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.

Background and Objectives: Many older adults face health challenges, such as physical and functional decline, which increase the risk of hospitalization and dependence. As the global population ages, it is necessary to consider the health of older adults to avoid additional health burdens while improving their quality of life. This study aimed to explore body mass index (BMI) as a factor associated with health in older adults in South Korea. Accordingly, this study investigated the associations between the BMI of older Korean adults and exercise frequency (days per week), fall experience, and the presence of chronic diseases. Materials and Methods: Data from 10,014 older adults who participated in the 2023 Korean National Survey on Older Adults conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare were analyzed. Analyses included statistical frequency, chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Underweight older adults had a higher likelihood of falling. Among those who were underweight, the odds ratio (OR) for falls was 2.052 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.349–3.121; p = 0.001). Underweight individuals were also less likely to engage in regular exercise. In contrast, both normal-weight and overweight individuals were more likely to participate in frequent exercise. Among those who were underweight, the ORs for exercising for 3–4 and ≥5 days were 0.612 (95% CI: 0.388–0.966; p = 0.035) and 0.721 (95% CI: 0.527–0.987; p = 0.041), respectively. Among those who were normal weight, the ORs for exercising for 1–2, 3–4, and ≥5 days were 1.286 (95% CI: 1.020–1.621; p = 0.033), 1.226 (95% CI: 1.055–1.424; p = 0.008), and 1.307 (95% CI: 1.167–1.464; p < 0.001), respectively. Among overweight individuals, the ORs for exercising for 1–2, 3–4, and ≥5 days were 1.275 (95% CI: 1.008–1.613; p = 0.043), 1.297 (95% CI: 1.114–1.509; p = 0.001), and 1.172 (95% CI: 1.042–1.318; p = 0.008), respectively. Older adults with obesity had a higher likelihood of having chronic diseases. Among those who were underweight, the ORs for one, two, three, and four diseases were 0.420 (95% CI: 0.268–0.658; p < 0.001), 0.335 (95% CI: 0.220–0.509; p < 0.001), 0.266 (95% CI: 0.167–0.422; p < 0.001), and 0.392 (95% CI: 0.254–0.606; p < 0.001), respectively. Among those with normal weight, the ORs for two, three, and four diseases were 0.686 (95% CI: 0.579–0.813; p < 0.001), 0.606 (95% CI: 0.505–0.727; p < 0.001), and 0.609 (95% CI: 0.505–0.735; p < 0.001), respectively, compared to those with obesity. Among those who were overweight, the ORs for two, three, and four diseases were 0.800 (95% CI: 0.671–0.953; p = 0.013), 0.781 (95% CI: 0.649–0.941; p = 0.009), and 0.686 (95% CI: 0.564–0.835; p < 0.001), respectively, compared to those with obesity. Conclusions: Weight is a key factor in promoting healthy aging in older adults. It is necessary to reduce the risk of falls in underweight individuals and prevent chronic diseases in those who are obese. Regular physical activity supports interventions that address these risks. Older adults should be supported and engage in consistent exercise tailored to their physical abilities and individual characteristics to maintain or improve their health and well-being later in life.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the association of body mass index (BMI) with the weekly frequency of moderate-intensity physical activity, eating behavior, and the use of the Internet or games among Korean middle school students. Methods: The data of 23,583 Korean middle school students were collected from the 2023 Korean Student Health Examination. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, chi-square, and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The results also showed that the higher the BMI, the greater the likelihood of moderate-intensity physical activity. The likelihood of breakfast intake reduced as the BMI increased. However, the likelihood of using the Internet or games increased with an increase in BMI. The results revealed that 28% (6594 of 23,583) of middle school students rarely participate in moderate-intensity physical activity, while 32% (7553 of 23,583) participate only once or twice a week. The results also showed that the higher the BMI, the higher the likelihood of moderate-intensity physical activity. Among those who were underweight, the odds ratio (OR) of 3–4 days of participation in moderate-intensity physical activity was 0.764 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.664–0.880; p < 0.001). Among those who were healthy, the OR of more than 5 days of participation was 1.279 (95% CI: 1.131–1.446; p < 0.001). Among those who were overweight, the OR of 3–4 days and more than 5 days of participation was 1.172 (95% CI: 1.019–1.348; p = 0.026) and 1.181 (95% CI: 1.011–1.380; p = 0.036), respectively. The likelihood of the use of the Internet or games increased with an increase in BMI. The OR of the use of the Internet or games was 0.876 (95% CI: 0.806–0.952; p = 0.002) and 0.824 (95% CI: 0.743–0.913; p < 0.001) among those who were healthy and those who were overweight, respectively. However, the likelihood of breakfast intake reduced as the BMI increased. Among those who were underweight, the OR of always eating breakfast and mostly eating breakfast was 1.299 (95% CI: 1.114–1.515; p < 0.001) and 1.236 (95% CI: 1.045–1.461; p = 0.013), respectively. Among those who were healthy, the OR of always eating breakfast was 1.157 (95% CI: 1.026–1.305; p = 0.018). Among those who were overweight, the OR of mostly eating breakfast was 1.215 (95% CI: 1.030–1.433; p = 0.021). Conclusions: Given this, outdoor sports may increase adolescents’ participation in physical activities by helping them break away from repetitive ball games and increasing their overall interest and participation in physical activities. Overall, our results suggest the need to move away from traditional physical education and develop engaging physical activity programs that motivate students to participate in moderate-intensity physical activities.

Background and Objectives: Engaging in sports activities presents several benefits but also carries a risk of injury. Performing warm-up exercises may serve as a preventive measure against sports injuries. This study explored how participating in warm-up exercises is associated with complications, subsequent injury frequency, and recovery duration among athletes with a history of sports injuries. Materials and Methods: In this study, we performed cross-sectional secondary analysis of data derived from the 2024 Sports Safety Accident Survey conducted by the Korea Sports Safety Foundation, which is a nationally administered survey based on a structured questionnaire. The survey, conducted from November 2024 to December 2024, targeted 10,000 athletes aged ≥12 years registered in 64 sports nationwide. We utilized the data of 6063 athletes who had experienced sports injuries. The collected data were analyzed using frequency analyses, chi-squared tests, and multivariate logistic regression analyses. This study was conducted as a physical activity epidemiology study to examine associations between warm-up exercise participation and injury outcomes. Results: The likelihood of complications was higher among those who responded “not really” or “neutral” regarding participation in warm-up exercises. The likelihood of injuries was higher among those who responded “neutral” or “somewhat”. Furthermore, the likelihood of prolonged recovery was higher among those who responded “not really”, “neutral”, or “somewhat”. Conclusions: Performing warm-up exercises is an essential measure for athletes with a history of injuries to safely engage in sports activities. Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the importance of warm-up exercises among athletes and to implement a safety management system to encourage consistent performance.

Background: Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face substantial barriers to physical activity participation because of motor coordination difficulties, sensory hypersensitivity, and motivational challenges. Screen-based gamified virtual reality (VR) sports have emerged as a promising alternative, with flow identified as a key psychological mechanism underlying their effects. However, alexithymia and atypical interoceptive processing in adolescents with ASD render conventional self-report flow scales inappropriate for this population. This study aimed to develop and validate a behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS)-format proxy assessment tool, VR–Flow–BARS, that lets observers evaluate the flow-related behaviors of adolescents with ASD during VR sports participation. Methods: Eighteen preliminary items were developed from flow theory and the theoretical framework underlying the Flow State Scale-2. An eight-member expert panel of specialists in adapted physical education, ASD education, and VR sports evaluated the items against three criteria: content validity, observability, and appropriateness for ASD. The items were refined through cognitive interviews ( n = 8) and pilot testing ( n = 30). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using principal axis factoring with direct oblimin rotation was conducted on Sample 1 ( n = 100), followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on Sample 2 ( n = 200). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α, composite reliability (CR), and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) (2,1). Validity was examined using the average variance extracted (AVE), the Fornell–Larcker criterion, and the heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT) ratio. Results: The expert review yielded an item-level content validity index of 1.00 and a scale-level content validity index of 1.00 across all three criteria for the 15 retained items; the factor “sensorimotor flow expression” (with three items) was deleted for conceptual overlap and limited observability. EFA identified a five-factor structure accounting for 68.394% of the total variance. CFA demonstrated acceptable model fit ( χ ² /df = 2.000, comparative fit index = 0.969, Tucker–Lewis index = 0.959, root mean square error of approximatio n = 0.071), with standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.763 to 0.940. Internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.864–0.946; CR = 0.868–0.946). Inter-rater reliability (ICC) ranged from 0.729 to 0.910 (indicating moderate to excellent reliability). AVE values ranged from 0.687 to 0.854, satisfying the convergent validity criterion of 0.50, and HTMT values for all factor pairs were below 0.90 at the point-estimate level; however, the 95% bootstrap confidence interval for the FR–CEP pair [0.851, 0.939] extended beyond 0.90, indicating borderline discriminant validity for this factor pair. Conclusion: To our knowledge, VR–Flow–BARS tool is the first BARS-format proxy assessment instrument developed to evaluate flow-related behaviors in adolescents with ASD during screen-based gamified VR sports. It demonstrates an acceptable factor structure, high internal consistency, adequate inter-rater reliability, and internal structural validity. This scale may serve as a practical tool for the real-time monitoring of immersive behaviors and individualized intervention design in VR-based physical activity programs for adolescents with ASD who have mild-to-moderate educational support needs and are able to engage in VR tasks with routine prompting. Future research should address external criterion-based validation, test–retest reliability, and applicability across a broader range of ASD severity levels.