The relationship between body shape perception and health behaviors among Korean normal-weight adolescents using Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey

A Comparison of Changes in Health Behavior, Obesity, and Mental Health of Korean Adolescents Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Online Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

The health behavior and mental health problems of adolescents have shown a variety of changes due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study compared health behavior, obesity, and mental health among Korean adolescents before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Population-based and cross-sectional data from the 2019 and 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Surveys were used. Data of 57,048 and 54,948 adolescents from the 2019 and 2020 surveys, respectively, were compared. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to compare health behavior, obesity, and mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RESULTS

The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of overweight, obesity, and body image perceived subjectively as fat, were higher in the 2020 sample compared to the 2019 sample. The aOR of the frequency (more than 3 times a week) of fast-food consumption was higher in 2020 than in 2019. However, the aOR of physical activity, alcohol use, and smoking experience were lower in 2020 than in 2019. In addition, during COVID-19, adolescents were less likely to have perceived severe stress, depressive moods, and suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSION

Current evidence suggests the co-occurrence of positive and negative changes in health behavior, obesity, and mental health among Korean adolescents during the early COVID-19 pandemic. The results contribute insights for monitoring adolescents' health behavior and promoting their mental health during school shutdowns.

A Reversal of the Association between Education Level and Obesity Risk during Ageing: A Gender-Specific Longitudinal Study in South Korea

This study aimed to examine and quantify obesity risk across different education levels during ageing using the dataset of a nationally representative longitudinal survey. A total of 45,391 observations of 9991 individuals aged ≥45 years were included in this study. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of ≥25, according to a guideline for Asians by the World Health Organization, and education level was grouped into three categories. Socio-demographics, lifestyles, and health conditions were used as covariates. Adjusted odds ratios and predicted probabilities of obesity were computed and adjusted for a complex survey design. With respect to gender, education level and age were significantly associated with obesity risk, and the association was stronger in women than in men. Furthermore, education level was negatively associated with obesity risk in the middle age in each gender. However, the association became positive in the old age, specifically among highly educated women. Therefore, policy efforts to reduce obesity risk and the resulting education gradients should be established based on studies considering their old age. Further longitudinal studies are required to examine whether these findings are valid in other socio-cultural or economic settings.