Clustered health risk behaviors with mind wandering in young adults: serial mediation of sleep quality and emotional symptoms

This study examined how clustered health risk behaviors (HRBs) affect mind wandering (MW) and whether sleep quality and emotional symptoms play a serial mediating role. 1041 college students were recruited through convenience sampling. The measurement scale included a Health Risk Behaviors Questionnaire, the Brief Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Patient Health Questionnaire-4, and the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire. We identified four clusters of HRBs including low-risk behaviors (Class 1), takeaway intake-nutritional imbalance (Class 2), substance use-irregular diet (Class 3), and sedentary (Class 4). There was the highest level of MW in Class 3, followed by Class 1, Class 2, and Class 4. Compared to Class 1, sleep quality and emotional symptoms positively mediated the relationship between Class 2, Class 3, Class 4 and MW. Additionally, the number of HRBs still affected MW via serial mediators of sleep quality and emotional symptoms. Clustered HRBs were significantly associated with MW among young adults via the mediating mechanism of sleep quality and emotional symptoms. This study expands the theoretical knowledge of the relationship between lifestyle, sleep, emotion, and cognition. Our research provides some suggestions for the sake of personality health in young adults.