How Physical Exercise Reduces Problematic Mobile Phone Use in Adolescents: The Roles of Expression Suppression, Depression, Anxiety, and Resilience

Fa Ji,1,2 Qilong Sun,3 Wei Han,3 Yansong Li,1 Xue Xia4,5 1School of Physical Education, Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 2Development Center for Water Sports, Qingdao University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 3Liaocheng Infant Normal School, Liaocheng, People’s Republic of China; 4Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 5School of Social Development and Health Management, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xue Xia, Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), No. 1, Jiaozhou Road, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected] Yansong Li, School of Physical Education, Qingdao University, No. 308 Ningxia Road, Qingdao City, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China, Email [email protected]: Problematic mobile phone use has become a pressing concern among adolescents due to its widespread prevalence and associated health risks. Physical exercise has been suggested as a potential intervention, but the psychological mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear. This study explores how physical exercise impacts problematic mobile phone use through expression suppression, emotional problems (depression and anxiety), and resilience, offering actionable insights for intervention strategies.Methods: The study involved 2,032 Chinese adolescents who completed standardized self-report questionnaires assessing physical exercise, expression suppression, emotional problems, resilience, and problematic mobile phone use. Statistical analyses were conducted using a moderated serial mediation model.Results: Among the participants, 25.5% reported problematic mobile phone use, while 37.5% experienced both depression and anxiety. Physical exercise was negatively associated with problematic mobile phone use (β = − 0.195, p < 0.001) through its effects on expressive suppression, depression, and anxiety. Indirect effects mediated by expressive suppression and depression/anxiety accounted for 52.0% and 44.4% of the total effect, respectively. Additionally, resilience moderated the pathway linking expressive suppression to depression and anxiety (interaction effect for depression: β = − 0.080, 95% CI: − 0.111 to − 0.048; for anxiety: β = − 0.065, 95% CI: − 0.097 to − 0.033), with low resilience amplifying the negative emotional impacts of expressive suppression.Conclusion: Physical exercise can directly reduce problematic mobile phone use and indirectly alleviate its associated risks by improving emotion regulation and reducing emotional problems. Expressive suppression and depression/anxiety play significant mediating roles, while resilience moderates these pathways, highlighting its protective effect. By targeting both behavioral and psychological factors, interventions that combine physical activity promotion with resilience training show promise in addressing problematic mobile phone use and associated emotional issues in adolescents.Keywords: physical exercise, expressive suppression, depression/anxiety, resilience, problematic mobile phone use, adolescent