Too lazy, too low? A correlational study of sedentary lifestyle and self-esteem among university students

Objective To examine the relationship between sedentary lifestyle and self-esteem among nursing students. A sedentary lifestyle has become increasingly prevalent among university students, particularly in this digital era, and is suspected to affect not only physical health but also psychological aspects such as self-esteem. Methods This correlational analytic study used a quantitative approach and was conducted at the Institute of Technology and Health Sciences (ITSKes) ICMe Jombang from January to February 2025. A total of 252 active nursing students from semesters 2, 4, and 6 were selected through purposive sampling. Sedentary lifestyle was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short form, while self-esteem was assessed with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Data were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation and simple linear regression. Results Most respondents reported high levels of sedentary behavior and moderate to low levels of self-esteem. A strong and statistically significant negative correlation was found between sedentary lifestyle and self-esteem (Spearman’s ρ = −0.773, P = 0.002). Regression analysis also showed that a sedentary lifestyle significantly predicted self-esteem ( R 2 = 0.597, β= −0.773, P = 0.000), indicating that 59.8% of the variance in self-esteem could be explained by sedentary behavior. Conclusions A high level of sedentary lifestyle is significantly associated with lower self-esteem among nursing students. These findings highlight the need for interventions promoting active lifestyles to support the psychological well-being of students.