Physical Activity, Sleep Quality, Psychological Resilience, and Mental Health among Junior High School Students: Key Factor Identification and Latent Profile Analysis

Abstract

: Background: Physical activity, sleep quality, and psychological resilience are closely associated with the mental health of junior high school students. However, the relative contributions of these factors and their combined patterns in this population remain insufficiently understood. Methods: A total of 2018 junior high school students completed the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Adolescent Psychological Resilience Scale, and the Mental Health Scale for Secondary School Students. Pearson correlation analysis, multiple linear regression, random forest analysis, network analysis, and latent profile analysis were conducted. Results: Mental health was positively associated with physical activity and psychological resilience, whereas it was negatively associated with most dimensions of sleep problems. Multiple linear regression showed that physical activity, goal orientation, emotional control, positive cognition, and interpersonal support were positive correlates of mental health, while subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction were negative correlates. Random forest analysis further indicated that goal orientation, emotional control, physical activity, positive cognition, and daytime dysfunction had relatively high predictive importance. Consistently, network analysis revealed stronger conditional associations between mental health and emotional control, goal orientation, physical activity, interpersonal support, and positive cognition. Latent profile analysis identified three resource and risk profiles: a high protection group, a general group, and a high risk group. These groups differed significantly in mental health. Conclusions: The mental health of junior high school students is associated with a combination of behavioral factors, sleep factors, and psychological resilience factors. Goal orientation, emotional control, physical activity, positive cognition, and daytime dysfunction emerged as key correlates of mental health in this population. The identification of distinct resource and risk profiles may help schools develop more targeted support strategies for students with different needs.