Is martial arts participation associated with sleep quality among Chinese adolescents? A cross-sectional baseline survey

Objective This study examined the association between martial arts participation and sleep quality among Chinese adolescents while considering demographic and participation-context factors. Methods This study used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected from March 2025 to June 2025 in primary and secondary schools in Guangdong, Jiangsu, Henan, Sichuan, Anhui, and Hainan provinces, China. A total of 6,642 valid questionnaires were included. Martial arts participation and sleep quality were measured using self-report questionnaires. In this study, organizational form referred to the setting in which students participated in martial arts, such as physical education classes, school clubs, after-school training, or self-organized practice. Activity type referred to the specific martial arts or combat-sport category practiced, such as Wushu routines, Sanda, Tai Chi, Taekwondo, or Karate. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between martial arts participation and sleep quality. Results The common method bias test showed that the first unrotated factor explained 23.06% of the total variance. This value was below the 40% threshold. Martial arts participation was significantly correlated with sleep quality ( r = 0.162, p < 0.001). After controlling for sex, grade, age, place of residence, and parental education, higher martial arts participation was significantly associated with higher reverse-coded sleep-quality scores, indicating better sleep quality ( B = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.003–0.007, β = 0.179, p < 0.001). Activity type was also significantly associated with sleep quality ( B = 0.098, 95% CI: 0.055–0.141, β = 0.358, p < 0.001). Conclusion Higher martial arts participation was significantly associated with better sleep quality among Chinese adolescents. The findings suggest that martial arts may be a potentially relevant school-based activity for adolescent sleep health, although longitudinal or intervention studies are needed to confirm the direction and causality of this association.