{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T05:08:41Z","timestamp":1780376921376,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1780358400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"\n Background<\/jats:title>\n Internet addiction (IA) is prevalent among university students and is often linked to negative affect and maladaptive cognition. Time-specific physical activity such as night running may relate to IA, but the psychological mechanisms remain underexplored.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Objective<\/jats:title>\n This study examined the association between night running and IA and tested whether stress\/anxiety and rumination mediate this relationship in a serial pathway.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Methods<\/jats:title>\n A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 1,138 undergraduates from two universities in Guangdong Province, China. Night running frequency (after 7:00\u202fp.m.) was assessed using an adapted IPAQ-SF item. Stress\/anxiety was measured with the DASS-21, rumination with the Ruminative Responses Scale, and IA with the Internet Addiction Test. Correlations were computed and a serial mediation model was tested using bootstrapping.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Results<\/jats:title>\n \n Night running was negatively correlated with stress\/anxiety (\n r<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f\u22120.48), rumination (\n r<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f\u22120.45), and IA (\n r<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f\u22120.52), while stress\/anxiety and rumination were positively associated with IA (\n r<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f0.42 and\n r<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f0.50, respectively). Mediation analyses indicated a significant total effect of night running on IA (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.52) and a remaining direct effect (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n \u202f=\u202f\u22120.34). Significant indirect effects were observed via stress\/anxiety (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f\u22120.05), via rumination (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f\u22120.07), and via the serial pathway (\n \u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n =\u202f\u22120.06), with all bootstrap 95% CIs excluding zero.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n Night running is associated with lower IA among university students, partly through reduced stress\/anxiety and reduced rumination, supporting a partial serial mediation model.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1776859","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T04:28:01Z","timestamp":1780374481000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Night running and internet addiction among university students: a serial mediation model of stress\/anxiety and rumination"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Shaoheng","family":"Liang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Guangdong Pharmaceutical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"K. M. Sajjadul","family":"Islam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Computer Science, Marquette University","place":["Milwaukee, WI, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiawei","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical College of Wisconsin","place":["Milwaukee, WI, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zitong","family":"Ye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Guangzhou Sport University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tianyu","family":"Gao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Physical Education, Jinan University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]},{"name":"School of Public Health, Macau University of Science and Technology","place":["Taipa, Macao SAR, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1016\/j.smrv.2019.06.004","article-title":"Internet addiction and sleep problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"47","author":"Alimoradi","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sleep Med. Rev."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"252","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2016.08.033","article-title":"Integrating psychological and neurobiological considerations regarding the development and maintenance of specific internet-use disorders: an interaction of person-affect-cognition-execution (I-PACE) model","volume":"71","author":"Brand","year":"2016","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref9001","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1599833","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1599833","article-title":"The effects of physical exercise on the time management of college students: a chain mediation effect test","volume":"16","author":"Cao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1080\/17437199.2019.1700819","article-title":"The association between worry and rumination with sleep in non-clinical populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"14","author":"Clancy","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref9002","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1381","DOI":"10.1249\/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB","article-title":"International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity","volume":"35","author":"Craig","year":"2003","journal-title":"Med. Sci. Sports Exerc."},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113074","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2025.113074","article-title":"A meta-analysis of rumination and digital addiction","volume":"238","author":"Gao","year":"2025","journal-title":"Pers. Individ. Dif."},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"daae054","DOI":"10.1093\/heapro\/daae054","article-title":"Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students\u2019 mental health: systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"39","author":"Huang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Health Promot. Int."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"351","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chb.2013.10.059","article-title":"A conceptual and methodological critique of internet addiction research: towards a model of compensatory internet use","volume":"31","author":"Kardefelt-Winther","year":"2014","journal-title":"Comput. Human Behav."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1186\/s12991-022-00384-4","article-title":"Problematic internet use, health behaviors, depression and eating disorders: a cross-sectional study among polish medical school students","volume":"21","author":"Ko\u017cybska","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ann. General Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e70079","DOI":"10.1111\/aphw.70079","article-title":"End of exercise, end of benefits? A meta-analysis of optimal physical exercise parameters for brain volume","volume":"17","author":"Li","year":"","journal-title":"Appl. Psychol. Health Well Being"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106008","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2025.106008","article-title":"The neural correlates of physical exercise-induced general cognitive gains: a systematic review and meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging studies","volume":"169","author":"Li","year":"","journal-title":"Neurosci. Biobehav. Rev."},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.1097\/YCO.0000000000000994","article-title":"Global prevalence of internet addiction among university students: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"38","author":"Liu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"335","DOI":"10.1016\/0005-7967(94)00075-U","article-title":"The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the depression anxiety stress scales (DASS) with the Beck depression and anxiety inventories","volume":"33","author":"Lovibond","year":"1995","journal-title":"Behav. Res. Ther."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"459","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2024.08.188","article-title":"The role of physical activity in mitigating stress-induced internet addiction among Chinese college students","volume":"366","author":"Luo","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Affect. Disord."},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"569","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-843X.100.4.569","article-title":"Responses to depression and their effects on the duration of depressive episodes","volume":"100","author":"Nolen-Hoeksema","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Abnorm. Psychol."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1037\/0022-3514.61.1.115","article-title":"A prospective study of depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms after a natural disaster: the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake","volume":"61","author":"Nolen-Hoeksema","year":"1991","journal-title":"J. Pers. Soc. Psychol."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1745-6924.2008.00088.x","article-title":"Rethinking rumination","volume":"3","author":"Nolen-Hoeksema","year":"2008","journal-title":"Perspect. Psychol. Sci."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1577","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-025-22813-1","article-title":"Mobile phone addiction was the mediator and physical activity was the moderator between bullying victimization and sleep quality","volume":"25","author":"Peng","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref9003","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1091","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare9091091","article-title":"Electronic device use before bedtime and sleep quality among university students","volume":"9","author":"Pham","year":"2021","journal-title":"Healthcare"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1301","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci11101301","article-title":"Problematic internet use among university students and its relationship with social skills","volume":"11","author":"Romero-L\u00f3pez","year":"2021","journal-title":"Brain Sci."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100584","DOI":"10.1016\/j.puhip.2025.100584","article-title":"The impact of social networking addiction on the academic achievement of university students globally: a meta-analysis","volume":"9","author":"Salari","year":"2025","journal-title":"Public Health Practice"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1530740","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2025.1530740","article-title":"The effect of physical activities on internet addiction in college students: the mediating effect of self-control","volume":"16","author":"Sun","year":"2025","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"423","DOI":"10.1080\/03637751.2017.1332419","article-title":"A meta-analysis of the relationships between psychosocial problems and internet habits: synthesizing internet addiction, problematic internet use, and deficient self-regulation research","volume":"84","author":"Tokunaga","year":"2017","journal-title":"Commun. Monogr."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0319806","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0319806","article-title":"Does physical activity-based intervention decrease repetitive negative thinking? A systematic review","volume":"20","author":"Wang","year":"2025","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1523","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-025-22719-y","article-title":"The relationship between internet addiction and academic burnout in undergraduates: a chain mediation model","volume":"25","author":"Wei","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"108159","DOI":"10.1016\/j.addbeh.2024.108159","article-title":"Effects of exercise interventions on internet addiction among college students: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials","volume":"160","author":"Yan","year":"2025","journal-title":"Addict. Behav."},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1089\/cpb.1998.1.237","article-title":"Internet addiction: the emergence of a new clinical disorder","volume":"1","author":"Young","year":"1998","journal-title":"Cyberpsychol. Behav."},{"key":"ref9004","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0307162","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0307162","article-title":"Influence of smartphone addiction on sleep quality of college students: the regulatory effect of physical exercise behavior","volume":"19","author":"Zhu","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLoS One"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1776859\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]],"date-time":"2026-06-02T04:28:01Z","timestamp":1780374481000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1776859\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"references-count":28,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1776859"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1776859","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,2]]},"article-number":"1776859"}}