Author	Title	Objectives of the Study	Design of the Study	Sample or Population/Study Included	Materials	Results and Outcomes
Albikawi, Z. F. [33]	Perceived stress, physical activity, and insomnia of female nursing university students in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study	Investigate female nursing students’ levels of perceived stress, practicing physical activity, and insomnia and examine related relationships	Cross-sectional study	290 students	Sociodemographic questionnaire, the perceived stress and international physical activity questionnaire, and the Bergen insomnia scale	Physical inactivity and use of the telephone before sleep increase the risk of insomnia; perceived stress is associated with reduced sleep quality.
Al-Wardat et al. [55]	Exploring the links between physical activity, emotional regulation, and mental well-being in Jordanian university students.	Connection between physical activity, emotional regulation, and mental health symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress) in Jordanian university students	Cross-sectional study	416 students	Sociodemographic questionnaire, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)	High physical activity is associated with lower depression and anxiety; emotional expression affects improved mental well-being
Begdache et al. [56]	Dietary factors, time of the week, physical fitness and saliva cortisol: Their modulatory effect on mental distress and mood	Assess the effect of diet quality, in a population of different physical fitness, on saliva cortisol while accounting for mood during a peak day of the week and a weekend among men and women	Experimental study	48 students	Sociodemographic questionnaire, Mood and Anxiety Symptom (MASQ), Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the General Nutritional Knowledge Survey (GNKS) questionnaires. Record dietary intakes for the three days of exercise session. Cycling sessions. Salivary cortisol level with sample before and after exercise session	High post-exercise cortisol associated with mood improvement; regular fitness reduces mental distress
Bhuiyan et al. [57]	Assessing the stress-buffering effects of social support for exercise on physical activity, sitting time, and blood lipid profiles	Test the hypothesized stress-buffering effects of social support on physical activity, sitting time, and blood lipid profiles	Cross-sectional study	537 students	Students enrolled in physical activity courses and exercises completed sociodemographic questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4), modified version of the Social Support and Exercise Survey, Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) and measure of total cholesterol level, low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), and high density lipoproteins (HDLs)	Social support promotes moderate/vigorous physical activity and reduces sedentary behaviors; less stress associated with better fitness
Brown et al. [20]	PEAK mood, mind, and marks: A pilot study of an intervention to support university students’ mental and cognitive health through physical exercise	Impact of PEAK on exercise, mental and cognitive health, and implementation outcomes	Quasi-experimental pilot study (single-arm).	115 students	PEAK program involving exercise sessions, digital support, in-person activities, motivational videos, weekly differentiated exercises, neuroscientific focus on a single group	Increase in moderate–vigorous exercise, reduction in sedentary behaviors, improvements in mental well-being and cognitive abilities
Byshevets et al. [31]	The influence of physical activity on stress-associated conditions in higher education students	Substantiate the influence of physical activity on stress-associated conditions in higher education students. Higher education students at risk of emotional disorders under the influence of stress factors	Data-analysis based study with machine learning	1115 students	International Physical Activity Questionnaire-short version (IPAQ), Shcherbatykh Questionnaire (2002), Spielberger–Hanin Test (STAI), , Mississippi Scale for Assessment of Posttraumatic Reactions (civilian version)	Moderate physical activity reduces anxiety and stress; the models are predictive of detecting signs of PTSD and stress
Byshevets et al. [32]	Evaluation of emotional disorder risk in students with low physical activity levels under stressful conditions	Higher education students at risk of emotional disorders under the influence of stress factors	Cross-sectional study	573 students	Response of Ukrainian higher education students to the hostilities in the country	Students with low physical activity showed a higher risk of emotional distress during high stress conditions, especially among female students
Cai, L. [12]	Effect of physical exercise intervention based on improved neural network on college students’ mental health	Influence of physical exercise on mental health. The ways of employing physical exercise to improve the mental health of college students are presented in this study. Then, this paper proposes a physical exercise intervention based on an improved neural network (NN), which has an impact on the mental health level of college students, and the effectiveness of this model is verified by simulation experiments	Experimental study	Not specified	Physical intervention based on an improved neural network model (NN)	The intervention significantly improved mental health and reduced negative emotions caused by psychological stress
Chaabna et al. [58]	Physical activity and its barriers and facilitators among university students in Qatar: A cross-sectional study	Conduct a sex-specific examination of PA prevalence, barriers, and facilitators among university students in Qatar and a sex-specific assessment of other lifestyle and demographic factors associated with PA in this student population	Cross-sectional study	370 students	IPAQ-SF, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4)	64.9% of students were physically active; major barriers included inadequate time and infrastructure, especially among women
Chauhan et al. [24]	Effect of yoga in medical students to reduce the level of depression, anxiety, and stress: Pilot study (Goodbye Stress with Yoga GSY)	Effect of yoga intervention on the level of stress, depression, and anxiety of medical student at the University of Pécs	Quasi-experimental pilot study	28 students	90-min yoga sessions once a week, following the GSY Goodbye Stress with Yoga Protocol for 10 weeks	Yoga significantly reduced depression (p = 0.019) and anxiety (p = 0.049), improving overall well-being
Donnelly et al. [28]	The effectiveness of physical activity interventions in improving higher education students’ mental health: A systematic review	Systematically review the evidence available regarding the impact of PA-related interventions to improve mental health and QoL outcomes in HE students	Systematic review	28 studies included	Systematic review on ProQuest, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus e CENTRAL	Moderate–vigorous activity interventions such as Pilates and dance were most effective in improving mental health and quality of life
Fernández-Barradas et al. [48]	Physical activity and engagement coping: A key for stress-recovery in Mexican university students	Analyze the influence of physical activity and coping styles on recovery-stress state among Regular Physical Activity University Students (n = 67) and High-Performance University Athletes (n = 67) from a Mexican university	Comparative study	134 students	HPUA (High-Performance University Athletes) and RPAUS (Regular Physical Activity University Students) to compare the difference in coping strategies and recovery from stress using the Coping Strategies Inventory, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the Recovery Stress Questionnaire	Athletes show greater resilience to stress; engaging coping and physical activity improve overall well-being
Flood et al. [13]	Development of a participation app–based intervention for improving postsecondary students’ 24-h movement guideline behaviors: Protocol for the application of intervention mapping	Develop and implement a theory-informed intervention intended to improve the movement behaviors and mental well-being of first-year postsecondary students	Intervention development and implementation protocol.	Not specified	App-based intervention (ParticipACTION) with content articles, push notifications, engagement badges, and resource packs	The app improved physical movement and mental well-being; the protocol serves as a model for other app-based interventions
Fruehwirth et al. [30]	Perceived stress, mental health symptoms, and deleterious behaviors during the transition to college	Associations between different sources of chronic perceived stress and deleterious behaviors (eating disorder symptoms, insufficient sleep, and insufficient vigorous physical activity) among first-year college students	Cross-sectional study	885 students	Surveys based on perceived stress and negative behaviors	Chronic stress increases negative behaviors such as eating disorders and sleep insufficiency
Gao et al. [22]	Effectiveness of aromatherapy yoga in stress reduction and sleep quality improvement among Chinese female college students: A quasi-experimental study.	Effectiveness of aromatherapy yoga intervention in reducing stress and improving sleep quality among Chinese female college students	Quasi-experimental study	89 students	Wilcoxon test, Mann–Whitney, questionnaires, yoga intervention with aromatherapy vs. traditional yoga with experimental group and control	Yoga with aromatherapy slightly improves sleep disturbances but not stress
Gubareva et al. [53]	Engaging in sports as a method to enhance the stress resilience of a student’s body	Evaluate the impact of sports activities on the adaptation of university students’ functional and psychophysiological systems to the stress induced by exams	Cross-sectional study	160 students	Physiological analysis with software, psychophysiological testing. Regular sports activities with sports and non-sports students	Sports students show greater resistance to stress during exams than non-sports students
Hachenberger et al. [52]	Investigating associations between physical activity, stress experience, and affective well-being during an examination period using experience sampling and accelerometry	To investigate the associations of physical activity, stress, and affective well-being in daily life by also considering objectively assessed physical activity	Mixed-method study	90 students	Accelerometry, experiential sampling, physical activity intervention during exam period. Without direct control group	Light physical activity reduces stress and improves emotional well-being
Herbert, C. [27]	Enhancing mental health, well-being and active lifestyles of university students by means of physical activity and exercise research programs	Physical activity and exercise interventions can help to promote the mental health of emerging adults such as university students	Literature review for research project	5 studies of interventions	Analysis of longitudinal data and interventions of aerobic physical activity without direct control group	Low/medium intensity physical activity improves mental health and stress perception
Hou Q., et al. [59]	Influences analysis of physical exercise on college students’ satisfaction and its psychological mechanism	Verify the impact of physical exercise on college students’ physical quality and personal satisfaction	Cross-sectional study	889 participants	Analysis of exercise-related personal satisfaction. Analysis on subjective well-being and psychological connotation	Exercise reduces stress and promotes personal satisfaction and mental well-being
Howie et al. [42]	Associations between physical activity, sleep, and self-reported health with burnout of medical students, faculty and staff in an academic health center	Assess the health status and health behaviors of medical students, faculty, and staff in an academic health center in the US, and examine the associations between behaviors, physical and mental health outcomes and burnout	Cross-sectional survey	2060 students	International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, DASS-21	Poor sleep and physical activity have been linked to high burnout. Good quality sleep and leisure-time physical activity significantly reduced anxiety, depression, and physical pain
Huang et al. [46]	Effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students’ mental health: Systematic review and meta-analysis	Assessed the effectiveness of physical activity interventions on undergraduate students’ mental health	Systematic review and meta-analysis	59 studies included	Systematic review and meta-analysis	Moderate effectiveness in reducing depression, anxiety, and stress; study quality varied, indicating potential bias
Huang and Liang [51]	Effective forms of physical exercise to promote the health of college students	Raise effective alternatives for promoting physical exercise in college students	Literature review	Studies analyzed included 5056 students	Policy review	Public policies needed to improve physical and mental habits, reduce stress, and encourage physical activity
Huckvale et al. [29]	Protocol for a bandit-based response adaptive trial to evaluate the effectiveness of brief self-guided digital interventions for reducing psychological distress in university students: The Vibe Up study	Effectiveness of mindfulness, physical activity, sleep hygiene and an active control on reducing distress, using a multi-arm contextual bandit- based AI- adaptive trial method. Furthermore, the study will explore which interventions have the largest effect for students with different levels of baseline distress severity	Randomized trial protocol with AI	Not specified final number	Digital interventions (mindfulness, physical activity, sleep hygiene) vs. AI-driven adaptive methods control, DASS-21	All interventions reduced psychological distress; AI identified the most effective approach for specific symptoms
Jelleli et al. [21]	Examining the interplay between physical activity, problematic internet use and the negative emotional state of depression, anxiety and stress: Insights from a moderated mediation path model in university students	The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between Problematic Internet Use (PIU), emotional states of stress, anxiety and depression, and the practice of physical activity among Tunisian students	Moderated mediation model analysis	976 students	Sociodemographic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 items (DASS-21), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the compulsive internet use scale (CIUS)	Increased social interaction significantly reduced anxiety and improved stress management among active participants
Johannes et al. [23]	Relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity among undergraduate students from a South African university	Determine the relationship between psychosocial factors and physical activity participation among undergraduate university students at a historically disadvantaged university (HDU) in South Africa	Cross-sectional studies	534 students	International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale—21 (DASS-21), Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS), Perceived Social Support from Family and Friends Scale (PSS-Fa e PSS-Fr)	Social support and motivation are strongly correlated with higher levels of physical activity; stress and anxiety improve with regular exercise
Kabiri et al. [40]	Lower perceived stress among physically active elite private university students with higher levels of gratitude	Investigate the potential independent and interaction effects of physical activity and gratitude on perceived stress among undergraduates at elite private universities	Cross-sectional study	145 students	Study on gratitude and physical activity	Gratitude was associated with a significant reduction in perceived stress (p < 0.001); physical activity had no significant direct effects
Kan et al. [60]	Exploring the mediating roles of physical literacy and mindfulness on psychological distress and life satisfaction among college students	Explore the roles of physical literacy (PL) and mindfulness in mediating the impact of psychological distress on life satisfaction among college students in China	Cross-sectional study	653 students	Online survey and SEM analysis	Awareness and “physical literacy” positively mediate life satisfaction by reducing psychological distress
Khajavi et al. [50]	The effects of web-based education on health-promoting behaviors of first-year medical sciences students: A quasi-experimental study	The effects of web-based education on health-promoting behaviors of first-year medical sciences students: A quasi-experimental study	Quasi-experimental study (single-group pretest-posttest design).	185 students	Online educational program to promote healthy living. Almost experimental and educational videos sent via WhatsApp	Significant increase in responsibilities for health and stress management; minimal improvements in other areas
Lee et al. [18]	The effects of accumulated short bouts of mobile-based physical activity programs on depression, perceived stress, and negative affectivity among college students in South Korea: Quasi-experimental study	Investigate the effects of mobile-based PA programs delivered in the form of accumulated bouts on mental health indicators, including depression, perceived stress, and negative affectivity among healthy college students in South Korea	Quasi-experimental study	46 students	Short physical activity sessions (10 min, 2/day, 3 days/week)	Significant reduction in depression and stress in the experimental group; no improvement in the control group
Lepping et al. [61]	Physical activity, stress, and physically active stress management behaviors among university students with overweight/obesity	Associations between physical activity and stress management behaviors among students (18–35 years)	Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)	405 students	Use of physical activity to manage stress among students with overweight/obesity. Accelerometers and stress questionnaires	Physical activity reduces perceived stress and improves active stress management with differences between races and levels of activity
Li et al. [62]	Epidemiological study of physical activity, negative moods, and their correlations among college students	Current status and correlation between physical activity and negative moods in college students	Cross-sectional epidemiological study	3711 students	IPAQ and DASS questionnaires	Low physical activity is related to depression and anxiety; increased intensity of exercise reduces negative symptoms
Li et al. [63]	Multidimensional impact of sport types on the psychological well-being of student athletes: A multivariate investigation	How competitive versus non-competitive sports affect Korean university students’ psychological well-being using a quantitative approach with SmartPLS 4 for multi-group analysis	Multivariate analysis	975 participants	Multivariate analysis with SmartPLS 4	Competitive sports improve mental endurance and stress management; non-competitive sports improve overall well-being
Li et al. [64]	The effect of exercise on academic fatigue and sleep quality among university students	Examine the prevalence and risk factors for academic fatigue among college students and its adverse effects on well being	Mixed-method study	864 students	Questionnaires (PSQI, Smith Well-being) and exercise interventions with intervention group	Exercise reduces academic fatigue and improves sleep quality
Lin et al. [65]	Effects of Qigong exercise on the physical and mental health of college students: A systematic review and meta-analysis	Systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of Qigong exercise on the physical and mental health of college students	Systematic review and meta-analysis	16 studies included (RCTs)	Meta-analysis of 16 RCT	Qigong improves flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance and reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression
Liu et al. [26]	Effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety, and stress in college students: The chain-based mediating role of psychological resilience and coping styles	Association between physical activity and negative emotions—specifically, depression, anxiety, and stress—in college students	Cross-sectional study with mediational analysis	1380 students	Stratified random sampling and multivariate statistical analysis (SPSS, PROCESS)	Physical activity reduces negative emotions through psychological resilience and positive coping
Liu et al. [66]	The way to relieve college students’ academic stress: The influence mechanism of sports interest and sports atmosphere	How university physical education fosters academic performance by influencing students’ sports interests, particularly in enhancing their psychological resilience to mitigate academic pressure	Cross-sectional study	574 students	SEM modeling and questionnaire analysis	Sports interest and environment improve psychological resilience, reducing academic stress
Martin et al. [16]	Yoga as a contemplative practice and its contribution to participatory self-knowledge and student retention: a scoping review of the first-year undergraduate student transition	Determine the extent of the current literature on the prevalence of yoga as a contemplative practice that contributes to student well-being and self-knowledge in the first-year transition from high school to university	Scoping review	17 studies included	Systematic review of 17 studies	Yoga improves emotional regulation and reduces stress during the passage of university life
Monserrat-Hernández et al. [67]	Academic stress in university students: The role of physical exercise and nutrition	Determine the relationship between the practice of physical exercise, eating patterns, and academic stress among university students	Cross-sectional study	742 students	Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), Stress Manifestation Scale of the Students Stress Inventory (SSI), survey on physical activity frequency	Exercise is associated with lower levels of stress; Mediterranean diet without significant associations
Mu et al. [41]	Influence of physical exercise on negative emotions in college students: Chain mediating role of sleep quality and self-rated health	Relationship between physical exercise and negative emotions among college students, incorporating sleep quality and self-rated health (SRH) as mediators to analyze the pathway mechanism of how physical exercise affects students’ negative emotions	Cross-sectional study	30,475 students	Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21 (DASS-21), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12)	77.6% of students engage in low-intensity physical activity
Oftedal et al. [37]	Changes in physical activity, diet, sleep, and mental well-being when starting university: A qualitative exploration of Australian student experiences	Relationship between physical exercise and negative emotions among college students, incorporating sleep quality and self-rated health (SRH) as mediators to analyze the pathway mechanism of how physical exercise affects students’ negative emotions	Qualitative study using focus groups	16 students	Online surveys and focus groups on the correlation between university transition and lifestyle change and levels of physical activity	Barriers to well-being include stress, cost of healthy food, and difficulty in prioritizing physical activity
Parakh et al. [68]	An empirical investigation of engineering students’ attitude towards sports and physical education, cultural activities and stress management	Explore young adult’s experiences of how starting university influenced their physical activity, diet, sleep, and mental well-being, and barriers and enablers to health behavior change	Cross-sectional study	270 students	Questionnaire of 50 questions to assess five factors that influence stress, current participation in sport, reasons. Participation and reasons for not participating in sports and reasons for participating in cultural events activities	Sports activities improve physical health, while cultural activities help to manage stress
Qi et al. [45]	Effects of Taichi on physical and psychological health of college students: A systematic review	(1) To measure the percentage of students who participate in sports and physical education. (2) To identify the reasons for engineering students to participate or not participate in sports and physical education. (3) To assess the stress level among the students.(4) To find out effect and sources of stress and give suggestions to overcome stress. (5) To understand the most important reasons for engineering students to participation in cultural events	Systematic review	22 studies included	Systematic review of 22 studies	Improvements in flexibility, balance, endurance and reduction in anxiety and depression
Qin et al. [69]	Effect of physical exercise on negative emotions in Chinese university students: The mediating effect of self-efficacy	Impact of physical activity on negative emotions among university students and the mediating influence of self-efficacy, aiming to furnish empirical insights and a theoretical framework to enhance and optimize the mental health of this population comprehensively	Cross-sectional study	5341 students	Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS)	Exercise reduces negative emotions with significant mediation of self-efficacy
Reschke et al. [44]	Examining recovery experiences as a mediator between physical activity and study-related stress and well-being during prolonged exam preparation at university	Role of recovery experiences as a mediator of the relationship between physical activity as one specific recovery activity and both study-related stress and well-being	Longitudinal study	56 students	Heidelberg Stress Index (HEI-STRESS) for stress measurement, Life Satisfaction and Study Scale (LSS), I-PANAS-SF for positive and negative affect, Recovery Experiences Questionnaire (REQ), physical activity logs (weekly hours)	The recovery experiences partially mediated the relationship between physical activity and stress reduction as well as improved well-being during exam preparation
Rongrong and Jian [35]	A study on the influence of a single bout of moderate-intensity exercise on processing bias towards emotional information of individuals with high psychosocial stress levels	Explore the impact of a single bout of moderate-intensity exercise on cognitive bias of individuals with high psychosocial stress levels	Experimental study	42 students	Moderate-intensity exercise, Word-Face Stroop Task, Memory Bias Task, Interpretation Bias Task, Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS)	Moderate-intensity exercise increased attention and memory bias toward neutral and positive emotional information, reducing psychosocial stress levels
Shi et al. [36]	Self-appreciation is not enough: Exercise identity mediates body appreciation and physical activity and the role of perceived stress	Explore the specific mechanisms of action between body appreciation and physical activity and provide a theoretical reference for promoting college students’ physical activity	Short-term longitudinal study	345 students	Longitudinal questionnaires on identity and perceived stress	Positive body perception predicts physical activity; exercise identity averages the positive effects of body perception, moderated by stress
Stults-Kolehmainen et al. [34]	Qualitative and quantitative evidence of motivation states for physical activity, exercise and being sedentary from university student focus groups	Examine postulates of the WANT model utilizing a mixed-methods approach	Mixed-methods study	17 students	Focus group, “CRAVE” scale for motivational states	Stress and boredom affect motivation for physical activity or sedentary activities; motivational states change rapidly and systematically
Suguis, J. E. [25]	Physical exercise and socio-emotional skills as predictors of academic productivity among college students	Relationship between physical exercise, socio-emotional skills, and academic productivity	Quantitative cross-sectional study	380 participants	Physical Activity Questionnaire (adapted), Socio-Emotional Skills Survey, Academic Productivity Questionnaire	Physical exercise (life enhancement, physical performance) and socio-emotional skills (self-awareness, decision making) significantly predicted academic productivity
Suwannakul et al. [19]	Effects of Surya Namaskar® yoga on perceived stress, anthropometric parameters, and physical fitness in overweight and obese female university students: A randomized controlled trial	Compare the physical fitness, anthropometric measures, and perceived stress between the SN yoga training program group and the control group	Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)	44 students (22 intervention group, 22 control group)	Randomized Controlled Trial (T-PSS-10, VO2max)	Yoga improves flexibility, muscle strength, VO2max, and reduces BMI and perceived stress
Szmodisal et al. [43]	Effects of regular sport activities on stress level in sporting and non-sporting university students	Analyze the relationship between regular sport activities, body parameters, cortisol level, perceived stress and the frequency of psychosomatic symptoms in male and female university students	Comparative cross-sectional study	200 students	Measurements cortisol salivary, perceived stress	Sports students have lower cortisol levels, less stress and better body compositions than non-sports
Teuber, M. [39]	Physical activity improves stress load, recovery, and academic performance-related parameters among university students: A longitudinal study on daily level	How PA affects university students’ stress load and recovery as well as their perceived academic performance	Longitudinal study	57 students	Effects of physical activity on stress, recovery and academic performance during home study with active breaks	Active breaks improve stress and academic performance; physical activity in leisure time improves recovery and reduces dysfunctional stress
Tshikovhele et al. [70]	The association of exercise and self-esteem among first-year students registered at a rural university in South Africa	Investigate the association between exercise participation and self-esteem among first-year students at a rural university in South Africa	Cross-sectional study	320 students	Regular physical exercise: at least 30 min, three times a week for two months or more. Non-regular: <3 times/week	Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES)
Wang et al. [71]	Prospective association between 24-h movement behaviors and mental health among overweight/obese college students: A compositional data analysis approach	Associations of movement behaviors with mental health outcomes among overweight/obese college students using a compositional data analysis approach	Prospective cohort study	437 students	Motor behavior of 24 h and mental health in overweight/obese students	Moderate physical activity and sleep reduce depression, anxiety and stress; sedentary behaviors negatively related to mental health
Woodall et al. [47]	A scoping review of 20 years of college fitness/wellness courses	Literature review investigated CBFW course content, structure, and the effectiveness of courses or programs that sought to improve knowledge (K), perceived health/fitness (PHF), physical health (PH), and mental health (MH)	Scoping review	23 studies involving 8059 students	Systematic review of 23 articles (2003–2023)	Courses improve physical fitness, perceived stress and mental well-being; suggested expansion for mental health content
Yan et al. [14]	An 8-week peer health coaching intervention among college students: A pilot randomized study	Assess the effectiveness of a randomized, 8-week peer health coaching program on PA, nutrition, sleep, social isolation, and mental health, among college students	Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)	52 students	RCT, weekly coaching vs. control group	Significant increases in vigorous activity and positive well-being; effective coaching for stress and physical activity goals
Yang, C. [17]	Activities research in the music art environment based on digital art analysis and multi-physiological signal anxiety recognition	Analyze the influence of activities in the music environment on college students’ self-control, psychological stress and the mediating effect of self-control, and provide alternative activity plans for college students’ mental health promotion	Experimental study	180 students	The SCL-90 test, general effectiveness scales, digital music analysis	Significant reduction in anxiety and depression; the musical environment improves psychological quality and is acceptable to students
Yue and Xiao [54]	Effects of moderate-intensity physical training on students’ mental health recovery	Explore the effect of moderate-intensity physical training on students’ mental health recovery	Experimental study	100 students	Moderate-intensity physical training with badminton: 30 min/session, focusing on both aerobic exercise and fun gameplay, Exercise-Induced Emotion Scale	Exercise of moderate intensity improved resilience to physical fatigue, increased emotional involvement, and mobilized positive emotions. Post-exercise calm remained stable
Zeng et al. [15]	The relationship between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students: Testing mediation and moderation effects	Direct effects of physical exercise on MPA in college students and whether any detected association of physical exercise with MPA was mediated by self-control, rumination, and psychological distress and modulated by loneliness	Cross-sectional study	1843 students	General physical exercise rated by the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), evaluating intensity, frequency, and duration	Physical exercise reduces mobile phone addiction through improved self-control, decreased rumination, and lowered psychological distress. The mediation effects were moderated by loneliness with stronger effects for lonelier students
Zhang et al. [72]	The roles of exercise tolerance and resilience in the effect of physical activity on emotional states among college students	The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PA and negative emotional states and further determine the mediating effects of exercise tolerance and resilience in such a relationship			IPAQ-SFDepression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21 (DASS-21), Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Exercise Intensity-Tolerance (PRETIE-Q), VO2max test	Physical activity reduces negative emotional states (depression, anxiety, stress) indirectly through improved exercise tolerance and resilience
Zhu et al. [38]	An analysis of the role of college students’ core self-evaluation in the relationship between extracurricular physical exercise and academic stress	Explore the role of college students’ core self-evaluation in the association between extracurricular physical exercise and academic stress, and to provide a reference and basis for effectively alleviating current college students’ academic stress	Cross-sectional study	1249 students	Extracurricular physical exercise: assessed by weekly duration and frequency during the semester, China College Student Mental Health Screening Scale, Core Self-Evaluation Scale, self-developed questionnaire	Extracurricular physical exercise reduces academic stress both directly and indirectly via core self-evaluation. Core self-evaluation partially mediates the relationship (21.9% mediation effect). Worries about exams and lagging behind peers were the most affected stress dimensions
Zou et al. [49]	Neural correlates of physical activity moderate the association between problematic mobile phone use and psychological symptoms	Examine the association between PMPU and psychological symptoms in late adolescents, along with the potential moderating effect of PA and neural basis by brain gray matter volume (GMV)	Cross-sectional study	251 students	Problematic Mobile Phone Use Scale (PMPU), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-C), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale—21 (DASS-21), MRI-based voxel-based morphometry	Physical activity significantly moderated the relationship between problematic mobile phone use and psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, stress). Neural correlates included gray matter volume changes in the insula and precuneus regions, which further mitigated depressive symptoms