Effects of physical activity on regulatory emotional self-efficacy, resilience, and emotional intelligence of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

Assessment of emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and perceived stress among nursing students in clinical practice: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Emotional intelligence is a critical competency in nursing, influencing stress management, self-efficacy, and overall professional competence. Senior students engaged in clinical practice face unique challenges that can impact their stress levels, decision-making abilities, and interactions with patients. This study aimed to assess the emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, and perceived stress among nursing students engaged in clinical practice.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted from August 2024 to February 2025 among 324 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in clinical practice courses at Jazan University. Emotional intelligence was measured using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), self-efficacy was assessed with the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE-10), and stress was gauged using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Correlation analyses and multiple linear regression were used to identify significant relationships and predictors of emotional intelligence.

RESULTS

Of the 324 participating nursing students, 56% were female. The mean total scores were 120.59 ± 20.78 for emotional intelligence, 28.56 ± 8.02 for self-efficacy, and 7.15 ± 2.11 for perceived stress. Among emotional intelligence domains, the highest mean scores were observed in utilizing emotion (3.81 ± 0.79), while the lowest were in perception of emotion (3.54 ± 0.60). Emotional intelligence domains showed strong positive inter-correlations. 'Managing self-emotion' was positively correlated with self-efficacy (p = 0.022), while both 'perception of emotion' and 'managing self-emotion' were negatively correlated with perceived stress (p = 0.020 and p = 0.021, respectively). Regression analysis revealed gender (p = 0.016) and perceived stress (p = 0.027) as significant predictors of emotional intelligence, with females exhibiting higher emotional intelligence scores.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the critical role of emotional intelligence in nursing education and its relationship with self-efficacy and stress levels. Given these findings, integrating structured emotional intelligence training into nursing curricula is essential. This can be achieved through mindfulness-based emotional regulation programs to enhance stress resilience, scenario-based simulations to improve emotional perception and management, and peer-mentorship initiatives to strengthen self-efficacy. Implementing these targeted strategies can enhance nursing students' emotional intelligence, reduce stress-related impairments, and improve both student well-being and professional competence.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

The Mediating Role of Satisfaction with Life and Social Interaction Anxiety in the Relationship Between Loneliness and Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy

Regulatory emotional self-efficacy represents individuals' belief in their capacity to manage emotions effectively and plays a vital role in supporting emotional well-being and adaptive functioning, particularly in university students. This study explores the influence of loneliness on regulatory emotional self-efficacy and its underlying mechanisms by incorporating two mediating variables-satisfaction with life and social interaction anxiety-within a chain mediation model. A total of 547 undergraduate students from a university located in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, participated in the survey. The findings reveal that loneliness directly impacts regulatory emotional self-efficacy; satisfaction with life mediates the effect of loneliness on regulatory emotional self-efficacy; social interaction anxiety also mediates the effect of loneliness on regulatory emotional self-efficacy; and satisfaction with life and social interaction anxiety jointly serve as chain mediators in the relationship between loneliness and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. This study sheds light on the connection between loneliness and regulatory emotional self-efficacy, offering a theoretical basis and practical guidance for improving students' emotional regulation and overall well-being.

Physical activity patterns, sleep quality, and stress levels among rotating-shift nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic

AIM

To examine the associations between physical activity patterns, sleep quality, and stress levels among rotating-shift nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

Stress adversely impacts hospital nurses, particularly those on rotating shifts. The effects of physical activity patterns and sleep quality on the stress levels of these nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic warrant investigation.

METHODS

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted with 550 eligible registered hospital nurses, randomly selected from four hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan. The work schedule type of these nurses was categorized into rotating shifts (working at least two shifts in a month, involving day, evening, and night shifts) or fixed-day shifts (working only the day shift). Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity patterns (sedentary or active), sleep quality (poor or adequate), and stress levels for analysis.

RESULTS

Rotating-shift nurses with active physical activity patterns exhibited lower stress levels compared with those with sedentary patterns. Nurses who experienced adequate sleep quality had lower stress levels compared with those with poor sleep quality among rotating and fixed-day shift nurses.

CONCLUSIONS

Active physical activity patterns and adequate sleep quality were associated with lower stress levels among rotating-shift nurses during the pandemic. Promoting active physical activity and enhancing sleep quality are essential strategies for reducing stress in these nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Strategies aimed at promoting physical activity and improving sleep quality should be integral components of health promotion programs and policymaking efforts directed at nursing leaders, to foster a healthy and supportive work environment and enhance the welfare of rotating-shift hospital nurses.

REPORTING METHOD

The study is reported using the statement of Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE).

Mediating role of resilience on burnout to well-being for hospital nursing staff in Northeast China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

The well-being of nursing staff is closely related to nursing performance and patient safety. It has attracted much attention from nursing managers and researchers. However, the most important influencing factors and their relationships are not fully understood. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors influencing the well-being of nurses and find out the mediating role of resilience of from burnout to well-being of hospital nursing staff.

DESIGN

A descriptive, multicentre cross-sectional study design.

SETTINGS

111 hospitals in Northeast China were randomly selected by the random cluster sampling method.

PARTICIPANTS

An online survey was administered to 11 827 nurses in December 2021, who engaged in clinical, nursing or management work and volunteered to participate.

OUTCOMES MEASURES

The sociodemographic characteristics, general well-being schedule, Maslach burnout inventory and Connor-Davidson resilience scale were used to assess all participants.

RESULTS

There are 15 variables entered into the regression equation, which can jointly predict 57.80% of the variance. There were a number of well-being-related factors identified. The individual factors include age, educational level, exercise, smoke, drinking, general health status, chronic disease, burnout and resilience. The organisational factors include psychological group, participating in psychological group activities, leadership training or communication training, working years, monthly income and night shifts. The results showed that the structural equation model of partial mediating effect of resilience was established. And the partial mediating effect accounted for 16.91% (-0.083/0.488) of the total effect.

CONCLUSIONS

There were a number of well-being-related factors identified, including individual and organisational factors, which provide directions for targeted support and interventions of nurses. It could improve the resilience of hospital nursing staff, reduce burnout and enhance well-being.

The association between physical activity and positive affect in adolescents: the chain mediating role of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy

Previous studies have indicated the positive impact of physical activity on positive affect in adolescents. However, the psychological mechanism is still under-explored. The current study aims to investigate the mediating role of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy on the relationship between physical activity and positive affect. This cross-sectional study recruited 580 adolescents (280 females, 12 to 16 years old). All participants completed the measures of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Regulatory Emotional Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. Results showed that the association between physical activity and positive affect was significant in adolescents. Psychological resilience played a mediating role between physical activity and positive affect. The chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy on the relationship between physical activity and positive affect was significant. These results indicated that physical activity could positively impact adolescents' positive affect through psychological resilience and regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Our findings highlighted the importance of physical activity on positive affect on adolescents, which would benefit the mental health of this population.

A Low Degree of Physical Exercise Adherence in College Students: Analyzing the Impact of Interpersonal Skills on Exercise Adherence in College Students

Physical exercise adherence (PEA) is multifaceted and significantly influenced by elements such as physical prowess, personality traits, psychosocial traits, and demographics. At present, there are problems such as the low degree of PEA in college students. Studies have shown that exercise adherence (EA) can be improved by adjusting psychological factors. Social abilities are one of the important manifestations of mental health, so this study aims to explore the intrinsic influence mechanism of social abilities on college students' PEA. Shanghai Sports University consistently ranks first among Chinese institutions that specialize in sports in the list of the best Chinese institutions. Therefore, this study decided to survey Shanghai University students. Valid data were collected from 1278 students from 6 universities in Shanghai using a questionnaire survey method. The ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis technique was utilized in the study. The study has shown that (1) boys have stronger social abilities than girls; (2) the exercise attitude and exercise persistence of junior students are better than those of freshmen and sophomores; (3) social abilities, emotion regulation strategies, exercise needs satisfaction, exercise attitude, and EA were significantly positively associated with each other. Emotion regulation strategies and exercise attitude had a negative predictive effect on PEA, and exercise needs satisfaction and social abilities had a significant predictive effect on exercise adherence. (4) Exercise needs satisfaction and exercise attitude were used as mediating variables to regulate the influence of college students' social abilities on EA.

The mediating effect of resilience between physical activity and mental health: a meta-analytic structural equation modeling approach

Background

While the correlation between physical activity (PA) and mental health is well known, the mediating mechanism of resilience between the two variables remains unclear.

Objectives

To systematically evaluate the relationship between PA and mental health, and explore the mediating role of resilience between them.

Methods

A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, Ebsco, China Knowledge, and China Biomedical Database) was conducted to identify relevant studies, and meta-analytic procedures were used to assess the strength of the relationships between PA and mental health. Furthermore, a meta-analytic structural equation model (MASEM) was used to assess the mediating effects of resilience, ensuring the reliability of our findings.

Results

The findings of 15 studies (17,043 subjects) were subjected to meta-analysis and route analysis. The findings of the meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant positive correlation of 0.288 (95% CI, 0.166-0.402) between PA and positive indicators of mental health, as well as a statistically significant negative correlation (95% CI, -0.342 to -0.171) with negative indicators of mental health. Furthermore, the results of MASEM path analysis indicated that PA may indirectly impact both positive and negative indicators of mental health through the mediating factor of resilience. The indirect effect values were 0.108 (95% CI, 0.080-0.141) and -0.074 (95% CI, -0.100 to -0.051), respectively, accounting for 40.15% of the total effect value and 28.91%.

Conclusion

Physical activity is positively correlated with positive indicators of mental health and negatively correlated with negative indicators of mental health. Moreover, PA can positively influence mental health through the mediating role of resilience.

The mediating role of emotional intelligence between self-efficacy and resilience in Chinese secondary vocational students

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the relationship between self-efficacy and resilience in Chinese secondary vocational students and examine the mediating effect of emotional intelligence.

Methods

In September 2023, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 282 Chinese students from three secondary vocational schools by using a voluntary and anonymous structured questionnaire, which included a general self-efficacy scale (GSES), emotional intelligence scale (EIS), and resilience scale (RS). The data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 software and macro PROCESS.

Results

The scores of self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and resilience of Chinese secondary vocational students were above the average level. Correlations among the self-efficacy, emotional intelligence, and resilience levels of students were significant. The analyses of mediating effect showed that emotional intelligence partially mediated the influence of self-efficacy on resilience of secondary vocational students.

Conclusion

Self-efficacy was positively associated with resilience. Self-efficacy not only has a direct effect on the resilience of secondary vocational students but it also indirectly affects the resilience through the mediating role of emotional intelligence. These findings valuable for designing the secondary vocational school programs aimed at improving students' psychological resilience.

Resilience among Turkish adolescents: A multi-level approach

The objective of this study is to determine the components that contribute to psychological resilience in adolescents and to determine if physical exercise, emotion control, or self-efficacy are more effective predictors of resilience. Data from participants was collected through a personal information form, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, the Emotion Regulation Scale for Children and Adolescents, and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Children and Adolescents. The data were gathered online from 16 out of the 81 provinces in Turkey, representing 7 different regions, using convenience sampling. The study sample comprised 505 adolescents, with 309 females and 196 males. The average age of the participants was 15.66 years, with a standard deviation of 1.34. The data obtained from the students was analyzed using SPSS 27.0 statistical software. The Chi-Square test was employed to establish the correlation between the demographic features of adolescents and their levels of physical activity. The relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable was determined using correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. According to the analyzed results, there was a substantial positive correlation between physical activity and resilience, reappraisal and resilience, and self-efficacy and resilience. In addition, it was noted that physical activity alone explains 4.8% of the overall variation in resilience and is a significant predictor of resilience. The inclusion of reappraisal in the model resulted in a partial prediction of resilience by physical activity. However, the primary strength of the model was attributed to reappraisal. The inclusion of self-efficacy in the model resulted in a significant prediction of resilience, accounting for 36.8% of the total variance. The self-efficacy variable had a higher impact level compared to the other variables. Furthermore, the inclusion of self-efficacy in the model resulted in the elimination of the influence of physical activity on resilience. The research conclusions point out that self-efficacy has a greater impact on psychological resilience compared to physical activity and emotion regulation.

Enhancing feedback by health coaching: the effectiveness of mixed methods approach to long-term physical activity changes in nurses. An intervention study

BACKGROUND

Although knowledge of the barriers and motivators to physical activity participation among nurses is increasing, the factors influencing motivation methods' effectiveness are not completely defined. This study aimed to identify the methods that support increasing the level of daily physical activity and the factors that influence the effectiveness of motivation methods among nurses.

METHODS

This study was based on an intervention study protocol. All registered nurses in clinical settings were invited to participate in the study. The study involved 71 professionally active nurses. A self-reported questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and employment data. The level of physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the daily number of steps was assessed using a pedometer. Body composition was measured using a bioimpedance method, and the 5-year risk of cardiovascular events was assessed using the Harvard Score. The intervention included self-monitoring daily steps using a pedometer and completing a diary daily for one month. Additionally, a few-minute speech was sent to each participant via email on the intervention's 7th, 14th, and 21st days.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed a higher value of physical activity recorded in the follow-up compared to the initial and final measurement in the Recreation domain [Met] (p < 0.001) and a higher value of daily steps in the follow-up compared to the final measurement (p = 0.005). Participants with a higher Harvard Score were more likely to increase their daily number of steps (OR = 6.025; 95% CI = 1.70-21.41), and nurses working in hospital wards were less likely to do so (OR = 0.002; 95% CI = 0.00-0.41).

CONCLUSIONS

Recommendations for physical activity in the nursing population should focus on increasing leisure time physical activity and regular risk assessment of cardiovascular events. A mixed methods approach, such as feedback enhanced by health coaching, effectively achieves long-term physical activity changes in nurses.

Exploring the Nexus between Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity, Self-Disclosure, Social Anxiety, and Adolescent Social Avoidance: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Study in Central China

Objectives: Psychological issues among adolescents represent a prevalent challenge in today's society. The purpose of this study is to explore the associations among moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, self-disclosure, social anxiety, and social avoidance in adolescents. Methods: This study collected cross-sectional data from 427 students in eight provincial key junior and senior high schools in the central China region of three provinces using snowball sampling and convenience sampling from July to August 2023. A structural equation model was employed to investigate the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and social avoidance among adolescents. Results: The findings indicate that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is negatively correlated with social anxiety (standardized coefficient = -0.219, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with self-disclosure (standardized coefficient = 0.454, p < 0.001). Social anxiety is negatively correlated with self-disclosure (standardized coefficient = -0.220, p < 0.001). Social avoidance is positively correlated with social anxiety (standardized coefficient = 0.461, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with self-disclosure (standardized coefficient = -0.331, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The chain-mediated dual-path model between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and social avoidance is facilitated by social anxiety and self-disclosure. In other words, adolescents who engage in more moderate to high-intensity physical activities exhibit lower levels of social anxiety, and those who have a stronger inclination for self-disclosure tend to demonstrate lower levels of social avoidance. In light of these findings, it is recommended that the government, society, schools, and families collaborate synergistically to promote the holistic well-being of adolescents and advance the development of a healthier China.

Association of mindfulness on state-trait anxiety in choking-susceptible athletes: mediating roles of resilience and perceived stress

Introduction

It is a well-documented psychological phenomenon for athletes to experience abnormal performance on the field, often called choking. Negative emotions such as perceived stress and state-trait anxiety have been linked to this phenomenon. In an effort to delve into the intricate relationship between mindfulness and state-trait anxiety among athletes susceptible to choking, this study was conducted in Central China during the period from October to November 2022.

Methods

The sample selection process employed a combination of cluster sampling and random sampling, resulting in a total of 377 viable samples encompassing choking-susceptible athletes who frequently grapple with state-trait anxiety and demonstrate performance deviations. The data analysis was executed utilizing AMOS v.26.

Results

The results indicate a negative association between mindfulness and perceived stress (standardized coefficient = -0.224, p < 0.001), resilience and perceived stress (standardized coefficient = -0.237, p < 0.001), as well as perceived stress and state-trait anxiety (standardized coefficient = 0.510, p < 0.001). The positive impact of mindfulness on state-trait anxiety is mediated by resilience and perceived stress (standardized indirect effect = 0.237, p < 0.001). The explanatory power of this study is R2 = 0.35.

Discussion

Drawing from these substantial findings, a key recommendation is to implement mindfulness training programs for athletes prone to choking. This proactive measure, facilitated by sports departments, clubs, and coaches, could potentially alleviate state-trait anxiety, enhancing athletes' mental well-being and optimizing their performance outcomes during competitions.

Active for Life after Cancer: Association of Physical Activity with Cancer Patients' Interpersonal Competence, Quality of Life, and Survival Beliefs

This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity and cancer patients' survival beliefs and constructed a mediation model involving the mediating effects of interpersonal competence and quality of life. We conducted 252 questionnaire surveys on multiple chat groups for cancer patients using the WeChat software, and assessed physical activity, survival beliefs, interpersonal competence, and quality of life using standard scales. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. There were positive correlations between physical activity and quality of life (β = 0.393, p < 0.001), physical activity and interpersonal competence (β = 0.385, p < 0.001), interpersonal competence and quality of life (β = 0.455, p < 0.001), and quality of life and survival beliefs (β = 0.478, p < 0.001). In addition, a significant mediating effect between physical activity and survival beliefs was observed between interpersonal competence and quality of life (standardized indirect effect = 0.384, p < 0.001). The study revealed that effective physical activity led to higher interpersonal competence, more excellent quality of life, and improved survival beliefs in cancer patients, and that the association of physical activity with improved survival beliefs was fully mediated through interpersonal competence and quality of life. The findings suggest that the relevant government should increase policy support and publicity to improve cancer patients' participation in physical activity.