Changes in the Average Body Mass Index of Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Korean Elementary School Students: The Role of Physical Education in Student Health.

This study aimed to emphasize the importance of physical education in maintaining sufficient physical activity by examining the average BMI of fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students in Korea over multiple years. This study investigated changes in the average BMI of fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students in Korea. It provided foundational data to suggest the role of physical education in student health and set future directions. The 2019-2021 Physical Activity Promotion System (PAPS) of the Korean Ministry of Education was used. Data corresponding to fifth- and sixth-grade students (124,693 from 2019, 126,226 from 2020, and 117,809 from 2021) in 1208 elementary schools in Korea were collected. Repeated measures ANOVA was conducted for the data analysis. The study findings are as follows: First, the average BMI of fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students in Korea increased significantly in 2021 compared with 2019 and 2020. Second, changes in the yearly average BMI showed a significant difference depending on gender and grade. Obesity among fifth- and sixth-grade elementary school students in Korea increased steadily during 2019-2021, which may be due to a decrease in students' physical activity. Male students showed a steeper increase regardless of grade. During the study period, limited physical activity at school increased obesity rates. Physical education must play a role in students' health in preparation for future changes.

Mediating Effect of Sports Safety Awareness between Sports Activity Habits and the Intention to Complete Safety Education among Korean Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: As the importance of safety during sports activities continues to gain emphasis socially, the interest in creating a culture of safety and safety education to support this is also increasing. However, no study has examined the willingness of adolescents to complete safety education voluntarily. To identify methods of building a culture of sports safety among adolescents, this study investigated the structural relationship among three related variables: sports activity habits, intention to complete safety education, and sports safety awareness of Korean adolescents. METHODS: Data on 3928 adolescents aged 13-18 years old from the 2019 Sports Safety Accident Survey conducted by the Korea Sports Safety Foundation were analyzed. This encompassed frequency analysis, scale reliability, validity verification, descriptive statistics analysis, path analysis, and mediating effect verification. RESULTS: The results indicated that sports activity habits among these adolescents had a positive effect on their sports safety awareness and on their intention to complete safety education; further, their sports safety awareness had a positive effect on their intention to complete safety education. The results also showed that sports safety awareness had a partial mediating effect between sports activity habits and intention to complete safety education. The willingness of adolescents to voluntarily complete safety education is particularly important, as adolescence is a critical period when lifelong safety habits can be formed. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results, discussions on creating safe sports activity habits for adolescents and continuous education on sports safety awareness are needed. Ultimately, we need to improve sports safety awareness by paying attention to the development and implementation of sports safety education programs for adolescents as a national policy and, through this, increase their willingness to complete safety education.

Differences in Physical Activity Patterns among Korean Adolescents during and after COVID-19.

Due to the COVID-19-induced social distancing restrictions, adolescents' physical activity declined and their level of health and fitness decreased. In March 2023, the Korean government established the beginning of the post-COVID-19 era by declaring that indoor masks were now "recommended" rather than "mandatory". Consequently, adolescents, whose physical activity decreased during COVID-19, began to participate in such activities again. This study aimed to verify the differences in adolescent physical activity during COVID-19 and after COVID-19. To achieve the study's purpose, an online survey was conducted twice, using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, for 1143 Korean adolescents in 2022 and 2023. The following results were derived through frequency analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and an independent variables t-test. First, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was higher during the post-COVID-19 period than during COVID-19 (p = 0.018). Second, high-intensity (p = 0.018), moderate-intensity (p = 0.030), and low-intensity (p = 0.002) physical activities and total leisure-time physical activities (p = 0.003) were all higher during the post-COVID-19 period than during COVID-19. Third, high-intensity (p = 0.005), moderate-intensity (p = 0.003), low-intensity (p = 0.003) activities and total physical activities in school (p = 0.001) were all higher during the post-COVID-19 period than during COVID-19. Fourth, there was no difference in the commuting times for cycling (p = 0.515) and walking (p = 0.484) and the total physical activities during commuting (p = 0.375) during and after COVID-19. Based on these results, the methods to help adolescents form correct habits for leading a healthy life are discussed.

Changes in Physical Fitness among Elementary and Middle School Students in Korea before and after COVID-19.

The present study aimed to analyze changes in health-related physical fitness among Korean elementary and middle school students before (2019) and after (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Data collection was completed by requesting the physical activity promotion system (PAPS) data from elementary and middle school students. This information is obtained annually by the Goyang Office of Education in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. The collected data were measured in 2019 and 2021. Data were collected from 17,000 children in the fifth and sixth grades of elementary school and about 24,000 boys and girls in the first, second, and third grades of middle school. Chi-square analyses were used to examine data from each school's health-related physical fitness examinations. Our results indicated that physical fitness levels were significantly lower in 2021 than in 2019 across the following six areas: cardiorespiratory endurance, power, muscular strength, flexibility, obesity, and overall health-related physical fitness (p < 0.05). In addition, the ratio of students with excellent physical fitness (PAPS Grades 1 and 2) significantly decreased from 2019 to 2021, while the ratio of students with poor physical fitness (PAPS Grades 3, 4, and 5) increased (p < 0.05). In addition, there were some differences according to grade and gender. Discussions regarding the impact of decreases in physical activity on physical fitness, interpretations of physical fitness in the context of a pandemic, and practical measures that can be implemented to improve health and fitness among children and adolescents in such situations remain essential.

Factor Structure of the Korean Version of the Occupational Socialization of Beginning Physical Education Teachers Scale in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Relationship with Health Perception Education.

This study aimed to explore the factor structure of the Korean version of the occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers scale, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and to verify its relationship with health perception education. In October 2021, 257 Korean beginning physical education teachers were enrolled in this study. Data were analyzed using frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and multiple regression analysis. Regarding the findings, first, the occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers scale showed a six-factor structure: role recognition, past physical education class experience, pre-service teacher education, organizational atmosphere, fellow physical education teachers, and sports facility. Second, occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers showed a partial positive effect on health perception education. These results suggest that the Korean Metropolitan and Provincial Offices of Education and Korean schools should develop various methods to support and ensure the occupational socialization of beginning physical education teachers. Such efforts may enable these new professionals to effectively adapt to their schools, teaching roles, and provide effective health education to students under the difficult context of the COVID-19 pandemic, wherein normal educational activities are hindered.

Changes in Alienation in Physical Education Classes, School Happiness, and Expectations of a Future Healthy Life after the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korean Adolescents.

This study aims to investigate the changes in the structural relationship between alienation in physical education (PE) classes, school happiness, and future healthy life expectations in Korean adolescents after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected from Korean adolescents using different scales. The collected data were analyzed using frequency analysis, reliability analysis, validity analysis, independent t test, and path analysis. The key results were: First, there were partial changes in each of the parameters since the outbreak of COVID-19. Second, before the pandemic, alienation in PE classes negatively affected school happiness, and school happiness positively affected expectations of a future healthy life; however, alienation in PE classes did not affect the expectations of a future healthy life, showing a complete mediating effect. Third, during the pandemic, alienation in PE classes negatively affected school happiness, and school happiness positively affected the expectations of a future healthy life; alienation in PE classes negatively affected the expectations of a future healthy life, showing a partial mediating effect. These findings emphasize the importance and potential of school education, especially PE, in promoting happiness and healthy lives in adolescents. We expect these findings to have practical implications for future research by presenting theoretical and empirical data.

Structural Relationship between Physical Self-Concept, Occupational Instability, and Retirement Intention among South Korean Minor League Baseball Players.

This study aimed to verify the structural relationship between physical self-concept, occupational instability, and retirement intention among South Korean minor league baseball players. Snowball sampling was used to recruit 180 minor league players who belonged to the South Korean professional baseball team and were active as of December 2020; data were collected through an online survey. Frequency analysis, psychometric validation, descriptive statistical analysis, and path analysis were performed. The results revealed that for these participants, (1) physical self-concept had a significant negative effect on their occupational instability; (2) physical self-concept did not directly affect their retirement intention; and (3) occupational instability had a significant positive effect on their retirement intentions. These results suggest the need to devise a plan addressing the practical difficulties experienced by professional minor league baseball players and improve the physical self-concept of these players to adapt to involuntary retirement. Additionally, a supportive environment should be created to reduce mental health risks.

Analysis of the Structural Relationship of Sports Participation and Ego-Resilience in the Health-Promoting Behavior of Korean Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to verify the structural relationship between sports participation, ego-resilience, and health-promoting behavior of Korean adolescents in a pandemic situation. METHODS: In Nov 2020, an online survey was conducted with 751 adolescents in Korea. The data obtained through the survey were analyzed in several ways, including frequency, reliability, confirmatory factor, descriptive statistical, and path analyses. RESULTS: Sports participation had a positive effect on ego-resilience and health-promoting behavior, while egoresilience has a positive effect on health-promoting behavior. Overall, sports participation directly affects health-promoting behavior and that an indirect effect occurs through ego-resilience. CONCLUSION: Educational institutions such as schools and the Korea Offices of Education should devise various measures so that adolescents growing up in a global pandemic situation can strengthen their health-promoting behavior by securing ego-resilience through participation in various sports.

The Relationship between Korean Adolescents' Sports Participation, Internal Health Locus of Control, and Wellness during COVID-19.

This study was aimed at providing practical information to improve Korean adolescents' wellness by empirically identifying its correlation with sports participation and having an internal health locus of control (IHLC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study comprised both a pilot test and a main study. We recruited 844 Korean adolescents as subjects in January 2021 to participate in an online self-reported survey. The reliability and validity of the scales used (sports participation, IHLC, and wellness) were verified through a pilot test. In the main study, we verified the differences between all variables according to adolescents' demographic characteristics and the structural relationship of sports participation, IHLC, and wellness. Sports participation had a positive effect on IHLC (p < 0.001) and wellness (p < 0.001). Additionally, IHLC had a positive effect on wellness (p < 0.001). In juvenile educational institutions, there is a need to develop strategies to increase wellness, sports participation, and IHLC among adolescent students, which can improve their wellness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Importance-Performance Analysis of Health Perception among Korean Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study assessed the health perceptions of 333 Korean adolescents during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic via an online questionnaire administered in October 2020, which queried the perceived importance and actual performance of health behaviors. The health perception scales used in the survey consists of the six dimensions of mental health, disease, physical activity, sleep, diet, and sanitary health. The data were primarily analyzed using paired sample t-test for analysis of difference and importance-performance analysis (IPA). The IPA results were presented in four quadrants-"keep up the good work," "concentrate here," "low priority," and "possible overkill." The results indicated that first, there was a positive relationship between the importance and performance of all the subdimensions of health perception. Second, sanitary healthcare was rated as being of the greatest importance and was performed most, while physical activity management was rated least important and performed least. Third, statistically significant differences were found between importance and performance for all items of mental health, disease, physical activity, sleep, and diet dimensions, and some differences were found for items assessing the hygiene control dimension. Fourth, in the two-dimensional IPA model, "sanitary health" and "disease" are in Quadrant I (keep up the good work); "mental health," in Quadrant II (concentrate here); and "physical activity," "sleep," and "diet," in Quadrant III (low priority). No components of healthcare were in Quadrant IV (possible overkill). Based on these results, we emphasize the importance of adolescent health education and discuss solutions to enhance the performance of healthcare activities.

Mediating Effect of Sports Participation on the Relationship between Health Perceptions and Health Promoting Behavior in Adolescents.

The aim of this study was to verify the structural relationship between health perceptions, sports participation, and health promoting behavior in adolescents. A total of 507 adolescents living in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in 2020, participated in this study. This study was conducted using a preliminary survey and a main survey. In the preliminary survey, the reliability and validity of the scales used in this study were analyzed, and in the main survey, the relationships between individual variables were verified. Specifically, descriptive statistical analysis, path analysis, and mediating effect analysis were conducted in the main survey. The results of the study are as follows: first, health perceptions were found to have a positive effect on sports participation (p < 0.001). Furthermore, health perceptions were found to have no direct effect on health promoting behavior (p = 0.554), while sports participation was found to have a positive effect on health promoting behavior (p < 0.001). Additionally, sports participation completely mediated the relationship between health perceptions and health promoting behavior. Based on the results of this study, suggestions are presented on how to enhance health perceptions in adolescents who are in a critical period for forming healthy life habits, and to prepare measures to encourage sports participation.