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.

This study aimed to investigate the association between physical activity participation and key developmental competencies—learning concentration, self-management, and interpersonal skills—among Korean adolescents. Data were drawn from the 2021 Study on the State of Play Culture of Children and Adolescents and Measures to Support Growth, conducted by the Korea Adolescent Policy Institute. The study participants included elementary, middle, and high school students in Korea, consisting of 1507 males (53.3%) and 1322 females (46.7%), totaling 2829. We analyzed the data using frequency distribution, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression. The results revealed a significant sex difference in the duration of physical activity, with boys spending more time engaging in physical activity than girls. In addition, time spent on physical activities decreased as the school grade level increased. Notably, the more time Korean adolescents spent engaging in daily physical activity, the higher they rated their learning concentration, self-management, and interpersonal skills. These findings suggest the need to promote greater physical activity among adolescents—particularly among girls—which can help improve learning concentration, self-management, and interpersonal skills.

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.

Background and Objectives: As the world enters an aging society, it is necessary to focus on older individuals, especially those with disabilities. The latter must face two issues, their disability and their age; therefore, a lot of attention must be paid to their health. In this study, we aimed to explore the association between participation in leisure sports activities, health behaviors, and life satisfaction among older adults with disabilities. The research question we aimed to address was as follows: Can participation in leisure sports activities positively affect the health behaviors and life satisfaction of older adults with disabilities? Materials and Methods: Data were sourced from the 2023 Survey on the Status of Persons with Disabilities organized by the Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare. The collected data were analyzed using frequency analyses, chi-squared tests, and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that regarding sex, the average odds ratio (OR) was 1.525 (p = 0.001) for males. Regarding efforts to control weight, the average OR was 1.808 (p < 0.001) for “tried to reduce”, 1.893 (p < 0.001) for “tried to maintain”, and 1.245 (p = 0.345) for “tried to increase”. Regarding smoking, the average OR was 0.612 (p = 0.008) for “smoke daily”, 0.947 (p = 0.889) for “smoke occasionally”, and 1.175 (p = 0.255) for “smoked in the past but do not smoke now”. Regarding health status satisfaction, the average OR was 2.014 (p = 0.022) for very satisfied, 1.846 (p = 0.013) for somewhat satisfied, and 1.347 (p = 0.220) for somewhat dissatisfied. Regarding friendship satisfaction, the average OR was 9.177 (p < 0.001) for very satisfied, 5.428 (p < 0.001) for somewhat satisfied, and 3.024 (p = 0.011) for somewhat dissatisfied. Namely, participation in leisure sports activities was significantly related to weight control efforts, smoking cessation, increased health status satisfaction, and increased friendship satisfaction among older adults with disabilities. Conclusions: Access to leisure sports activities should be increased to improve the health of older adults with disabilities. Furthermore, leisure sports activities should be considered in the establishment of policies and services to enhance the health of these individuals.

Background: Participation in physical activity can improve the physical, mental, and social health of older adults, with greater benefits observed when they join sports clubs or groups rather than exercising alone. Despite the numerous advantages of older adults’ participation in sports clubs, research on this topic remains scarce. This study investigated the association between participation in sports clubs and weekly physical activity, perceived health status, and health behaviors (adequate rest and sleep and regular meals and nutritional supplementation) among Korean older adults. Methods: Data on 5146 individuals aged 60 years or older, collected from the 2022–2023 Korea National Lifestyle and Sports Survey, were analyzed using frequency, chi-square, and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Significant differences were found in sex, age, weekly physical activity, perceived health status, adequate rest and sleep, regular meals and nutritional supplementation, use of exercise prescription and consultation services, participation in lifestyle physical education classes, and cessation of drinking and smoking based on participation in sports clubs. Sports club participation increased the frequency of weekly physical activity and improved perceptions of health status in older adults. The average odds ratios (ORs) for weekly physical activity were 6.667 (95% confidence interval CI = 4.316–10.297; p < 0.001), 5.237 (95% CI = 3.372–8.133; p < 0.001), and 3.042 (95% CI = 1.864–4.966; p < 0.001) for 1–2, 3–4, and 5 or more days of participation, respectively. The average ORs were 0.559 (95% CI = 0.264–1.183; p = 0.128) for inadequate rest and sleep, and 1.272 (95% CI = 0.555–1.694; p = 0.100) for adequate rest and sleep. Average ORs were 0.976 (95% CI = 0.497–1.915; p = 0.943) for irregular meals and nutritional supplementation, and 1.028 (95% CI 0.770–1.373; p = 0.851) for regular meals and nutritional supplementation. However, sports club participation was not significantly associated with sufficient rest and sleep or regular meals and nutritional supplementation. Conclusions: Older adults need support to join sports clubs, which can promote their physical activity and health.