The association between smartphone addiction and self-esteem among physical education undergraduate students: The chain-mediating roles of professional identity and meaning in life

Pu Sun, Mingyue Cui, Xi Chen and Ling Yan

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: This study investigated the associations between smartphone addiction and self-esteem among undergraduate Physical Education students, focusing on the mediating roles of professional identity and meaning in life. A total of 695 undergraduate students majoring in Physical Education were recruited through a convenience sampling method from a sports university in Beijing. Participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale, the Professional Identity Scale for Pre-service Teachers, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted in Mplus 8.3 to test multiple and chain mediation effects. Model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit (χ²/df = 4.43, CFI = 0.96, TLI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.08). The results showed that smartphone addiction was significantly and negatively associated with professional identity (β = –0.42, 95% CI [–0.51, –0.32], p

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0337908

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0337908

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