The mediating role of rumination and psychological resilience between physical activity and sleep quality among college students

Sleep quality is a critical issue among college students, significantly affecting their academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. Identifying the factors affecting sleep quality is crucial for designing effective interventions. This study examined the mediating roles of rumination and psychological resilience in the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality among college students. A questionnaire survey was conducted among Chinese college students from five universities in Guangdong Province, using a convenience sampling method, and 1154 valid responses were collected. The physical activity rating scale (PARS-3), ruminative responses scale (RRS), brief resilience scale (BRS), and Pittsburgh sleep quality Index (PSQI) were used to assess physical activity, rumination, psychological resilience, and sleep quality, respectively. To test the hypothesized relationships, we employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the proposed multiple mediation model. The research results indicated that physical activity had significant direct (β = - 0.010, Z = - 2.500, p < 0.01) and indirect effects (β = - 0.018, Z = - 6.000, p < 0.001) on sleep quality, indicating that the structural model is partially mediated. Further specific indirect effects indicated that physical activity negatively predicted sleep quality through rumination (β = - 0.009, Z = - 4.500, p < 0.001) or psychological resilience (β = - 0.006, Z = - 3.000, p < 0.01). Meanwhile, rumination and psychological resilience sequentially mediated the relationship between physical activity and sleep quality (β = - 0.004, Z = - 4.000, p < 0.001). These findings provide novel insights into the effects of physical activity on sleep quality, highlighting the significant mediating roles of rumination and psychological resilience, while offering practical implications for improving sleep quality among college students.