Physical activity as a key to happiness in university students: moderated by emotion regulation

Introduction: Happiness is recognized as a key aspect of the psychological well-being of university students, yet academic pressure and sedentary lifestyles often undermine it. Physical activity was considered beneficial, but its effect depended on an individual’s capacity for emotion regulation. Objective: This study aimed to examine the role of physical activity as a predictor of happiness among Indonesian university students and explore the moderating role of emotion regulation in this relationship. Methodology: A quantitative approach was employed with 706 undergraduate students from a university in East Java, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through online questionnaires measuring happiness, emotion regulation, and physical activity and were analyzed using moderation regression. Results: The findings indicated that both physical activity and emotion regulation significantly influenced students’ happiness, although their contribution to the variability in happiness was relatively low (Adjusted R² = 0.017). Furthermore, emotion regulation significantly moderated the relationship between physical activity and happiness. Discussion: These findings align with existing research suggesting that physical activity is associated with higher happiness levels, and that emotion regulation enhances well-being. However, the relatively low explanatory power suggests that other factors may also play an important role in predicting happiness among university students. Conclusions: The ability to regulate emotions strengthened the positive effect of physical activity on happiness, highlighting the importance of developing both physical and emotional strategies to promote student well-being.