This study aimed to explore the factors that affect the severity and number of sports injuries among Korean sports participants in their 20s and 30s. The data of 5118 lifestyle and professional athletes in their 20s and 30s were collected from a sports safety survey conducted by the Korea Sports Safety Foundation in 2019. The characteristics of the study population were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Determinants of injury severity and frequency based on participants’ sex were identified using multivariate logistic regression analyses. The results show that among male sports participants, the type of athlete, knowledge of first aids, the physical condition, completing safety education, the skill level, and checking environmental factors were associated with injury severity. Among female sports participants, the type of athlete, the physical condition, performing finishing exercises, completing safety education, and the skill level were associated with injury severity. Additionally, among male sports participants, physical condition, completing safety education, skill level, participating in exercises according to one’s fitness level, and having an awareness of accident prevention methods were associated with injury frequency. Lastly, among female sports participants, drinking water during scheduled breaks, carrying water to stay hydrated, physical condition, completing safety education, and skill level were associated with injury frequency. Furthermore, being a lifestyle athlete, being in good physical condition, and having beginner or intermediate skills in one’s sport reduced injury severity among Korean sports participants in their 20s and 30s. Being in good physical condition, not completing safety education, and having beginner skills in one’s sport reduced the injury frequency among Korean sports participants in their 20s and 30s. These findings suggest that lifestyle and professional athletes should be aware of these factors and participate in sports activities in a manner that reduces injury severity and frequency. Moreover, these factors should be considered when developing strategies to prevent sport injuries in lifestyle and professional athletes and allow them to participate in sports activities safely.

Adolescents who have attempted suicide are more likely to experience a recurrence of suicidal behavior, thus necessitating systematic follow-ups and management. We aimed to investigate the association between the number of school sports teams that a student regularly participates in and psychological factors such as perceived stress, loneliness, and sleep satisfaction among 1393 Korean adolescents who have attempted suicide by using data from the 2022 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Frequency analyses were performed to evaluate participant characteristics. Chi-square analyses were used to examine the differences in participant characteristics according to the number of teams. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the number of teams and perceived stress, loneliness, and sleep satisfaction. Our results indicated that participating in a greater number of sports teams at school was more strongly associated with reduced perceived stress, reduced loneliness, and increased sleep satisfaction. Specifically, the odds ratio (OR) for feeling very much stressed was 0.613 (range: 0.387–0.969; p = 0.036) among the participants who belonged to one team. Among those who belonged to two teams, the OR for feeling very much stressed was 0.482 (range: 0.281–0.286; p = 0.008). Among those who belonged to two teams, the OR for feeling a lot of stress was 0.514 (range: 0.304–0.870; p = 0.013), and that for not feeling much stress was 2.663 (range: 1.103–6.426; p = 0.029). The OR for not feeling much stress was 4.697 for those who belonged to three teams (range: 1.531–14.408; p = 0.007) and 6.671 for those who belonged to four or more teams (range: 1.858–23.953; p = 0.004). The OR for feeling no stress at all was 11.629 (range: 2.229–60.661; p = 0.004) for those who belonged to three teams and 93.531 (range: 19.260–454.207; p < 0.001) for those who belonged to four or more teams. In terms of loneliness, the OR for rarely feeling lonely was 2.651 (range: 1.148–6.123; p = 0.022) among those who belonged to one team. The OR for feeling lonely all the time was 0.370 (range: 0.155–0.884; p = 0.025) among those who belonged to two teams. In terms of sleep satisfaction, the OR for having very sufficient sleep was 4.371 (range: 1.627–11.742; p = 0.003) for those who belonged to four or more teams. These results suggest that school sports are an advantageous tool for suicide prevention, given their low costs, absence of side effects, and ease of participation.

Safety education is important for young athletes because it reduces injuries and serves as a stepping stone to becoming a professional athlete. Mandatory safety education and legislation for sports players are being discussed, but no progress has been made thus far. Therefore, this study investigated how young Korean athletes’ participation in sports safety education is related to sports injuries, sports safety awareness, and sports activity habits. We sourced all the data of 3262 professional athletes aged 13 to 18 years from the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey. We analyzed the data using SPSS for Windows (version 23.0; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Frequency analysis, chi-square analysis, and multivariate logistic regression were performed. The results revealed that the more athletes participate in safety education, the less likely they are to have sports injuries and the more likely they are to develop safety awareness and beneficial activity habits such as managing accidents. Additionally, those who participate in safety education are more likely to carry enough water to stay hydrated during exercise than those who do not. Overall, the results suggest that safety education should be emphasized for athletes from a young age, as it helps prevent injuries and improve performance. A governance-based safety education system must be established so young athletes can participate in safety education. Furthermore, safety education must be regular and sports-specific.

This study aimed to identify the significant overarching sports coaching competencies and their underlying components in contemporary Korean society and into the future. In addition, the hierarchical order of these competencies and components was investigated to assess their relative importance. This knowledge can improve pre-service and in-service sports coach training programs and their sustainability. A literature review in Korean and English related to sports coaching was performed initially to understand which competencies and components have already been researched and recognized. The subsequent study surveyed 20 experts using the Delphi process and 28 experts using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), considering seven sports competencies and 23 components based on the literature. All the competencies and components were considered appropriate sustainable measures of a sports coach’s competence based on the Delphi content validity ratio (CVR) > 0.500. The AHP results ranked “pedagogical” competence the highest, with a weight of 0.329 in the competence hierarchy, while “operational and managerial” competence ranked at the bottom with a weight of 0.057. In relation to the rank order of the components under each competence, “pedagogical communication” (0.136) and “sport-specific skill performance” (0.086) ranked first and second, respectively. In contrast, “facilities and equipment management” (0.008) ranked at the bottom and “public relations and marketing” (0.008) ranked right above it. The values of the consistency index and the consistency ratio were <1.000, indicating that the competencies and components hierarchies were reliable. The results confirm that in Korea’s pre- and in-service sports coach training programs, comprehensive and in-depth pedagogical knowledge, as well as sports knowledge in areas like sports biomechanics, sports physiology, and sports nutrition, need to be reinforced for ongoing success.

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.

The purpose of this study was to analyze importance and performance levels by applying the problem-based learning (PBL) education model for the sustainable development of sports education. In this study, 331 university sports majors who received PBL education at least once were administered a questionnaire from 15 July to 20 September 2022. Frequency analysis (using SPSS 25.0), exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and IPA were used for data processing. The results are as follows: The first quadrant of the IPA matrix comprised attributes such as determining the cause of the problem, acquiring sufficient knowledge through learning, gathering information related to the problem, getting to the heart of the matter, and building intimacy among team members. The second quadrant included planning for oneself when learning, considering the importance of self-learning, and actively answering questions. The third quadrant included enthusiasm and sincerity toward team learning. The fourth quadrant included 11 attributes: proper planning and execution, understanding others’ points of view, the joy of team learning, prioritizing problem-solving methods, creative communication, communication with team members, proactive communication, everyone on the team working hard, feeling a sense of accomplishment, a sense of challenge, and an increase in self-confidence.