The chain mediating role of physical exercise and anxiety in the relationship between school connectedness and sleep disorders among adolescents

Objective The present study aims to investigate the chain mediating effects of Physical Exercise (PE) and anxiety in the association between School Connectedness (SC) and Sleep Disorders (SD) among adolescents. Methods The present study employed a convenience sampling strategy to recruit 519 adolescents (Mage = 13.32 years, SD = 1.02; age range: 11–15 years) from northwestern Hunan Province, China. Self-report measures were administered to assess SC, SD, PE, and anxiety. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation analyses, and mediation effect examinations were conducted using SPSS (version 26.0) in conjunction with the PROCESS macro (Model 6). Results After adjusting for age and sex, the findings revealed that SC was significantly and inversely correlated with both PE and SD. Moreover, SC demonstrated a significant negative association with anxiety and SD. Additionally, PE exhibited a significant inverse relationship with anxiety. SC was correlated with SD among adolescents, and both anxiety and PE were also correlated with SD. Conclusion The current study provided additional insight into the psychological pathways linking SC and SD in adolescents, specifically by exploring how PE and anxiety serve as mediating factors in this association.