The mediating role of psychological resilience and loneliness between physical activity and mobile phone addiction among adolescents

Objective To explore the relationship between physical activity and mobile phone addiction in adolescents and further explore the mediating chain effect of psychological resilience and loneliness. Methods 1,226 adolescents were investigated by an International physical activity questionnaire, mobile phone addiction scale, Psychological resilience scale, and Loneliness scale. Results There were significant gender differences in adolescents psychological resilience and mobile phone addiction ( p 0.01). Physical activity was negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction ( r = −0.21, p 0.01) and loneliness ( r = −0.22, p 0.01), physical activity was positively correlated with psychological resilience ( r = 0.42, p 0.01), psychological resilience was negatively correlated with loneliness ( r = −0.26, p 0.01), respectively was negatively correlated with mobile phone addiction ( r = −0.23, p 0.01), and loneliness was positively correlated with mobile phone addiction ( r = 0.32, p 0.01). Psychological resilience had a significant mediating effect between physical activity and mobile phone addiction, loneliness had a significant mediating effect between physical activity and mobile phone addiction, and psychological resilience and loneliness had a significant chain mediating effect between moderate and high physical activity and mobile phone addiction. Conclusion (1) Physical activity positively predicts phone addiction; (2) Physical activity can not only directly affect mobile phone addiction but also affect mobile phone addiction through the mediating effects of psychological resilience and loneliness respectively; (3) Physical activity can also influence mobile phone addiction through the chain mediating effect of psychological resilience and loneliness. These findings can be directly applied by integrating structured physical activity programs into school schedules to enhance adolescents’ psychological resilience against addictive behaviors.