This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on individuals’ weight change and mental health by analyzing differences in risk perception, obesity, stress, depression, and intention to participate in leisure sports during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected in the Republic of Korea between June and August 2022. This study included 374 individuals aged ≥ 20 years who regularly participated in leisure sports. A comparative analysis subdivided the participants into two groups based on weight changes during the pandemic: weight loss and maintenance (Group 1) and weight gain (Group 2). These formed the independent variable. The dependent variables were (a) infection risk perception, (b) obesity stress, (c) depression, and (d) intention to participate in sports. The results revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in infection risk perception, obesity stress, and depression factors, but not in the intention to participate in sports. This study demonstrated the impact of COVID-19 on weight changes and mental health. These findings can guide future quarantine strategies to control new infectious diseases and policies to prevent obesity and stress.

Individuals with disabilities who engage in regular physical activity reduce their risk of diseases such as obesity and heart disease, as well as other risk factors; relieve tense emotions, and improve their quality of life via interaction with others. Despite these advantages, only one out of every four Koreans with a disability engages in physical activity. Grit is the ability to maintain interest and effort towards a goal in the face of adversity and failure. Grit can act as an important factor in increasing the psychological level of individuals with disabilities. We investigated the relationship between basic psychological needs, grit, and the quality of life of disabled individuals to determine if physical activities can improve their quality of life. Our dataset included 296 disabled individuals registered with the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare. Using structural equation modelling, the direct and indirect effects of grit, quality of life, and psychological needs satisfaction such as competence, relatedness, and autonomy were examined. We found that competence positively affects consistency of interests (β = 0.150, t = 1.854), relatedness positively affects consistency of interests (β = 0.354, t = 4.409), and autonomy has no statistically significant effects (β = 0.101, t = 1.086). Second, competence positively affects perseverance of effort (β = 0.249, t = 3.206), autonomy negatively affects perseverance of effort (β = −0.269, t = −2.880), and relatedness has no statistically significant effects (β = −0.017, t = −0.249). Third, autonomy positively affects quality of life (β = 0.214, t = 2.349) while competence and relatedness had no statistically significant effects (β = −0.018, t = −0.208; β = 0.096, t = 1.288). Fourth, consistency of interests positively affects quality of life (β = 0.312, t = 4.191) while perseverance of effort had no statistically significant effects (β = −0.094, t = −1.480). Fifth, competence was found to have positive indirect effects on quality of life through grit. This study underscores the importance of addressing these three basic psychological needs and elements of grit when designing future quality of life interventions for disabled individuals.

Although an increasing number of people are getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and quarantine policies are easing owing to fatigue from high-intensity social distancing, people’s fear remains. This study attempted to determine the appropriateness of quarantine policies that are gradually easing by comparing and analyzing sports participation and respiratory infection perception recognized by sports participants according to vaccination status. Data were collected from 302 ordinary Korean citizens aged 20 or older for three months from November 2021 in the Republic of Korea. From the survey respondents, data on the main factors of this study included (a) demographic information, (b) vaccination, (c) loyalty in sports, (d) behavioral intention to participate in sports, (e) infection anxiety from others, and (f) risk perception of COVID-19. As a result, the survey respondents, subdivided into an unvaccinated group (Group 1) and a vaccinated group (Group 2), derived statistically significant results on sports participation and respiratory infection perception. Specifically, survey participants who had completed all secondary vaccinations showed a relatively higher (a) loyalty in sport (M = 3.789), (b) behavioral intention for participation in sport (M = 4.056), and (c) infection anxiety from others (M = 3.548), but showed a relatively lower (a) risk perception of COVID-19 (sensitivity) (M = 3.494). The results of this study could be utilized as valuable data to minimize the gap between the relaxation of government quarantine policy and perceptions of COVID-19 among the general public in sports, which have not yet been clarified.