Abstract / Summary
Abstract Childhood trauma is associated with adolescent non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), but the emotional and behavioral factors underlying this association and the potential role of physical activity remain unclear. This cross-sectional study examined these relationships among 1,869 Chinese adolescents. Childhood trauma, negative urgency–related emotional impulsiveness, Internet addiction, NSSI, and physical activity were assessed using validated self-report measures. Sequential mediation analysis, a separate moderation analysis, and a 12-node EBICglasso network analysis were conducted, with gender and age controlled in the regression-based models. Childhood trauma was positively associated with NSSI. Significant indirect associations were observed through emotional impulsiveness and Internet addiction, with emotional impulsiveness showing the largest indirect association. The sequential indirect association through emotional impulsiveness and Internet addiction was also significant, although its magnitude was small. Physical activity significantly moderated the association between emotional impulsiveness and NSSI (β = −0.155), with a weaker positive association at higher levels of physical activity. Network analysis was used to characterize conditional and bridge associations among childhood trauma, emotional impulsiveness, Internet addiction, NSSI, and physical activity. These findings suggest that adolescent NSSI is embedded within an interconnected system of family adversity, emotion-related impulsiveness, problematic Internet use, and lifestyle factors. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings represent statistical associations and should not be interpreted as evidence of causal or temporal relationships.