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Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Frontiers in Psychiatry

Relative deprivation and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of problematic mobile phone use and the moderating role of physical activity

  • Qian Zhang1
  • Yingzhe Gao1
  • Beining Han1,2
  • Lunxin Chen1
  • Huijuan Hu3
  1. 1School of Physical Education and Sports, Central China Normal University
  2. 2School of Physical Education and Sport Science, Fujian Normal University
  3. 3School of Physical Education and Sports, Anhui Normal University
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Abstract

Introduction: Relative deprivation may be associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, but the behavioral factors underlying this association remain unclear. This study examined the indirect association between relative deprivation and NSSI through problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and the moderating role of physical activity in this association.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1,040 adolescents (550 boys [52.9%] and 490 girls [47.1%]; M age = 12.71, SD = 0.64) completed measures of relative deprivation, PMPU, NSSI, and physical activity. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS Models 4 and 14, with age, sex, and parental education as covariates and cluster bootstrap resampling to account for the clustering of students within classes.

Results: Relative deprivation was positively associated with NSSI. This association was partly indirect through PMPU (indirect effect = 0.08, 95% CI [0.05, 0.11]), accounting for 23.9% of the total effect. Physical activity significantly moderated the association between PMPU and NSSI ( B = −0.002, p < 0.001), with a weaker positive association at higher levels of physical activity.

Conclusion: Relative deprivation may be indirectly associated with NSSI through PMPU, and this indirect association was weaker at higher levels of physical activity. These findings provide new evidence for understanding the behavioral factors associated with adolescent NSSI.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{zhang2026relative,
  title = {{Relative deprivation and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of problematic mobile phone use and the moderating role of physical activity}},
  author = {Qian Zhang and Yingzhe Gao and Beining Han and Lunxin Chen and Huijuan Hu},
  journal = {Frontiers in Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.2002062},
  url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.2002062/full},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Relative deprivation and non-suicidal self-injury among Chinese adolescents: the mediating role of problematic mobile phone use and the moderating role of physical activity
AU  - Qian Zhang
AU  - Yingzhe Gao
AU  - Beining Han
AU  - Lunxin Chen
AU  - Huijuan Hu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/12
JO  - Frontiers in Psychiatry
DO  - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.2002062
UR  - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.2002062/full
AB  - Introduction: Relative deprivation may be associated with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents, but the behavioral factors underlying this association remain unclear. This study examined the indirect association between relative deprivation and NSSI through problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and the moderating role of physical activity in this association.  Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 1,040 adolescents (550 boys [52.9%] and 490 girls [47.1%]; M age = 12.71, SD = 0.64) completed measures of relative deprivation, PMPU, NSSI, and physical activity. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 and PROCESS Models 4 and 14, with age, sex, and parental education as covariates and cluster bootstrap resampling to account for the clustering of students within classes.  Results: Relative deprivation was positively associated with NSSI. This association was partly indirect through PMPU (indirect effect = 0.08, 95% CI [0.05, 0.11]), accounting for 23.9% of the total effect. Physical activity significantly moderated the association between PMPU and NSSI ( B = −0.002, p < 0.001), with a weaker positive association at higher levels of physical activity.  Conclusion: Relative deprivation may be indirectly associated with NSSI through PMPU, and this indirect association was weaker at higher levels of physical activity. These findings provide new evidence for understanding the behavioral factors associated with adolescent NSSI.
SN  - 1664-0640
ER  -