The impact of college students’ physical exercise on negative emotion: The chain mediating role of self-efficacy and smartphone addiction

This study offers a novel theoretical perspective on the relationship between physical exercise and negative emotions, elucidating the associations among physical exercise, self-efficacy, smartphone addiction, and negative emotions. The findings suggest that physical exercise may regulate negative emotions by enhancing self-efficacy and mitigating smartphone addiction, thereby providing empirical support for mental health intervention practices within the university student population.