When Screens Replace Sleep: Short Video Addiction Impairs Executive Function Through Sleep Disruption in Youth-Is Physical Activity the Antidote?
Xiao T, Peng H, Liang Z, Pan M, Liu Y, Liu Y, Wang Y, Tang W, Wang B
Brain and behavior · 7 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
Based on full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2026-04-01 · Brain Behav · vol. 16 · issue 4 · p. e71369
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Cited
- 4 citations · more than 100% of similar papers · 31.8× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 56 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Sleep and related disorders · Sleep and Wakefulness Research · Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- short video addiction, executive function, sleep quality, sleep disruption, physical activity, adolescents, screen time, mediation, moderation, left-behind children, sex differences
- MeSH
- humans, exercise, adolescent behavior, sleep, adolescent, female, male, executive function, internet addiction disorder, sleep quality
8 authors
From CN
- Ting XiaoBeijing Sport University
- Haiou PengHunan University of Medicine
- Zhen Liang
- Mengting PanSouthwest University
- Yang Liu · correspondingJishou University
- Yanfei Wang · corresponding
Abstract
Background
This study investigated the association between short video addiction (SVA) and executive function (EF) in adolescents, incorporating sleep quality (SQ) as a mediator and physical activity (PA) as a moderator.
Methods
A sample of 978 adolescents from Hunan and Sichuan provinces was assessed using standardized measures of SVA, EF, PA, and SQ.
Results
Significant demographic differences were observed, with males reporting lower SVA and higher PA than females, while only children, urban residents, and non-left-behind adolescents showed more favorable outcomes across key variables. Correlation analyses revealed that SVA was negatively associated with SQ, PA, and EF, whereas SQ, PA, and EF were mutually positively correlated. Mediation analysis identified SQ as a significant partial mediator in the SVA-EF relationship, accounting for 8.11% of the total effect. Moderated mediation analysis showed that PA significantly moderated the direct pathway between SVA and EF: as PA levels increased, the negative association between SVA and EF became more pronounced, whereas PA did not exert a regulatory influence on the SVA-SQ pathway.
Conclusions
These findings suggest that while SQ partially mediates the SVA-EF relationship, PA serves as a significant moderator in the direct pathway, with important implications for addressing adolescent SVA and supporting EF development through sleep quality enhancement and physical activity promotion.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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