Association Between Physical Activity Level, Quality of Life Determinants, Internet Use, and Orthorexia Among Sport Science Students Living in Naples: An Observational Study

Background: In recent years, growing attention has been paid to the lifestyle factors that influence young adults' well-being. University students represent young adults at risk of Sedentary Behavior (SB) and mental distress. Sport Science students represent a health-conscious population, less prone to mental distress. This study aims to investigate the associations between physical activity (PA) levels, different determinants of quality of life (QoL), orthorexia nervosa (ON) symptoms, and internet use among Sport Science students living in Naples. Methods: An online survey comprising General Data (GD) and eight validated questionnaires was used to assess PA levels, mood, sleep quality, eating habits, and digital behavior in a population of university students enrolled in Sport Science courses at Parthenope University, Naples. The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, a Mann-Whitney U Test, frequencies, chi-square tests, and a Spearman's rank correlation. All the analyses were performed using JASP and Jamovi software. Results: We surveyed 775 students (472 M; 303 F; 22.85 ± 3.85 y; BMI 23.74 ± 3.63 kg/m2). Regarding the MET-min/week, 65% of participants reported being highly active, 28% moderately active, and 7% inactive. Poor sleep quality was reported by 20% of those surveyed. Additionally, 84% of participants declared average internet use, which positively correlated with their emotional profile and sleep quality. High PA levels were directly associated with the presence of ON symptoms in 27% of the participants, most of whom exercised in gyms. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study conducted on a study population of Sport Science University students addressing the complex and interconnected relationships between PA levels, QoL, ON symptoms, and internet use.