Physical Activity and Anxiety of Chinese University Students: Mediation of Self-System
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The present study examined the role of self-enhancement and self-criticism in the relationship between physical activity and anxiety. A total of 305 students from Chinese universities, ranging in age from 18 to 36, completed a questionnaire package comprising a physical activity questionnaire, a self-enhancement strategies scale, a level of self-criticism scale, and a short form of state and trait anxiety scale. Findings highlighted that physical activity had a significant negative correlation with anxiety (r = −0.31, p < 0.01), a significant positive association with self-enhancement (r = 0.43, p < 0.01), and a significant negative relationship with self-criticism (r = −0.14, p < 0.05). It was also found that anxiety was significantly predicted by self-enhancement (−0.21, p < 0.01) and self-criticism (0.44, p < 0.01). Moreover, the mediation model supports the mediation of self-enhancement and self-criticism between physical activity and anxiety in university students. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at promoting physical activity and enhancing the self-system should be worthy strategies for reducing students’ anxiety.
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Limited theoretical frameworks explaining physical activity-anxiety-academic performance pathways is a key gap.
“Key gaps include (1) heterogeneity in PA interventions and outcome measures, (2) limited theoretical frameworks explaining PA–anxiety–academic performance pathways, (3) conceptual ambiguity between exercise and physical activity, and (4) underrepresentation of low- and middle-income and non-Western populations (Kayani et al., 2021; Qin, 2024; Torales, 2024).”
From Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity in University Students: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Kayani et al., 2021
The Theoretical Background says that mechanisms linking physical activity to anxiety need further investigation, including possible intermediary variables. It also describes several existing theories and models. The paper does not identify a shortage of theoretical frameworks for a pathway extending to academic performance; its proposed model ends at anxiety. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredUnderrepresentation of low- and middle-income and non-Western populations is a key gap.
“Key gaps include (1) heterogeneity in PA interventions and outcome measures, (2) limited theoretical frameworks explaining PA–anxiety–academic performance pathways, (3) conceptual ambiguity between exercise and physical activity, and (4) underrepresentation of low- and middle-income and non-Western populations (Kayani et al., 2021; Qin, 2024; Torales, 2024).”
From Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity in University Students: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Kayani et al., 2021
The Theoretical Background says the authors knew of no study testing the specified PA–self-system–anxiety model in a Chinese context, supporting a narrow gap in research on a non-Western population. It does not establish broader underrepresentation of non-Western populations or address low- and middle-income populations as a group. No page number is available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSeveral studies report improvements in stress, anxiety, and depression with physical activity.
“While several studies report improvements in stress, anxiety, and depression (Gosadi, 2024; Kayani et al., 2021; Torales, 2024; Zamri & Raman, 2020)”
From Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity in University Students: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Kayani et al., 2021
Heterogeneity in physical activity interventions and outcome measures is a key gap.
“Key gaps include (1) heterogeneity in PA interventions and outcome measures, (2) limited theoretical frameworks explaining PA–anxiety–academic performance pathways, (3) conceptual ambiguity between exercise and physical activity, and (4) underrepresentation of low- and middle-income and non-Western populations (Kayani et al., 2021; Qin, 2024; Torales, 2024).”
From Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity in University Students: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Kayani et al., 2021
The Methods (§2.1; page unavailable) describe various ways to measure physical activity, but do not identify heterogeneity in interventions or outcome measures as a research gap. The Limitations and Future Research section (§5; page unavailable) discusses sample size, generalizability, and study design instead. Searches for heterogeneity in interventions and outcome measures found no passage making the attributed point. (LLM, conf=0.72)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredConceptual ambiguity between exercise and physical activity is a key gap.
“Key gaps include (1) heterogeneity in PA interventions and outcome measures, (2) limited theoretical frameworks explaining PA–anxiety–academic performance pathways, (3) conceptual ambiguity between exercise and physical activity, and (4) underrepresentation of low- and middle-income and non-Western populations (Kayani et al., 2021; Qin, 2024; Torales, 2024).”
From Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity in University Students: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Kayani et al., 2021
The Theoretical Background defines physical activity and mentions exercise alongside it, but does not identify ambiguity between the concepts as a research gap. Searches for a distinction between exercise and physical activity and for relevant limitations found no passage making that point. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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RetractedLi, D., Sun, M., & Jiang, W. (2026) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-026-27627-3
- Authors
- Kayani, S., Kiyani, T., Kayani, S., Morris, T., Biasutti, M., & Wang, J.
- Affiliations
- Zhejiang Normal University (CN)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
- Victoria University (AU)
- University of Padua (IT)
- Corresponding author
- Biasutti, Michele
- Wang, Jin
- Venue
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2021-04-22
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 4468
- ISSN
- 1660-4601 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8122769
- OpenAlex
- W3152880835
- Cited by
- 41
- References
- 76
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 9
- FWCI
- 4.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Victoria University Research Repository (Victoria University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
- Padua Research Archive (University of Padova) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
- Keywords
- physical activity, anxiety, self-enhancement, self-criticism, self-system, mediation, university students, Chinese university students, state-trait anxiety
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, China, Humans, Students, Universities, Exercise
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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
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