Adolescents are at high risk of suicidal ideation and stress. This study aimed to investigate how physical education participation predicts suicidal ideation and stress in South Korean high school students. Data from the Twelfth Korea Youth Risk Behaviour Web-Based Survey 2016 (KYRBS) were used for analyses. Two multiple logistic regressions were performed to determine the influence of selected factors on suicidal ideation and stress (model 1: subjective health, social support, body mass index, academic achievement, perceived economic status of family, and physical education participation; model 2: adjusting for school type and year). Model 2 revealed negative associations between subjective health, academic achievement, perceived economic status of family, social support, physical education participation (≥2 times/weekly), and suicidal ideation for male students. Female students exhibited negative associations between subjective health, social support, and academic achievement, along with a positive association between body mass index and suicidal ideation. For both genders, stress was negatively associated with subjective health, social support, academic achievement, perceived economic status of family, and physical education participation (≥2 times/weekly). These findings suggest that participating in physical education can mitigate the risk of suicidal ideation and stress among high school students.

This study used an isotemporal substitution (IS) model to determine the potential reallocation effects of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activity (PA) on subjective health and stress in South Koreans with data from the Sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015. The analysis included 791 participants whose accelerometer-measured PA was available, divided into three age groups (young adults = 151; mid-age adults = 334; older adults = 306). We adopted SB, light PA (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) to determine how time was allocated to each activity level, then examined the effects of reallocation on subjective health and stress across age groups. The analyses were performed in three steps: single-activity, partition, and IS model. An additional ANCOVA was conducted on statistically significant outcomes (i.e., subjective health of young and older adults). We found that among young adults, reallocating 30 min/week of SB to LPA and to MVPA was linked to high levels of subjective health. In older adults, reallocating 30 min/week of SB and LPA to MVPA was associated with high subjective health. However, this relationship was not observed in mid-age adults. None of the age groups showed a relationship between any activity reallocation and stress. Our findings provide the first insight on the development of interventions aimed at promoting active, healthier lifestyles on the basis of behavior reallocation in South Koreans.

There is a growing number of older adults moving into assisted-living facilities to maintain their independence while being assisted with certain tasks and having convenient access to services. Physical activity (PA) and vitality play an important role in independence, as well as in mental health, of older adults. However, no research has examined the difference in older adults' levels of vitality (defined as the state of feeling alive and alert) between those living in assisted-living facilities and those from community-living settings. This study also explored sociodemographic predictors of PA and vitality among older adults living in two different types of housing. This cross-sectional study examined differences in PA levels and vitality between older adults (aged ≥ 60 years; n = 148, mean age = 74.70 years) living in assisted-living facilities (n = 85, mean age = 77.46 years) and those in community-living settings (n = 63, mean age = 70.98 years). PA was assessed by accelerometry, and vitality was measured using the subjective vitality scale. Engagement in light PA and moderate to vigorous PA was higher in individuals living in community-living settings after controlling for sociodemographic variables. However, vitality was not significantly different between the two types of housing after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Marital status, education, and number of diagnosed diseases were associated with vitality. The support is needed for designing strategies to increase PA in older adults living in assisted-living facilities. More attention should be paid to increasing subjective vitality of older adults in both types of housing to promote healthy aging.

Kim SY, et al. J Korean Med Sci. 2021 Apr;36(18):e125. https://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2021.36.e125