The relationship between physical activity and smartphone addiction in Chinese college students—a latent profile analysis

Background This study aimed to examine the relationship between physical activity (PA) and smartphone addiction among Chinese college students, with the goal of understanding whether higher levels of PA can mitigate the risk of smartphone addiction. Methods The study adopted a questionnaire and psychological measurement method and used the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) to assess the PA levels and smartphone dependence of 9,569 college students. By considering the latent category structure of individual smartphone addiction, the study conducted a deep analysis of the impact of different intensities of PA on smartphone addiction. Results The PA level among Chinese college students was generally high ( t = − 97.66, p < 0.001). However, the prevalence of smartphone dependence was also notably high, affecting 35.9% of students. The necessity of PA’s impact on smartphone dependencewas not significant ( p > 0.05), indicating that PA was significantly associated with lower levels of smartphone dependence. Detailed analysis revealed that smartphone addicts experienced the highest level of loss of control, and significantly greater than average levels of withdrawal, inefficiency, and escapism ( p > 0.05). College students with higher PA levels tended to have lower smartphone dependence than those with low PA levels ( b = − 0.422, p < 0.05, OR = 0.656). Conclusion The results suggested that positive PA can effectively alleviate the negative impacts of smartphone addiction. Therefore, interventions aimed at increasing PA could be beneficial in reducing smartphone dependence.