depression. Coping style and loneliness play a chain mediating role between physical activity and depression. Specifically, physical activity is conducive to improving coping style. High-level coping style is an important factor in predicting loneliness, and loneliness is a further predictor of depression. This confirms Hypothesis 4 of this study.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn individual\u0026rsquo;s mental health and emotional regulation depends largely on coping styles. Effective coping with stressful situations can lead to positive emotional experiences, such as happiness, self-confidence. Conversely, ineffective coping can lead to depression and feelings of isolation. According to stress theory of physical exercise\u003csup\u003e51\u003c/sup\u003e, physical activity, which is characterized by hardship, fatigue, and competition, plays an important role in developing the qualities of resilience, self-confidence, bravery, and resourcefulness, as well as contributing to the formation of mature and stable personality traits among college students, which leads to the development of coping styles that are positively protective of psychological well-being. When facing academic pressure, life pressure or other setbacks, college students with good coping styles are not only able to be problem-solving oriented, but also take the initiative to seek the support and help of others to get through the difficult situation, so as to make life more meaningful.Individuals with low-level physical activity tend to be isolated and have negative emotions, which further negates self-denial and reduces the sense of social value and leads to loneliness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore,physical activity is positively correlated with the coping style level among college students, which helps to improve individual emotional experience and life satisfaction, thus alleviating or reducing loneliness. In addition, individuals with lower-level loneliness were more likely to communicate with classmates, develop positive confidence, and contribute to improved mental health and reduced depression.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003epractical significance\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study explored the effects of physical activity on college students\u0026rsquo; depression, enriched the research on the correlation between physical activity and the field of depression, and is of practical significance in preventing or alleviating college students\u0026apos; depression. First, colleges should emphasize physical activity as an important antecedent variable in preventing or alleviating depression. Secondly, the result that coping style and loneliness play a mediating role between physical activity and depression suggests that educators should pay attention to the important influence of these two factors on the depressive state of college students, and pay attention to improving their coping style and reducing their loneliness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLimitations and Prospects\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this study we were unable to infer the causal relationship between variables. Longitudinal follow-up or experimental intervention designs can be adopted in the future. In addition, in this study we considered only the mediating effects of coping style and loneliness. In fact, there may be other mediating variables, such as self-control and meaning in life, which need to be further explored.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003e(1) Physical activity can significantly and positively predict college students\u0026rsquo; coping styles and significantly and negatively predict loneliness and depression, which suggests that physical activity may help to improve college students\u0026rsquo; coping styles and prevent, alleviate, or reduce loneliness and depression. (2) Physical activity not only directly predicts college students\u0026rsquo; depression, but also indirectly predicts college students\u0026rsquo; depression through the separate mediating roles of coping styles and loneliness, and indirectly predicts depression through the chain mediating roles of coping styles and loneliness. These suggest that not only physical activity but also coping styles and loneliness should be emphasized in improving depression among college students.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this study, we are very grateful to all the college students and teachers who participated in the survey for their help.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKL Guo: designed and managed this study. HY Fu investigated and revised manuscript. SQ Guo original draft, collected and analyzed the data, wrote manuscript. All authors approved the submitted version.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data obtained in the current research will be obtained from the author of the communication according to reasonable requirements.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Health Organization. Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates. Geneva: World Health Organization. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/254610/1/WHO-MSD-MER-2017.2-eng.pdf (2017)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePark, L. T. \u0026amp; Zarate, C. A. 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Review on physical exercises and coping of stress. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Wuhan Sports University\u003c/em\u003e. 11, 58-61+65 (2008). https://doi.org/10.15930/j.cnki.wtxb.2008.11.015\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"physical activity, coping styles, loneliness, depression, college students","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4057803/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4057803/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePurpose\u003c/strong\u003e: To explore the relationship between physical activity and depression among college students and the mediating role of coping styles and loneliness in the relationship.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods\u003c/strong\u003e: A stratified whole group sampling method was used to survey 1112 college students using the Physical Activity Scale, Depression Scale, Coping Styles Scale, and Loneliness Scale.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e: (1) Physical activity was significantly negatively correlated with depression (r =-0.51), and the direct path of physical activity on depression was significant (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e= -0.21, \u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e= -8.418 , p＜0.01), (2) Physical activity positively predicted coping styles (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e= 0.39，\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e= 14.202，\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e＜0.01) and negatively predicted loneliness (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e= -0.40，\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e= -15.039，\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e＜0.01), and Coping styles significantly and negatively predicted depression (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e= -0.28，\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e= -10.281，\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e＜0.01) and loneliness (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e= -0.41，\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e= -17.187，\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e＜0.01), and Loneliness significantly and positively predicted depression (\u003cem\u003eβ\u003c/em\u003e= 0.26，\u003cem\u003et\u003c/em\u003e= 10.289，\u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e＜0.01).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c/strong\u003e: Physical activity can not only directly affect depression, but also indirectly through the separate mediating effects of coping styles and loneliness, as well as the chain mediating effects of the two.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Relationship of Physical Activity to depression：Coping Styles and Loneliness Mediating Effects among College Students","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-03-11 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