This study assessed the health perceptions of 333 Korean adolescents during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic via an online questionnaire administered in October 2020, which queried the perceived importance and actual performance of health behaviors. The health perception scales used in the survey consists of the six dimensions of mental health, disease, physical activity, sleep, diet, and sanitary health. The data were primarily analyzed using paired sample t-test for analysis of difference and importance-performance analysis (IPA). The IPA results were presented in four quadrants—“keep up the good work,” “concentrate here,” “low priority,” and “possible overkill.” The results indicated that first, there was a positive relationship between the importance and performance of all the subdimensions of health perception. Second, sanitary healthcare was rated as being of the greatest importance and was performed most, while physical activity management was rated least important and performed least. Third, statistically significant differences were found between importance and performance for all items of mental health, disease, physical activity, sleep, and diet dimensions, and some differences were found for items assessing the hygiene control dimension. Fourth, in the two-dimensional IPA model, “sanitary health” and “disease” are in Quadrant I (keep up the good work); “mental health,” in Quadrant II (concentrate here); and “physical activity,” “sleep,” and “diet,” in Quadrant III (low priority). No components of healthcare were in Quadrant IV (possible overkill). Based on these results, we emphasize the importance of adolescent health education and discuss solutions to enhance the performance of healthcare activities.

This study was aimed at providing practical information to improve Korean adolescents’ wellness by empirically identifying its correlation with sports participation and having an internal health locus of control (IHLC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study comprised both a pilot test and a main study. We recruited 844 Korean adolescents as subjects in January 2021 to participate in an online self-reported survey. The reliability and validity of the scales used (sports participation, IHLC, and wellness) were verified through a pilot test. In the main study, we verified the differences between all variables according to adolescents’ demographic characteristics and the structural relationship of sports participation, IHLC, and wellness. Sports participation had a positive effect on IHLC (p < 0.001) and wellness (p < 0.001). Additionally, IHLC had a positive effect on wellness (p < 0.001). In juvenile educational institutions, there is a need to develop strategies to increase wellness, sports participation, and IHLC among adolescent students, which can improve their wellness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of this study was to verify the structural relationship between health perceptions, sports participation, and health promoting behavior in adolescents. A total of 507 adolescents living in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in 2020, participated in this study. This study was conducted using a preliminary survey and a main survey. In the preliminary survey, the reliability and validity of the scales used in this study were analyzed, and in the main survey, the relationships between individual variables were verified. Specifically, descriptive statistical analysis, path analysis, and mediating effect analysis were conducted in the main survey. The results of the study are as follows: first, health perceptions were found to have a positive effect on sports participation (p < 0.001). Furthermore, health perceptions were found to have no direct effect on health promoting behavior (p = 0.554), while sports participation was found to have a positive effect on health promoting behavior (p < 0.001). Additionally, sports participation completely mediated the relationship between health perceptions and health promoting behavior. Based on the results of this study, suggestions are presented on how to enhance health perceptions in adolescents who are in a critical period for forming healthy life habits, and to prepare measures to encourage sports participation.

The present study aimed to analyze changes in health-related physical fitness among Korean elementary and middle school students before (2019) and after (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was completed by requesting the physical activity promotion system (PAPS) data from elementary and middle school students. This information is obtained annually by the Goyang Office of Education in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. The collected data were measured in 2019 and 2021. Data were collected from 17,000 children in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school and about 24,000 boys and girls in the first, second, and third grades of middle school. Chi-square analyses were used to examine data from each school’s health-related physical fitness examinations. Our results indicated that physical fitness levels were significantly lower in 2021 than in 2019 across the following six areas: cardiorespiratory endurance, power, muscular strength, flexibility, obesity, and overall health-related physical fitness (p < 0.05). In addition, the ratio of students with excellent physical fitness (PAPS Grades 1 and 2) significantly decreased from 2019 to 2021, while the ratio of students with poor physical fitness (PAPS Grades 3, 4, and 5) increased (p < 0.05). In addition, there were some differences according to grade and gender. Discussions regarding the impact of decreases in physical activity on physical fitness, interpretations of physical fitness in the context of a pandemic, and practical measures that can be implemented to improve health and fitness among children and adolescents in such situations remain essential.

This study aims to investigate the changes in the structural relationship between alienation in physical education (PE) classes, school happiness, and future healthy life expectations in Korean adolescents after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected from Korean adolescents using different scales. The collected data were analyzed using frequency analysis, reliability analysis, validity analysis, independent t test, and path analysis. The key results were: First, there were partial changes in each of the parameters since the outbreak of COVID-19. Second, before the pandemic, alienation in PE classes negatively affected school happiness, and school happiness positively affected expectations of a future healthy life; however, alienation in PE classes did not affect the expectations of a future healthy life, showing a complete mediating effect. Third, during the pandemic, alienation in PE classes negatively affected school happiness, and school happiness positively affected the expectations of a future healthy life; alienation in PE classes negatively affected the expectations of a future healthy life, showing a partial mediating effect. These findings emphasize the importance and potential of school education, especially PE, in promoting happiness and healthy lives in adolescents. We expect these findings to have practical implications for future research by presenting theoretical and empirical data.

Background: In Korea, substantial disparities exist in physical environments across regions, exacerbating the polarization between metropolitan and provincial areas and urban and rural regions. Objectives: This study examines the differences in the physical activity and self-rated health of local communities in relation to satisfaction with the physical environment. By identifying and addressing these underlying causes of health disparities, the study provides foundational data to inform policy efforts. Methods: The study utilized data from the 2023 Community Health Survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. It included 231,752 individuals aged 19 and older (105,754 men and 125,998 women) selected through a two-stage probability proportional systematic sampling method. One-on-one online interviews were conducted from 16 May to 31 July 2023. The physical environment was assessed based on public satisfaction with safety, natural and living environments, public transportation, and medical services. Study variables included subjective health status and physical activity, with subvariables for physical activity encompassing the duration of vigorous and moderate physical activity, walking, and flexibility exercises. For data analysis, MANOVA and ANOVA were conducted, with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results: Considerable variations in physical activity were observed based on satisfaction with the local community environment. Regarding self-rated health, significant differences were found in safety levels, living environment, and medical services. Satisfaction with the physical environment positively influenced physical activity and self-rated health. Conclusion: Therefore, it is imperative to reduce disparities in the physical environment between regions and enhance residents’ satisfaction.