The influence of physical exercise on college students’ mental health and social adaptability from the cognitive perspective

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

the relationship between physical exercise (PE) and mental health (MH) had been an important research topic in exercise psychology. With the development of society, the increasingly fierce social competition had put forward higher and higher requirements for college students’ social adaptability (SA). As members of the new era, college students were expected to not only have innovative knowledge concept, solid knowledge foundation, and healthy psychology, but also have the ability to adapt to the changes in the environment, know how to get along with others, and deal with problems alone.

OBJECTIVE:

this study aimed to evaluate the PE, MH, and SA of college students, and to analyze the internal relationships among PE, MH, and SA.

METHODS:

based on questionnaire survey, college students were randomly selected for investigation and the data were statistically processed.

RESULTS:

there were significant differences in the MH of students of different genders, majors, grades, and origins. There was a significant difference between the amount of exercise and the MH of college students. The amount of exercise was positively correlated with the MH level of college students, and there was also a positive correlation between PE and MH. The SA of the physical exercisers was average, but the SA of the non-physical exercisers was poor. There was a significant difference between the SA of the physical exercisers and the non-physical exercisers. There were significant differences in the SA between physical exercisers and non-physical exercisers of different genders, majors, grades, and origins. Physical exercisers who participated in team sports were more socially adaptable. There was no significant difference in the SA of physical exercisers of different genders, majors, and origins, and the SA of senior students was stronger.

CONCLUSIONS:

PE had a positive effect on college students’ MH and social adaptation ability. Colleges and universities could improve their MH and social adaptation ability by arranging appropriate PE.

Keywords

Physical exercise mental health social adaptability questionnaire survey statistically obvious differences

1 Introduction

With the development and progress of society and economy, the competition for talents is increasingly fierce, and the country, society, and enterprises have higher requirements for talents [1]. As a team of high-quality talents, college students are the main force in the development of the new era, and their quality determines the direction and process of future social development, so the requirements for the overall quality of college students are higher [2, 3]. Health is the material basis of the development of college students, and it is related to the development of human beings and society. As one of the connotations of health, MH shows the individual’s psychological quality and overall health level [4]. College students’ MH and SA development and challenges play important roles in the development of a country. However, with the gradual intensification of social competition and the expansion of the number of college students, the pre-ssure faced by college students is also increasing. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to the MH status of college students [5]. On the other hand, if college students want to keep up with the pace of social development and occupy a place, they need to have strong SA. SA refers to the ability of individuals to constantly adjust their self-cognition and emotions in order to better survive in the society, so as to achieve the harmony between individuals and the society [6, 7]. SA is an important quality that modern talents must have, and it plays a positive role in the growth of college students. The social adaptation of college students is a role transformation process in which college students are about to leave the campus and enter society [8]. In essence, SA is also one of the factors of health. Testing college students’ SA is also one of the bases for judging their MH [9].

As is known to all, PE can strengthen the body, promote physical development, and be conducive to physical health. However, PE is by no means limited to physical activity. It is also a mental process. PE can not only promote physical health, but also regulate MH [10]. There is an interaction between PE and MH. A healthy mind leads to a healthy body, while an unhealthy mind leads to illness. PE can not only promote physical health, but also regulate the healthy development of people’s psychological activities and promote the good development of self-awareness, personality, and will [11, 12]. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the internal relationship between PE, MH, and SA. Although there are many studies on PE and MH, there are few studies on the correlation between PE and MH and SA, and the role of PE as a mediating variable and a regulating variable was ignored. Moreover, there is a lack of research on SA from the perspective of PE [13, 14]. Especially for college students, it is necessary to study the mediating and regulating effects of PE on MH and SA.

Therefore, in order to deeply study the impact of PE on MH and SA of college students, the self-assessment was conducted based on college students’ cognitive behaviors on their MH and SA. By means of questionnaire, the basic PE, MH quality, and SA of local college students were investigated, to study the mediating and regulating effects of PE, aiming to provide positive guidance for the overall development of college students.

2 Methods

2.1 Research objects

In this study, 500 college students from freshmen to seniors were randomly selected from local universities for anonymous questionnaire survey. The effects of PE on MH and SA of college students were explored. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed and 487 questionnaires were recovered, with a recovery rate of 97.4%. The collected ques-tionnaires were sorted out and 15 unqualified questionnaires, such as missing questionnaires and wrong questionnaires, were removed. The effective recovered questionnaires were 472 and the effective recovery rate was 94.4%.

2.2 Research tools

2.2.1 Questionnaire on the basic PE of college students

According to the relevant data, the questionnaire on the basic PE of college students was designed. In order to ensure the scientific and rigorous nature of this survey, the designed questionnaire included gender, major, grade, place of origin, PE method, number of times of exercise per week, time of each exercise, and exercise intensity. Among them, PE methods included basketball, football, badminton, table tennis, other counter sports, running, swimming, Tai Chi, and other individual sports. The frequency, time, and intensity of exercise each week were used to determine whether the participants were people doing PE. When subjects did exercise more than 3 times a week, each exercise time more than 30 minutes, the intensity of each exercise was medium, he can be identified as a sports exerciser, otherwise he was identified as a non-sports exerciser.

Then, the PE of college students was graded, and the amount of PE was evaluated from the inten-sity, duration, and frequency of PE. The calculation equation is: the amount of exercise = intensity× time×frequency. The intensity and frequency were measured in 1–5 scores, the time was 0–4 scores, and the score range was 0–100 scores. The assessment criteria were 0–19 for small amount of exercise, 20–42 for medium amount of exercise, and 43–100 for large amount of exercise. The retest reliability of the scale was 0.82 [15].

2.2.2 Scale for MH quality of college students

According to the reference materials, the college students’ MH quality scale was designed. After project analysis, reliability and validity test, and preliminary experiment, it was used for investigation and research. The questionnaire included four subscales of cognition, emotion, personality will, and adaptation, as shown in Fig. 1. The latent variables of the four subscales had different correlation relations, the correlation coefficient of the cognitive subscale was between 0.570–0.797; and the correlation coefficient of the three subscales of emotion, personality will, and adaptation was 0.592–0.792, 0.658–0.775, and 0.552–0.804, respectively, indicating that different sub-dimensions of each subscale were unified and independent, and their aggregation and discriminant validity were within acceptable range. In addition, the factor load coefficient (LAMBDA -x) of the four dimensions in the questionnaire [16] were all greater than 0.4 and reached the statistical significance standard above the level of 0.05. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the fitting degree between the measurement data of the questionnaire and the conceptual model was good. The Cronbach α coefficient of the questionnaire [17] was 0.83, and the Cronbach α coefficient of the four subscales were 0.76, 0.77, 0.81, and 0.79, respectively. The internal consistency of the scale was high. The retest reliability of the questionnaire was 0.79, and the retest reliability of the four subscales [18] was 0.76, 0.65, 0.70, and 0.77, respectively. The retest reliability of the scale was also high. The table included 4 dimensions and 92 entries. Likert scoring method was adopted in this survey [19], in which the respondents were asked to choose the answers corresponding to their own situations according to the questionnaire questions.

Fig. 1

Subscale of college students’ MH quality scale.

2.2.3 Diagnosis table of SA of college students

According to the relevant information, the diagnostic table of SA of college students was designed. The reliability and validity coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.706, which was scientific to some extent. The table contained a total of 20 multiple choice questions. For singular (e.g. 1, 3, 5...) items, when the choice was “yes”, the score was -2; when the choice was “not sure”, the score was 0; and when the choice was “no”, the score was 2. For even number items (e.g. 2, 4, 5, 6 . . .), “yes” earned 2 scores, “not sure” earned 0 score, and “no” earned -2 scores. The sum of all the scores was the total score of SA of the college students [20]. The higher the total score, the stronger the SA of college students. The specific score grade is shown in Table 1.

Table 1
Social adaptability of college students

Scores Level Manifestations

35–40 Strong A I can quickly adapt to the new environment, have a good interpersonal relationship, and can easily adapt to the changes of the external environment without being affected by negative emotions

29–34 Good B I can quickly adapt to the new environment, have good interpersonal relationship, with the ability to solve problems independently

17–28 Average C In the new environment, it takes me some time to adapt to the change, and finally I adapt to the new environment

6–16 Poor D I have high requirements for the environment, when the environment does not meet expectations, I will appear negative emotions

Lower than 5 Very bad E It takes me a long time to adapt to the changes in the external environment. I have poor interpersonal relationships, and am unable to cope with the difficulties and problems that arise

Scores	Level	Manifestations
35–40	Strong A	I can quickly adapt to the new environment, have a good interpersonal relationship, and can easily adapt to the changes of the external environment without being affected by negative emotions
29–34	Good B	I can quickly adapt to the new environment, have good interpersonal relationship, with the ability to solve problems independently
17–28	Average C	In the new environment, it takes me some time to adapt to the change, and finally I adapt to the new environment
6–16	Poor D	I have high requirements for the environment, when the environment does not meet expectations, I will appear negative emotions
Lower than 5	Very bad E	It takes me a long time to adapt to the changes in the external environment. I have poor interpersonal relationships, and am unable to cope with the difficulties and problems that arise

2.3 Mathematical statistics

The data of questionnaire on the basic PE of college students, college students’ MH quality scale, and diagnosis table of SA of college students were entered into the computer for sorting using Excel. SPSS19.0 software was adopted for statistical treatment on the score data, including statistical description, t-test, variance analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis. The measurement data were expressed as mean±standard deviation ( $\bar{x} \pm s$ ), and P < 0.05 was taken as the significance standard.

Statistical description: the basic situation of gender, place of origin, grade, exercise modes, exercise time, and SA level of the sample college students were described.

T test: T test was used to compare the mean of variables in two independent samples. Least—Significant Difference (LSD) was adopted for pairwise comparisons between groups.

Variance analysis: the variance of only one of the observed factors (numerical variables) was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance.

Correlation analysis: the degree of linear relationship between two variables (PE and college students’ MH) was explored.

Regression analysis: the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variable was analyzed. When there was more than one independent variable related to the dependent variable, multiple linear regression was used.

3 Results

3.1 Basic situation of PE for college students

According to the statistics of gender, major, grade, and place of origin of students, the questionnaire is shown in Table 2. The number of male and female students surveyed was 252 and 220 respectively; 226, 198, and 48 students were respectively for science, liberal arts, and sports majors; and 163, 138, 94, and 77 students were freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior grades, respectively. Among them, 205 were from rural areas and 267 were from urban areas.

Table 2
Statistics analysis of questionnaire

Gender Major Grade Place of origin

Male Female Science Liberal arts Sports Fresh year Sophomore year Junior year Senior year Urban areas Rural areas

252 220 226 198 48 163 138 94 77 267 205

Gender	Major	Grade	Place of origin
252	220	226	198	48	163	138	94	77	267	205

According to the basic situation of PE, it was found that 227 college students doing PE and another 245 college students not doing PE. According to the statistics of gender, major, grade, and origin of students, the basic information of people doing PE and people not doing PE is shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, respectively. Among the people doing PE and people not doing PE, statistics were made according to the PE mode and exercise time, and the results are shown in Table 3.

Fig. 2

Basic information of people doing PE.

Fig. 3

Basic information of people not doing PE.

Table 3

Basic situation of PE for college students

	Physical exercise modes			Physical exercise time
		Team project	Confrontation project	Individual project	1–3 months	Half a year	A year	More than a year
Physical exerciser	Number	82	74	71	89	62	41	35
	proportion	36.1%	32.6%	31.3%	39.2%	27.3%	18.1%	15.4%
Non-physical exerciser	Number	63	87	95	101	69	53	22
	Proportion	25.7%	35.5%	38.8%	41.2%	28.2%	21.6%	9%

3.2 The influence of PE on college students’ MH

3.2.1 The influence of basic condition on MH of the college students

Table 4 and Table 5 showed the influences of gender, major, grade, and place of origin on MH of college students. The gender analysis revealed that the total scores of cognition, emotion, personality, adaptation, and MH of girls were all higher than that of boys, and there were statistically obvious differences (P < 0.001). This was because boys had higher achievement motivation and utilitarianism, and their psychological pressure was greater, while girls would talk to their friends. Besides, boys were more face-saving and didn’t take the initiative to ask for help when they encountered difficulties. On the contrary, girls had stronger willpower and self-control, and thought more comprehensively about problems.

Table 4
Survey results of MH of college students of different genders, majors, grades, and origins

Variables Cognition Emotion Willpower Adaption Total scores

Gender Male 58.72±4.784 70.12±7.267 74.87±7.601 72.31±7.164 276.02±21.137

Female 70.71±5.582 80.62±9.221 85.12±8.220 80.41±8.287 316.86±26.461

T value –11.423 –6.662 –6.613 –5.476 –8.729

P value 0.000^* 0.000^* 0.000^* 0.000^* 0.000^***

Major Science 1 63.97±8.079 74.12±9.931 79.87±9.246 75.56±9.589 293.52±32.756

Liberal arts 2 62.75±5.716 72.77±7.098 77.11±7.299 74.74±6.234 287.37±21.936

Sports 3 66.37±8.453 77.39±11.108 81.52±10.726 77.34±9.472 302.62±34.674

F value 10.224^* 10.671^* 10.536^* 4.429^* 11.189^*

Post Hoc 1 < 3^;2 < 3^ 1 < 3^;2 < 3^ 1 < 2<3^* 1 < 3^;2 < 3^ 1 < 2<3^*

Place of origin Urban areas 65.62±7.798 75.29±11.251 80.72±10.041 76.88±8.246 298.51±34.243

Rural areas 63.21±7.272 74.13±8.046 78.34±8.485 74.89±8.815 290.57±26.945

T value 3.474 1.498 2.934 2.648 3.043

P value 0.000^* 0.008 0.004 0.009 0.001

Grade Fresh year 61.67±6.793 72.94±7.484 77.57±9.746 73.98±7.598 286.16±25.437

Sophomore year 63.76±7.478 73.32±9.798 79.38±8.439 75.28±9.743 292.44±31.374

Junior year 65.38±7.874 76.23±10.843 80.12±9.456 77.98±7.728 299.87±31.443

Senior year 66.37±7.239 76.37±9.743 80.76±9.476 76.19±9.237 195.13±30.718

F value 10.437 4.829 2.437 5.322 6.143

P value 0.000^* 0.004 0.065 0.005 0.001

Variables	Cognition	Emotion	Willpower	Adaption	Total scores
Gender	Male	58.72±4.784	70.12±7.267	74.87±7.601	72.31±7.164	276.02±21.137
	Female	70.71±5.582	80.62±9.221	85.12±8.220	80.41±8.287	316.86±26.461
	T value	–11.423	–6.662	–6.613	–5.476	–8.729
	P value	0.000^***	0.000^***	0.000^***	0.000^***	0.000^***
Major	Science 1	63.97±8.079	74.12±9.931	79.87±9.246	75.56±9.589	293.52±32.756
	Liberal arts 2	62.75±5.716	72.77±7.098	77.11±7.299	74.74±6.234	287.37±21.936
	Sports 3	66.37±8.453	77.39±11.108	81.52±10.726	77.34±9.472	302.62±34.674
	F value	10.224^*	10.671^*	10.536^*	4.429^*	11.189^*
	Post Hoc	1 < 3^;2 < 3^	1 < 3^;2 < 3^	1 < 2<3^*	1 < 3^;2 < 3^	1 < 2<3^*
Place of origin	Urban areas	65.62±7.798	75.29±11.251	80.72±10.041	76.88±8.246	298.51±34.243
	Rural areas	63.21±7.272	74.13±8.046	78.34±8.485	74.89±8.815	290.57±26.945
	T value	3.474	1.498	2.934	2.648	3.043
	P value	0.000^***	0.008	0.004	0.009	0.001
Grade	Fresh year	61.67±6.793	72.94±7.484	77.57±9.746	73.98±7.598	286.16±25.437
	Sophomore year	63.76±7.478	73.32±9.798	79.38±8.439	75.28±9.743	292.44±31.374
	Junior year	65.38±7.874	76.23±10.843	80.12±9.456	77.98±7.728	299.87±31.443
	Senior year	66.37±7.239	76.37±9.743	80.76±9.476	76.19±9.237	195.13±30.718
	F value	10.437	4.829	2.437	5.322	6.143
	P value	0.000^***	0.004	0.065	0.005	0.001

^***P < 0.001; ^*P < 0.05.

Table 5

Comparison of t value of MH level of college students of different grades

Variables	Cognition	Emotion	Adaption	Total scores
Fresh and sophomore years	–2.12^*	–0.45	–1.78	–5.32
Fresh and junior years	–3.43^***	–3.29^**	–3.90^***	–13.46^***
Fresh and senior years	–4.95^***	–3.47^**	–2.43^*	–13.48^***
Sophomore and junior years	–1.98	–2.18^*	–2.94^*	–7.76^***
Sophomore and senior years	–2.47^*	–2.98^*	–0.89	–7.94^***
Junior and senior years	–0.98	–0.23	1.89	0.23

^***P < 0.001; ^**P < 0.01; ^*P < 0.05.

From the major perspective, there were statistically obvious differences in psychological health of college students majoring in science, liberal arts, and sports. The MH of students in sports major was greater than that of science major, and the MH of those in science major was greater than that of liberal arts major. The reason may be that PE can regulate MH, and the future employment direction of the major would also have a certain mapping effect on MH. With a good employment prospect, the MH level of science students was higher. Students in sports major and science major paid more attention to practice, from which college students would gain certain technical knowledge, while students majoring in liberal arts can hardly measure their ability.

From the perspective of students’ origin, there were statistically obvious differences in psychological health between urban and rural college students (P < 0.01). The MH level of urban college students was higher than that of rural college students. This may be because the environment in which college students were brought up can affect their MH. The educational environment, social environment, and family environment in rural areas were all lower than that in urban areas. When rural students entered the city to study, they would have a broader field of vision, but they would also feel uneasy.

The grade analysis found that, in addition to the personality dimension, there were statistically obvious differences in the MH of college students of different grades (P < 0.01). Overall, college students who were older had higher levels of MH. This was because freshmen had many problems when they just entered the campus. With the growth of age, the knowledge level and MH level also advanced. However, senior students often faced the pressure of graduation and employment, and their MH level would decline or not improve greatly.

3.2.2 The influence of PE on MH of college students

According to relevant surveys, the PE situation of college students in China was not optimistic, with only 13%of the researchers taking PE [21]. Figure 4 showed the average MH scores of people doing PE and people not doing PE. As can be found from the figure, the MH level of people doing PE was higher than that of people not doing PE, indicating that PE was beneficial to the MH of college students.

Fig. 4

Average scores of MH of people doing PE and people not doing PE.

In this study, the amount of exercise (amount of exercise = exercise intensity×exercise time× exercise frequency) was used to study its effect on MH. The results of the physical activity survey of the investigators are shown in Fig. 5. As can be found from the figure, the proportion of small exercise was the highest (about 68%), while the proportion of large exercise was the smallest (about 14%).

Fig. 5

Questionnaire of exercise amount of college students.

Table 6 showed the MH level of college students under different amount of exercise. It can be found from the table that there were statistically obvious differences in the MH level of college students under different amount of exercise. The overall score of the large amount of exercise was higher than that of the small and medium amount of exercise, and there were statistically obvious differences (P < 0.001), but there were not statistically obvious differences between the small and medium amounts of exercise. In terms of cognitive dimension, there were statistically obvious differences between the three types of exercise (P < 0.05). However, in the other three dimensions, the score of large amount of exercise was higher than that of small and medium amount of exercise, and there were statistically obvious differences (P < 0.001), indicating that high exercise can improve the MH level of college students.

Table 6

Mental health level of college students under different exercise amounts

Variables	Cognition	Emotion	Willpower	Adaption	Total scores
Large amount (1)	68.34±8.443	81.84±12.494	83.02±7.439	80.62±9.843	313.47±34.843
Medium amount (2)	64.87±6.437	73.84±7.439	79.87±10.738	75.32±6.983	292.79±28.987
Small amount (3)	63.87±7.387	73.48±8.743	78.32±9.217	73.78±6.327	293.78±28.873
F value	16.378^***	32.893^***	8.434^***	16.489^***	22.384^***
Post Hoc	3 < 2<1^*	3 < 1;2 < 1^***	3 < 1^**;2 < 1^	3 < 1;2 < 1^***	3 < 1;2 < 1^***

^***P < 0.001; ^**P < 0.01; ^*P < 0.05.

3.2.3 Correlation analysis between PE and MH

Table 7 showed the correlation coefficient between PE and MH. As can be found from the data in the table, except that the dimensions of personality and adaptation were not greatly correlated with the exercise intensity of PE, all other variables were greatly correlated, indicating that there was a positive correlation between PE and MH. Sports can regulate the central nervous system and promote MH directly. In addition, PE can improve individuals’ self-control and self-cognition, and indirectly promote MH by releasing pressure, communicating with others, and regulating emotions.

Table 7
The correlation coefficient between PE and MH

Variables Cognition Emotion Willpower Adaption Total score

Amount of exercise 0.832^ 0.389^ 0.143^ 0.234^ 0.278^

Intensity of exercise 0.138^ 0.164^ 0.078 0.088 0.124^

Time of exercise 0.178^ 0.255^ 0.154^** 0.108^* 0.168^

Frequency of exercise 0.238^ 0.387^ 0.274^ 0.378^ 0.325^

Variables	Cognition	Emotion	Willpower	Adaption	Total score
Amount of exercise	0.832^**	0.389^**	0.143^**	0.234^**	0.278^**
Intensity of exercise	0.138^**	0.164^**	0.078	0.088	0.124^**
Time of exercise	0.178^**	0.255^**	0.154^**	0.108^*	0.168^**
Frequency of exercise	0.238^**	0.387^**	0.274^**	0.378^**	0.325^**

^**P < 0.01; ^*P < 0.05.

3.3 The influence of PE on SA of college students

3.3.1 Comparison of SA between people doing PE and people not doing PE

Among the sports exercisers surveyed, 20 had strong SA (A), 41 had good SA (B), 108 had average SA (C), 49 had poor SA (D), and 9 had very bad SA (E). Among people not doing PE, 13 had strong SA (A), 21 had good SA (B), 59 had average SA (C), 127 had poor SA (D), and 25 had very bad SA (E), as shown in Table 6. As can be seen from Fig. 6, when SA was lower than normal level, the number of people doing PE was lower than that of people not doing PE. When SA was higher than normal level, the number of people doing PE was higher than that of people not doing PE. On the whole, the SA of the people doing PE was average, but the SA of the people not doing PE was poor.

Fig. 6

Distribution of SA of college students.

Table 8 showed the results of comparison of SA between people doing PE and people not doing PE. The average SA of people doing PE was higher than that of people not doing PE, Therefore, the SA of people doing PE was higher than that of people not doing PE. T test results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in SA between people doing PE and people not doing PE (P < 0.05), indicating that PE can improve SA of college students.

Table 8

Comparison of SA between people doing PE and people not doing PE

	Average SA	t	P
Physical exerciser	22.23±8.78	13.849	0.000
Non-physical exerciser	11.34±8.78

3.3.2 The influence of PE on SA of college students under different factors

Table 9 showed the comparison results of SA of people doing PE and people not doing PE of different genders, majors, grades and origins. From the perspective of gender, the average SA of male college students was higher than that of people not doing PE, and the average SA of female college students was also higher than that of people not doing PE. It can be concluded that the SA of male and female students who took PE was obviously higher than that of people not doing PE. The T test results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in the SA between male and female people doing PE and people not doing PE (P < 0.05).

Table 9
The comparison of SA between people doing PE and people not doing PE under different factors

Variables Average SA of people doing PE Average SA of people not doing PE t P

Gender Male 23.34±9.46 10.47±8.45 10.489 0.000

Female 21.45±7.47 11.48±8.87 9.843 0.000

Major Science 22.44±8.24 11.43±8.54 9.743 0.000

Liberal arts 23.43±8.45 10.43±8.38 10.482 0.000

Sports 19.77±11.65 13.96±11.69 1.593 0.243

Grade Fresh year 21.49±8.58 12.47±8.65 6.437 0.000

Sophomore year 22.94±6.57 8.65±8.38 10.585 0.000

Junior year 25.65±7.98 10.85±7.65 9.789 0.000

Senior year 23.86±15.48 14.59±10.86 1.689 0.074

Origin Urban areas 23.50±10.65 11.49±9.53 7.806 0.000

Rural areas 22.57±7.43 10.47±7.43 12.893 0.000

Variables	Average SA of people doing PE	Average SA of people not doing PE	t	P
Gender	Male	23.34±9.46	10.47±8.45	10.489	0.000
	Female	21.45±7.47	11.48±8.87	9.843	0.000
Major	Science	22.44±8.24	11.43±8.54	9.743	0.000
	Liberal arts	23.43±8.45	10.43±8.38	10.482	0.000
	Sports	19.77±11.65	13.96±11.69	1.593	0.243
Grade	Fresh year	21.49±8.58	12.47±8.65	6.437	0.000
	Sophomore year	22.94±6.57	8.65±8.38	10.585	0.000
	Junior year	25.65±7.98	10.85±7.65	9.789	0.000
	Senior year	23.86±15.48	14.59±10.86	1.689	0.074
Origin	Urban areas	23.50±10.65	11.49±9.53	7.806	0.000
	Rural areas	22.57±7.43	10.47±7.43	12.893	0.000

From the major perspective, as shown in Table 10, the average SA of the sports exercisers was liberal arts, science and sports from high to low among people doing PE. Among the people not doing PE, the average SA of each major from high to low was in the order of sports major, science, and liberal arts. It can be concluded that the SA of people doing PE was higher than that of people not doing PE. The T test results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in the SA between people doing PE and people not doing PE (P < 0.05), However, there were statistically obvious differences between the SA of the people doing PE and the people not doing PE.

Table 10

Comparison of the SA of the people doing PE and the people not doing PE under the major factors

Majors	Average SA of people doing PE	Average SA of people not doing PE	t	P
Science	22.44±8.24	11.43±8.54	9.743	0.000
Liberal arts	23.43±8.45	10.43±8.38	10.482	0.000
Sports	19.77±11.65	13.96±11.69	1.593	0.243

From the perspective of grade (as shown in Table 11), the average SA of each grade from high to low was in the order of junior year, senior year, sophomore year, and fresh year. Among the people not doing PE, the average SA of each grade from high to low was the senior year, the fresh year, the junior year, and the sophomore year. It can be concluded that the SA of people doing PE in different grades was higher than that of people not doing PE. The T test results showed that there were statistically obvious differences between the SA of people doing PE and people not doing PE in freshmen, sophomores and juniors (P < 0.05). However, there were no statistically obvious differences between the SA of senior exercisers and non-sports exercisers. This was because the senior students were about to graduate and enter the society. Although the SA of senior students doing PE was higher than that of people not doing PE, PE had no obvious effect on the SA of senior students doing PE.

Table 11

Comparison of SA of people doing PE and people not doing PE under grade factor

Grade	Average SA of people doing PE	Average SA of people not doing PE	t	P
The fresh year	21.49±8.58	12.47±8.65	6.437	0.000
The sophomore year	22.94±6.57	8.65±8.38	10.585	0.000
The junior year	25.65±7.98	10.85±7.65	9.789	0.000
The senior year	23.86±15.48	14.59±10.86	1.689	0.074

From the perspective of the place of origin of students, as shown in Table 12, the average SA of the urban people doing PE was higher than that of the people not doing PE. Similarly, the average SA of the rural people doing PE was higher than that of the people not doing PE. Therefore, the SA of the people doing PE was higher than that of the people not doing PE. The T test results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in SA between people doing PE and people not doing PE (P < 0.05).

Table 12

Comparison of SA of people doing PE and people not doing PE under origin factor

Place of origin	Average SA of people not doing PE	Average SA of people not doing PE	t	P
Urban areas	23.50±10.65	11.49±9.53	7.806	0.000
Rural areas	22.57±7.43	10.47±7.43	12.893	0.000

Table 13 showed the SA of college students under different exercise modes. It disclosed that the mean value of social adaptation ability under different exercise modes from high to low was in the order of team project, confrontation project, and individual project. The corresponding SA of college students from high to low was in the order of group project, confrontation project, and individual project. This was because team sports often required athletes to have the same goal and pursuit, and they needed to timely communicate with the team and work together, which improved the individual’s interpersonal skills and SA. Confrontation sports required athletes to have a quick reaction ability and extremely high athletic talent, and to be able to respond to various situations on the field. Therefore, they had a high ability to solve problems and adapt to changes, as well as a strong ability to adapt to society. When participating in individual projects, individuals mainly engaged in self-movement and had few opportunities to communicate with the outside world, so their SA was weak. Therefore, during PE, college students can participate in more group projects, which increased the opportunities to communicate with others and improve interpersonal skills. The unity and cooperation during the competition enhanced the sense of team and responsibility. The T test results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in the SA of college students under different exercise modes (P < 0.05).

Table 13

The SA of college students under different exercise modes

Physical exercise codes	Average SA	t	P
Team project	24.65±9.43	3.980	0.046
Confrontation project	22.43±8.69
Individual project	20.48±6.80

3.3.3 Regression analysis of the influence of PE on college students’ SA

Table 14 showed the difference analysis of SA of people doing PE of different genders, majors, grades, and origins. From the perspective of gender, the average SA of female students was higher than that of male students, and their SA was stronger than that of male students. T test results showed that there were no statistically obvious differences between the SA of male and female students.

Table 14
Analysis on the difference of SA of people doing PE

Variables Average SA t P

Gender Male 15.45±11.89 –0.932 0.412

Female 16.87±9.47

Major Science 15.38±9.45 0.467 0.643

Liberal arts 16.98±10.45

Sports 17.45±11.59

Grade Fresh year 15.18±9.37 1.438 0.029

Sophomore year 15.86±9.42

Junior year 18.48±10.43

Senior year 19.14±13.34

Origin Urban areas 16.39±11.54 –0.45 0.937

Rural areas 16.69±9.47

Variables	Average SA	t	P
Gender	Male	15.45±11.89	–0.932	0.412
	Female	16.87±9.47
Major	Science	15.38±9.45	0.467	0.643
	Liberal arts	16.98±10.45
	Sports	17.45±11.59
Grade	Fresh year	15.18±9.37	1.438	0.029
	Sophomore year	15.86±9.42
	Junior year	18.48±10.43
	Senior year	19.14±13.34
Origin	Urban areas	16.39±11.54	–0.45	0.937
	Rural areas	16.69±9.47

From the perspective of majors, the average SA of each major from the high to low was in the order of sports major, liberal arts, and science. The students majoring in sports had the strongest SA, while the students majoring in science had the weakest SA. The T test results showed that there were no statistically obvious differences in the SA of college students of different majors.

From the perspective of grades, the average SA of each grade from high to low was in the order of the senior year, the sophomore year, the junior year, and the fresh year. The SA of the senior students was the strongest, because the senior students have been studying in school for the longest time, and they have been familiar with and adapted to all aspects of the school. They were more mature in thinking and behavior, and had the highest ability to solve problems independently and communicate with others. In addition, the senior students were about to graduate. They had a specific degree of contact with the society and their thinking mode has also undergone a certain change. Freshmen had the weakest ability to adapt to the society. This was because freshmen were new to campus and needed some time to adapt to the new environment. The T test results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in the SA of college students of different grades (P < 0.05).

From the perspective of the origin of students, the average SA of college students from urban areas was lower than that of rural students, and the SA of college students from rural areas was higher than that of urban students. The T test results showed that there were no statistically obvious differences in the SA of college students from different places of origin.

4 Discussion

In order to study the influence of PE on MH and SA of college students, a questionnaire survey method was adopted to randomly select college students for investigation and analysis. The results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in MH in students with different genders, majors, grades, and origins. There were statistically obvious differences between the amount of exercise and the MH of college students, and there were statistically obvious differences between the SA of people doing PE and people not doing PE. PE can improve the MH and SA of college students, which was consistent with the expected results.

The human body is a unified combination of physiology and psychology. Physical health and MH are closely related and influence each other. MH resides in physical health, and physical health depends on MH [22, 23]. Appelqvist-Schmidlechner et al. studied whether sports participation (SP) and competitive sports (CS) were related to MH and healthy behaviors of men in adulthood. MH was measured using the short version of the Warwick Edinburgh MH scale and 36-item short-form (SF-36) scale. The results showed that doing physical activity at age 12 was associated with both MH (odds ratio (OR) = 1.86, 95%confidence interval (CI: (1.11–3.11) and mental distress (OR = 0.61, 95%CI: (0.41–0.90) in young adults. Age, years of education, and current physical activity were controlled. Higher levels of SP and CS in childhood were associated with lower levels of mental distress in adulthood. Participation in physical exercise or CS of 12-year-old adolescents is obviously related to the mental health of adulthood, while high-intensity physical exercise or athletics in childhood (below 12 years old) has no high correlation with the level of MH and psychological distress in adulthood. [24]. Chang et al. focused on the psychological factors of athletes, including personality problems and psychological responses to injuries and diseases, and studied the sports culture and environmental factors that usually affected MH, including gender issues, bullying, sexual misconduct, etc. The specific MH disorders in athletes were reviewed, such as eating disorders, depression and suicide, anxiety and stress, overtraining, sleep disorders, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The emphasis was on detection, management, impact on performance and prevention [25]. Moreland et al. compared and contrasted the concept and operation of MH service utilization (MHSU) in American college athletes, and examined and summarized the promoters and disabled of MHSU. The proximity of each factor (promoter or handicap) to the athlete was also considered. The results showed that the concepts and operations of MHSU differed in the analyzed articles, which made it difficult to interpret and cross-compare. College athletes were willing to accept MH services. However, for athletes and coaches, gender, stigma, peer norms, and availability of services would affect their MHSU [26]. These studies showed that there was a certain correlation between PE and MH, which was consistent with the results described in this study.

Physical exercise improves the physical and MH of college students and enriches their extracurricular activities. PE exerts a subtle influence on college students and is conducive to the improvement of their comprehensive quality. There are many factors affecting the MH of college students. PE is the most direct and obvious factor. PE not only improves college students’ ability to adapt to society, but also can regulate their emotions and willpower, thus promoting the development of MH [27, 28]. In order to study the relationship between college students’ personality traits, SA, and their sports participation, Wei-dong explored the influence of SP of college students on the construction of college students’ personality characteristics and SA. The personality health and SA of 7 college students in Liaoning province were investigated through personality inventory and sports participation. The statistical software SPSS19 was used for independent data t-test comparison and multiple comparison analysis of the obtained data. The results showed that personality had a significant influence on the choice of sports items and the degree of sports participation, and the degree of sports participation had a certain influence on the formation and change of college students’ personality characteristics. Proper PE can effectively improve SA of college students, but excessive exercise can’t bring more health benefits [29]. This result was similar to that of the study on the effect of PE on SA. Li-xin adopted questionnaire survey to study the psychological quality of social adaptation of college students majoring in sports or non-sports. The results showed that there were differences in the SA of sports majors and non-sports majors, and students in sports major had better SA. There were no statistically obvious differences in the social adaptation ability between different gender and sports level of students in sports major. The psychological quality of the social adaptation ability of students majoring in sports was different in different grades, and the independent self-esteem and stress coping ability of the senior students were worse than other 3 grades students. Openness, confidence, and independent self-esteem were the common characteristics of the psychological quality of students in different sports items. The overall level of SA, openness, confidence, independent self-esteem, and situational control of track and field students were on average higher than those of basketball and aerobics students [30]. The results were the same as those in this study. Therefore, the MH and SA of college students can be improved by PE.

5 Conclusion

In order to study the impact of college students’ PE on their MH and SA, starting from the cognitive perspective of college students, the questionnaire survey was adopted to investigate the basic PE, MH quality, and SA of local college students. The impacts of basic factors and PE on MH and SA of college students were explored, and the correlation analysis and regression analysis were discussed. The results showed that there were statistically obvious differences in MH and SA of college students of different genders, majors, grades, and place of origin. The MH level and SA of people doing PE were higher than that of people not doing PE. PE can greatly improve the MH level and SA of college students. This research adopted the method of questionnaire survey, and the results were universal and scientific, which can provide data reference for theoretical research. However, only investigation and research were carried out, and pre-intervention variable experiment was not conducted. Different physical exercise programs had different effects on the MH of college students, and the change of social roles also had a certain degree of impact on the MH of college students. In the follow-up research, physical exercise programs should be specifically detailed on the MH of college students and SA, and the MH level of freshman and senior students due to environmental changes should also be considered.

Conflict of interest

None to report.

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