Latent profiles of Big Five personality traits among Chinese university students and their associations with psychological distress and health-related quality of life: The moderating role of the school sports environment.

Abstract

Variable-centred research overlooks how personality dimensions combine within individuals. This study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify Big Five personality profiles among 2291 Chinese university students, examine profile differences in depression, anxiety, stress, and mental and physical health-related quality of life, and test whether the school sports environment moderated profile differences in health-related quality of life. Participants completed the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and a 47-item School Sports Environment Questionnaire. A three-profile solution was retained, comprising Average (68.4%), Emotionally Fragile (6.3%; low extraversion, low conscientiousness, high neuroticism), and Resilient (25.3%; high extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness, low neuroticism). The Resilient profile exhibited higher mental and physical health-related quality-of-life scores and lower levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, whereas the Emotionally Fragile profile showed the opposite pattern; all pairwise differences were significant (adjusted p < 0.001). A more supportive school sports environment was associated with higher mental and physical health-related quality-of-life scores across profiles. The Profile × School Sports Environment interaction was significant for both mental health-related quality of life, F(2, 2280) = 7.07, p < 0.001, and physical health-related quality of life, F(2, 2280) = 4.70, p = 0.009. Simple slope analyses indicated significant positive associations in all three profiles, with the strongest associations observed in the Emotionally Fragile profile. These findings extend person-centred evidence on personality and health among Chinese university students and identify profile-dependent associations with the school sports environment.