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Background Obesity has become an increasingly serious public health challenge in China, with a steadily rising prevalence. Studies have shown that 24-hour movement behaviors are closely associated with obesity. However, most current guidelines only provide separate time recommendations for individual behaviors without fully considering their interdependence and combined effects within a 24-hour framework. Objective To explore the associations between 24-hour movement behaviors and obesity-related outcomes among Chinese university students using the compositional data analysis approach, and to develop an optimal time-use composition for obesity prevention. Methods A total of 108 university students from Hangzhou were recruited. 24-hour movement behaviors were monitored using accelerometers. Anthropometric indicators including height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) were measured following standardized protocols, and BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were calculated. Body fat percentage (BFP) and visceral fat area (VFA) were assessed using the InBody 720 bioelectrical impedance analyzer. A compositional multiple regression model was constructed to estimate optimal time allocations and prediction intervals for different movement behaviors. Results The composition of 24-hour movement behaviors was significantly associated with obesity-related indicators among college students, including BMI (F=8.25, P<0.01), BFP (F=27.58, P<0.01), WC (F=13.90, P<0.01), WHR (F=13.10, P<0.01), WHtR (F=14.09, P<0.01), and VFA (F=7.04, P<0.01). The optimal 24-hour time-use composition for obesity prevention was identified as: 131 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)(110-140 min), 208 minutes of light physical activity (LPA) (160-230 min), 663 minutes of sedentary behavior(SB)(620-730 min), and 438 minutes of sleep (360-520 min). Conclusion The composition of 24-hour movement behaviors is closely associated with obesity-related indicators among college students. The optimal time-use composition developed in this study aligns with current guidelines for MVPA and sleep, while also providing recommendations for SB and LPA. These findings offer scientific evidence for the optimized allocation of daily activity time and the prevention of obesity in college populations.