Mental Health Issues and 24-Hour Movement Guidelines-Based Intervention Strategies for University Students With High-Risk Social Network Addiction: Cross-Sectional Study Using a Machine Learning Approach

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Science
• Public Health
• Digital Health

Background:

• Digital technology and social media use present significant mental health challenges for college students.
• Effective interventions are crucial to address these growing concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the link between 24-hour movement guidelines (24-HMG) adherence and social network addiction (SNA) risk in university students.
• To compare mental health and SNA levels across different adherence patterns.
• To identify optimal 24-HMG intervention strategies for students at high risk of SNA.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 12,541 university students using standardized questionnaires.
• Assessment of social network addiction, ADHD symptoms, and general mental health indicators.
• Application of random forest models to analyze the relationship between 24-HMG behaviors and mental health outcomes.

Main Results:

• Higher adherence to 24-HMG was associated with lower SNA scores and improved mental health.
• Meeting all three components (physical activity, sleep, sedentary time) provided the strongest protection against attention deficit, depression, and anxiety.
• Specific 24-HMG combinations were identified as most impactful for various mental health issues, with high model accuracy for predicting SNA-related conditions.

Conclusions:

• Adherence to 24-HMG is a viable strategy to enhance mental health outcomes for university students at risk of SNA.
• The 24-HMG framework provides a foundation for developing targeted mental health interventions for this population.