A cross-sectional study of the association between physical activity and depressive symptoms among adolescents in southwest China stratified by parental absence: the mediating role of insomnia and the moderating role of resilience.

Physical activity was associated with alleviating insomnia symptoms among adolescents, thus correlating with the improvement of their depressive symptoms. Resilience was associated with enhancing the beneficial effects of physical activity, further improving depressive symptoms among adolescents, especially those with both absent parents. It is evident that physical activity interventions should be further incorporated into public health programmes to foster the physical and mental health of left-behind adolescents in southwest China.