The effect of mindfulness-based Tai Chi Chuan on mobile phone addiction among male college students is associated with executive functions

Objective: Mindfulness-based Tai Chi Chuan (MTCC) have been shown to contribute to improvements in cognitive and executive functions. Changes in inhibition, an aspect of executive function, have been closely linked to mobile phone addiction. However, the relationship between these elements remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of an 8-week MTCC intervention on executive function, mindfulness levels, and mobile phone addiction in male college students. Additionally, the study explores the role of executive function in improving mobile phone addiction through MTCC interventions. Methods: Sixty-six male college students were selected as research subjects and randomly divided into a control group (33) and an experimental group (33). The control group maintained their normal physical activity levels without any additional intervention. In contrast, the experimental group underwent 8 weeks of MTCC training. Mindfulness levels were assessed using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), while mobile phone addiction was evaluated by the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI). The Flanker task, 1-back task, and More-Odd Shifting task were employed to evaluate inhibition, updating, and shifting aspects of executive function, respectively. Results: (1) The 8-week MTCC intervention significantly improved mobile phone addiction among male college students, with the intervention group showing a lower post-intervention MPAI score (46.09 ± 18.11) compared to the control group (56.55 ± 16.02), yielding a mean difference of −10.46 (95% CI: −18.92 to −1.99, p = 0.016). Mindfulness levels also improved significantly (p = 0.046), as did specific sub-functions of executive function: inhibition correct rate (p