The correlation between phubbing and depression anxiety stress of first-year medical students: the mediating role of sedentary behavior - Summary - MDSpire

The correlation between phubbing and depression anxiety stress of first-year medical students: the mediating role of sedentary behavior

  • By

  • Mengyun Peng

  • Yingpeng Jiang

  • Pusen Lu

  • Na Li

  • May 11, 2026

  • 0 min

Share

Objective:

To examine the indirect effect of sedentary behavior on the relationship between phubbing and levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among first-year medical students.

Key Findings:
  • Phubbing and sedentary behavior positively affect depression, anxiety, and stress (r = 0.120 ~ 0.815, p < 0.01).
  • Phubbing positively impacts sedentary behavior (r = 0.128, p < 0.01).
  • Sedentary behavior mediates the relationship between phubbing and mental health issues, contributing 1.9%~2.5% of the total effect.
Interpretation:

To effectively reduce depression, anxiety, and stress in first-year medical students, it is crucial to address both phubbing and sedentary behavior.

Limitations:
  • Cross-sectional design limits causal inferences.
  • Self-reported measures may introduce bias, as they rely on participants' subjective assessments.
Conclusion:

Interventions targeting phubbing and sedentary behavior may help improve mental health outcomes for first-year medical students.

Original Source(s)

The correlation between phubbing and depression anxiety stress of first-year medical students: the mediating role of sedentary behavior

  • by Mengyun Peng, Yingpeng Jiang, Pusen Lu, Na Li

  • May 11, 2026

Related Content

The dual-sensitive period gut-brain crosstalk, neuroinflammation, and the biological roots of adolescent depression

Implication of machine learning models versus traditional models for the prediction of suicidal thoughts or ideation in west of Iran; data mining approaches on a population-based cross-sectional study

Network structure analysis of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among college students: identification of central and bridge symptoms