Do self-control and negative emotions mediate the effects of physical activity on problematic mobile phone use? Insights from a meta-analytic structural equation modeling study

Objective

This study examined the relationships among physical activity, negative emotions, self-control, and problematic mobile phone use, focusing on mediating mechanisms and the moderating role of specific negative emotions (depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness).

Methods

Meta-analytic structural equation modeling (MASEM) was applied to pooled data from 23 studies (N = 65,507) to estimate direct and indirect effects.

Results

Results revealed significant correlations, with the strongest between negative emotions and problematic mobile phone use (r = 0.484) and the weakest between physical activity and problematic mobile phone use (r = −0.285). Depressive symptoms showed the strongest association with problematic use (r = 0.656), followed by stress (r = 0.599) and anxiety (r = 0.491). MASEM indicated a total effect of physical activity on problematic mobile phone use (β = −0.395, p < 0.001), with a minor direct effect (β = −0.069) and two dominant indirect pathways: (1) physical activity → self-control → problematic mobile phone use (β = −0.157) and (2) physical activity → negative emotions → problematic mobile phone use (β = −0.169).

Conclusion

Findings demonstrate that physical activity reduces problematic use primarily by mitigating negative emotions (especially depression and stress) and improving self-control. Notably, these variable associations exhibit greater strength within the university student population. Interventions should integrate emotion regulation and self-control strategies to effectively address smartphone dependency and promote healthier behaviors.