Physical activity and short-form video addiction among adolescents: the chain mediating role of cognitive flexibility and anxiety.

Physical activity was negatively correlated with short-form video addiction among adolescents.

• The correlation coefficient was r = -0.274, p < 0.001.
• Sample comprised 492 adolescents (236 male, 256 female) with a mean age of 15.36 years (SD = 0.54).
• Data were collected via self-reported measures during the autumn term of 2023 from three secondary institutions in Hunan Province, China.
• Convenience sampling was used; findings are correlational, not causal.

Cognitive flexibility and anxiety together formed a significant chain (serial) mediating pathway between physical activity and short-form video addiction.

• The serial indirect association had an effect size of -0.029 (SE = 0.009, 95% CI [-0.050, -0.013]).
• This chain mediation pathway accounted for 13.94% of the total association.
• The pathway direction suggests physical activity was associated with greater cognitive flexibility, which in turn was associated with lower anxiety, which was associated with lower short-form video addiction.
• Mediation was tested using a mediation model with bootstrap confidence intervals.

Cognitive flexibility alone was a significant single mediator in the association between physical activity and short-form video addiction.

• The single-mediator indirect effect size for cognitive flexibility was -0.049 (95% CI [-0.088, -0.019]).
• The confidence interval did not include zero, indicating statistical significance.
• This represents one of three significant indirect pathways identified in the mediation analysis.

Anxiety alone was a significant single mediator in the association between physical activity and short-form video addiction.

• The single-mediator indirect effect size for anxiety was -0.041 (95% CI [-0.079, -0.010]).
• The confidence interval did not include zero, indicating statistical significance.
• Higher physical activity was associated with lower anxiety, which was in turn associated with lower short-form video addiction.

The total indirect association of cognitive flexibility and anxiety together accounted for more than half of the overall association between physical activity and short-form video addiction.

• The total indirect association (combining all mediator pathways) accounted for 57.69% of the overall association.
• The remaining approximately 42% of the association was a direct association not explained by these two mediators.
• Three indirect pathways were identified: cognitive flexibility alone, anxiety alone, and the chain pathway of cognitive flexibility followed by anxiety.

The study design was cross-sectional, limiting causal inference about the relationships observed.

• The authors explicitly state findings 'should be interpreted as correlational evidence rather than proof of temporal or causal mechanisms.'
• Data were collected at a single time point during the autumn term of 2023.
• Convenience sampling from three institutions in Hunan Province, China limits generalizability.
• All measures were self-reported.