Factors Influencing the Subjective Health and Physical Fitness Perceptions of Korean Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is an important period of growth and development. We aimed to analyz the factors affecting the subjective health and physical fitness perceptions of Korean adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from 2,599 Korean adolescents who participated in the Korea National Life and Sports Surveys during 2020-2022, along with secondary data analysis. The study included frequency analysis of the demographic variables and chi-square tests to examine the relationship between the variables and subjective health and fitness perceptions. Multivariate logistic regression was also used to explore the factors affecting adolescent subjective perceptions. Results: The study revealed significant factors influencing health perceptions in Korean adolescents, including male gender, lack of regular physical activity, adequate rest, adherence to a consistent diet, and use of nutritional supplements (P<0.05). Conclusion: Key factors, such as rest, diet, and nutritional supplements should be considered while developing policies that support adolescent health. Unfortunately, there has been a decline in the physical activity of adolescents in Korea. Therefore, a variety of physical activity programs that consider the characteristics of each student need to be developed to address adolescent health issues.