Association of physical activity and positive thinking with global sleep quality

This study examined the association of different intensity levels of physical activity and positive thinking with a global sleep quality among college students. The research question was: to what degree were the different intensity levels of physical activity and positive thinking significantly associated with the global sleep quality among college students? We recruited students, who enrolled in regular physical education classes during a fall semester at a major public university. 553 students signed the consent form and indicated their voluntary participation in this study. The final data set for analysis consisted of 403 college students with the mean age of 19.01 years ± 1.559 years (217 males vs. 186 females) based on the results of data screening. They completed three questionnaires: International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Positive Thinking Scale (PTS) during a regular physical education class. The multiple regression model revealed that vigorous-intensity physical activity, positive thinking, and negative thinking were collectively and individually associated with the Global PSQI sleep quality (F = 19.389, p = .000), explaining 12.8% of the total variance in the Global PSQI sleep quality for the total sample. College students’ engaging in vigorous intensity level of physical activity, and having a good level of positive thinking and a low level of negative thinking were both collectively and individually linked to the Global PSQI sleep quality.