Bedtime media use, psychological distress, and fatigue: a study of college students in Shaanxi Province, China

Abstract

Background: Numerous studies have linked psychological distress to fatigue, yet few have explored how bedtime media use mediates this relationship. This study examines whether using visual or auditory stimuli at bedtime mediates the relationship between psychological distress and fatigue among college students. Methods: A total of 1,831 Chinese college students (927 males and 904 females; mean age = 20.36 years, SD 1.26) from universities in Shaanxi Province, China, participated in the study. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire that assessed psychological distress, bedtime media use, and fatigue. The bootstrap method was employed to test the mediating effects, with 5,000 random samples and a 95% confidence interval. Results: Psychological distress (r = 0.256, p < 0.001), visual stimuli of bedtime media use (r = 0.114, p < 0.001), and auditory stimuli of bedtime media use (r = 0.109, p < 0.005) were all positively related to fatigue. Among students with normal levels of psychological distress, the relationship between psychological distress and fatigue was partially mediated by the visual stimuli of bedtime media use. In contrast, for students with severe psychological distress, the auditory stimuli of bedtime media use mediated the relationship between psychological distress and fatigue. Conclusion: Based on the findings, psychological distress is indirectly associated with fatigue through the visual or auditory stimuli of bedtime media use. The visual and auditory stimuli exhibit different mediating effects among students with normal versus severe psychological distress. Interventions should focus on limiting bedtime media use to enhance health and reduce fatigue among college students experiencing psychological distress. Future studies may use longitudinal designs to establish causality or explore the reverse relationship between psychological distress and fatigue for a more robust finding.