The relationship between sleep quality and physical learning engagement among Chinese college students: a variable centered and person centered analysis

ObjectiveThis study examined the association between sleep quality and physical learning engagement among Chinese college students and tested the serial mediating roles of smartphone addiction and self-esteem. Both variable centered and person centered approaches were adopted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.MethodsA total of 1,130 college students completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale for Students (UWES-S), the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES). Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, regression analyses, and mediation analyses were conducted in SPSS 26.0 using the PROCESS macro. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was performed in Mplus 8.3.ResultsSleep quality was negatively associated with physical learning engagement (β = −0.096, p < 0.05). Smartphone addiction partially mediated the association between sleep quality and physical learning engagement (indirect effect = −0.145, 95% CI [−0.258, −0.040]). Self esteem also showed a significant partial mediating effect (indirect effect = −0.131, 95% CI [−0.213, −0.065]); In addition, smartphone addiction and self-esteem jointly constituted a significant serial indirect association between sleep quality and physical learning engagement (indirect effect = −0.027, 95% CI [−0.049, −0.010]). LPA further identified four subgroups based on smartphone addiction and self esteem, and these latent profiles differed significantly in sleep quality and physical learning engagement.ConclusionThe findings showed that poorer sleep quality was significantly associated with lower vigor, dedication, and absorption in physical learning engagement. This association operated through three pathways, a single mediating effect of smartphone addiction, a single mediating effect of SE, and a serial mediating pathway via smartphone addiction and then self esteem, although the overall effect sizes were small. Latent profile analysis further identified four heterogeneous subgroups based on joint levels of smartphone addiction and self esteem; among them, the high-addiction–moderate-self esteem group exhibited the poorest sleep quality and the lowest physical learning engagement. These results provide an empirical basis for stratified interventions in higher education and suggest that improving students’ sleep and regulating excessive smartphone use may be effective strategies to enhance physical learning engagement.