Adherence to 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and Risk of Mood Disorders Among Chinese University Students: Implications for Health Promotion in Higher Education

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, increased attention has been given to university students’ health and well-being. In 2020, Canada introduced the 24-hour movement guidelines (24HMG), which integrate recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep across a full day. Previous studies indicated that adherence to the 24HMG was associated with improved physical and mental health. Using a cross-sectional research design, 2,527 university students (Mage = 19.44) from 25 universities in China were recruited to examine adherence to the 24HMG and their risk of mood disorders. Chi-square tests assessed differences in guideline adherence by sex and academic major. Logistic regression analyses examined whether adherence to the 24HMG predicted the likelihood of reporting mood disorders. Only 8.7% of the university students met all three 24HMG. Adherence rates were 31.8% for physical activity, 14.2% for sedentary behavior, and 47.0% for sleep. A significantly higher proportion of male students than female students met all three guidelines (3.8% vs. 2.0%; χ² = 7.05, df = 2, p = .029). Logistic regression analyses showed that students who met all 24HMG were less likely to report mood disorders than those who did not (OR = 0.53, 95% CI [0.35–0.81], p = .003). In addition, meeting the sleep guideline was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of mood disorders (OR = 0.61, 95% CI [0.50–0.74], p < .001). Adherence to the 24HMG among Chinese university students was low. These findings highlight the importance of promoting integrated movement behaviors to support the well-being of this population.