Abstract

Background: Nursing students often experience substantial academic and clinical training pressure, which may contribute to reduced physical activity, impaired sleep quality, and unfavorable health indicators. Understanding the relationship between physical activity, sleep quality, and health indicators is essential for promoting student health. Objectives: To describe the levels of physical activity, sleep quality, and selected health indicators among nursing students, and to examine the association and correlation between physical activity and sleep quality as well as health indicators. Materials and methods: A descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 338 nursing students at the University of Health Sciences, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, from September to October 2025. Physical activity was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and health indicators including body mass index, blood pressure, and heart rate were measured directly. Results: The proportion of students meeting the recommended level of physical activity was 81.7%, while 64.5% had good sleep quality. Physical activity was significantly associated with sleep quality (p < 0.05). Additionally, a weak but significant inverse correlation was observed between physical activity scores and sleep quality scores (r = –0.166; p = 0.002). No statistically significant correlation (p>0,05) was found between physical activity and body mass index, blood pressure, or heart rate. Conclusion: Physical activity was significantly associated with sleep quality among nursing students. Further longitudinal studies are recommended to clarify the relationship between physical activity and health indicators.