PURPOSE This study identified physical activity patterns among adolescents using latent class analysis (LCA) and examined their associations with mental health outcomes. METHODS Complete data were obtained from 53,350 middle and high school students who participated in the 2024 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Physical activity variables were moderate-intensity activity, vigorous-intensity activity, muscle-strengthening exercise, and sedentary behavior. Mental health indicators were stress, postsleep fatigue, depression, suicide risk, loneliness, and anxiety. Physical activity patterns were identified using LCA, and their associations with mental health outcomes were assessed using logistic regression. Model selection was based on the Bayesian information criterion, and statistical significance was set at p < .05. RESULTS Male students reported significantly higher physical activity levels than female students (p < .001), whereas female students reported higher vulnerability to stress, depression, suicide risk, loneliness, and anxiety (p < .001). Through LCA, two distinct classes were identified in all groups: “sedentary behavior-centered” and “physical activity-centered.” Notably, most adolescents failed to meet national physical activity guidelines. Logistic regression results showed that the sedentary group was more likely to experience stress (male middle school students: OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.07–1.25; male high school students: OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.26–1.53; female high school students: OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.21–1.83), and male high school students experienced worse anxiety (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.20–1.89). CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight the importance of tailored interventions promoting adolescent mental health through improved physical activity. Studies may adopt gender-specific approaches to account for distinct activity and mental health profiles and increase the effectiveness of health promotion strategies.
PURPOSE This study explores strategies for enhancing the qualitative development of Korean school sports clubs by analyzing the institutional frameworks of school sports clubs in the United States. METHODS Data were collected between October and November 2024. The primary resource included the websites, annual reports, and code books of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). In addition, studies on NFHS and AAU conducted in South Korea and other countries were used to supplement findings from the primary data. RESULTS The analysis identified the roles, organizational structure, educational program, budgetary systems, and website content of NFHS and AAU as the key themes. Specifically, both institutions are non-profit organizations that aim to foster students’ holistic growth as members of society through interscholastic sports competitions. Their parent organizations comprise various regional bodies responsible for overseeing sports club competitions within their jurisdictions. Furthermore, NFHS and AAU offer dedicated or collaborative educational programs that support psychomotor development, social, emotional, and cognitive development, as well as academic advancement. Both institutions maintain independent budget structures and operate autonomous systems that are accessible and manageable through their websites. CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings, we recommend establishing a dedicated institution with specialized expertise to manage school sports clubs in Korea, ensuring effective utilization of educational programs, fostering stronger connections between school sports clubs and local communities, and developing diverse business models to support independent budgeting. We also propose follow-up research to further promote the qualitative growth of Korean school sports clubs.
PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate energy availability and dietary intake among female Korean national handball players and to examine the effects of sports nutrition on their dietary habits. METHODS Sixteen players from the 2024 Korean women’s national handball team participated in the study. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to assess body composition. Low energy availability (LEA) was assessed using the Low Energy Availability in Females Questionnaire (LEAF-Q). Dietary intake was evaluated before and after a sports nutrition education program using seven consecutive 24-hour recalls. Professional nutrition analysis software was utilized to assess weekday and weekend intakes of major macro- and micro-nutrients. A face-to-face nutrition education session was provided after the first dietary intake survey. The program covered the functions and recommended levels of macro- and micronutrients, specifically focusing on their link to sports performance. RESULTS Based on the LEAF-Q assessment, 37.5% of female national handball players were classified as being at risk, with particularly high tendencies of suffering injuries (62.5%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (75%). Following the nutrition education intervention, fat-free mass and skeletal muscle mass increased significantly, while fat mass and body fat percentage decreased (p < .05). Improvements were also observed in dietary intake of the players, with a significant increase in carbohydrate and protein consumption and a reduction in fat intake, along with achieving recommended levels on both weekdays and weekends. However, intakes of vitamin D, calcium, and iron remained below recommended levels before and after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that female national handball players faced insufficient energy availability and nutrient imbalances, particularly in vitamin D, calcium, and iron. Nutrition education prompted favorable changes in body composition and macronutrient intake, confirming its effectiveness. These findings highlight the importance of ensuring adequate energy intake, while persistent micronutrient gaps underscore the need for sustained, specific nutritional strategies.
PURPOSE This study examines changes in sport-team employees’ job satisfaction over their tenure and how these are moderated by their organizational identification and team identification, formed through their concurrent roles as fan and employee. METHODS A total of 292 sport-team employees participated in a survey, and their self-reported tenure length served as the time variable. This study estimated the nonlinear pattern of job satisfaction and tested the moderating effects of dual identification using generalized additive mixed models with random effects at the individual level. RESULTS Job satisfaction followed a honeymoon–hangover–rebound curve, rising during the first 0–29.4 months, declining between 29.4 and 76.8 months, and increasing again after 76.8 months. Higher levels of organizational and team identification positively moderated this pattern. CONCLUSIONS Applying a time-based job satisfaction model from organizational behavior to the sport management setting extends the model’s generalizability. This study empirically demonstrated that the fan–employee dual identification can significantly amplify or attenuate the job satisfaction pattern, highlighting the need for sport organizations to develop human resource strategies specific to one’s tenure phase.
PURPOSE Previous research has rarely examined foot segment motion and muscle activity simultaneously in relation to foot type. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how foot type influences segmental foot kinematics and lower limb biomechanics during walking. METHODS Fifty-eight healthy adults were sorted into normal group (NG), pes planus group (PPG), or pes cavus group (PCG) using the Foot Posture Index, navicular drop, normalized navicular height, and normalized instep height. Furthermore, three-dimensional foot kinematics and lower limb muscle activity were recorded during 12-meter, self-paced walking using an optical motion capture system and surface electromyography. Kinematic analysis during the stance phase included measurement of joint angles and ranges of motion (ROM) for the following segments: foot relative to the shank, forefoot relative to the midfoot, lateral forefoot relative to the midfoot, medial forefoot relative to the midfoot, and hallux relative to the medial forefoot. Moreover, muscle activity analysis included the tibialis anterior, peroneus longus, and medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius. RESULTS Compared with the NG and PPG, the PCG exhibited greater ROMs in the frontal plane for the forefoot relative to the midfoot and medial forefoot relative to the midfoot. Additionally, the PPG exhibited a greater ROM in the frontal plane for the hallux relative to the medial forefoot compared with the NG. The intersegmental angles according to foot type demonstrated distinct kinematic differences between the PPG and NG in the transverse plane, specifically in the forefoot relative to the midfoot and medial forefoot relative to the midfoot relationships. However, no significant differences were observed in lower limb muscle activity during the stance phase. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insights into kinematic changes according to foot type during walking. Moreover, the findings of this study may deepen our understanding of the intrinsic risk factors for lower extremity injuries and tissue stress associated with variations in foot type.
PURPOSE This study investigated how resistance training affects foot pressure during gait in older women with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS A total of 10 older women with knee osteoarthritis underwent a four-week resistance exercise intervention, and their step length, anterior–posterior center of pressure (COP) displacement, and foot pressure were measured before and after the intervention. Step length and anterior–posterior COP displacement data underwent paired t-tests, while time-series foot pressure data of the rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot during the stance phase underwent paired t-tests based on statistical nonparametric mapping (SnPM). RESULTS After the intervention, a significant increase in step length (P = .020) and anterior–posterior COP displacement (P = .001) was observed. SnPM showed increased rearfoot pressure during early to mid-stance (6%–29%), increased midfoot pressure during mid- to terminal stance (20%–57%), and increased forefoot pressure during terminal stance to preswing (74%–89%). CONCLUSIONS Resistance exercise training improved altered foot pressure during gait in older women with knee osteoarthritis.
PURPOSE This study empirically analyzes the relationship between injury prevention factors and injury outcome indicators (treatment costs and injury frequency) among recreational sports participants in order to propose practical policy recommendations for safer sports environments. METHODS The raw data of 6,615 recreational sports participants registered under 64 member sport organizations of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee as of October 2024, drawn from the Korea Sports Safety Foundation’s 2024 Sports Safety Accident Survey, was analyzed. The key injury prevention factors were categorized as environmental factors, sports activity habits, and emergency response factors. Their validity and reliability were verified using exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing. RESULTS Environmental factors significantly reduced injury treatment costs and frequency. Contrary to expectations, sports activity habits showed a positive association with injury frequency, suggesting reverse causality. Emergency response factors were positively associated with treatment costs but showed no significant relationship with injury frequency. CONCLUSIONS Participants without injury experience demonstrated higher safety awareness than those with it, underscoring the importance of systematic safety education and awareness initiatives. However, because the cross-sectional design of this study does not allow the determination of causality, the proposed policy recommendations should be implemented gradually through pilot programs and evaluation and their effectiveness need to be validated by future intervention studies.
PURPOSE This study aimed to develop and validate sex-specific maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) prediction equations for Korean elite athletes aged 10–20 years using physiological and fitness variables derived from the standardized KISS treadmill protocol. METHODS This study used data from 526 elite athletes (373 boys, 153 girls), including adolescents and adults in the Gyeongnam region. VO2max was measured over 2 years using the KISS protocol. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with measured VO2max as the dependent variable and age, height, body weight, body fat percentage, total exercise time, maximal heart rate (HRmax), and reasons for test termination as independent variables. RESULTS The regression equation for male athletes was: VO2max = 45.233 + (0.024 × total time) − (0.097 × body weight) − (1.260 × reason for termination) − (0.112 × body fat percentage). The regression equation for female athletes was: VO2max = 22.913 + (0.024 × total time) − (0.220 × body weight) + (0.106 × HRmax). When compared with five existing prediction models, the proposed equations demonstrated the highest correlation coefficients (male r = 0.743; female r = 0.749). The standard error of estimate for the developed models was 4.27 and 3.57 mL·kg−1·min−1 for males and females, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The sex-specific VO2max prediction equations developed in this study can serve as reliable alternative tools for evaluating cardiorespiratory endurance in elite athletes. Further research incorporating a broader range of physiological variables and age groups is warranted to validate and refine these models.
PURPOSE This study examined the relations among role modeling, sports confidence, and perfectionism to provide foundational insights into nurturing positive sports confidence in student swimmers. METHODS The survey included a total of 237 middle and high school swimmers registered with organizations under the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee. The analysis included data from 231 participants after excluding 6 insincere responses. The construct validity of the measurement tools was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis, while the basic characteristics of the measured variables and their interrelations were examined using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. Moderating effects were tested using PROCESS Macro Model 1. RESULTS First, role modeling (r =.274–.471, p <.05) and perfectionistic striving (r =.301–.428, p <.05) showed a positive relation with sports confidence. Second, perfectionistic concern (r =−.056 to −.218, p <.05) was negatively associated with sport-confidence. Third, in the relation between role modeling and sports confidence, the moderating effect of perfectionistic concern was not significant whereas that of perfectionistic striving was statistically significant(ΔR 2=.019, p <.05). CONCLUSIONS Perfectionistic striving may play a positive role in enhancing student swimmers’ sports confidence. Specifically, striving for perfection may facilitate sports confidence improvement among athletes who observe and emulate their role models’ performance and behaviors.
PURPOSE This study aimed to examine the relationship between job stress and occupational identity among taekwondo referees, with particular attention to the mediating roles of job satisfaction and feedback environment. METHODS Participants were 320 referees registered with the Korea Taekwondo Federation or regional Taekwondo associations. Data analysis included frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis. In addition, mediation effects were tested using the SPSS PROCESS Macro. RESULTS The findings revealed that job stress among taekwondo referees had a significant negative effect on job satisfaction and feedback environment. While job satisfaction was positively associated with feedback environment, it did not exert a significant influence on occupational identity. Conversely, feedback environment showed a strong positive effect on occupational identity. Furthermore, both job satisfaction and feedback environment were found to fully mediate the relationship between job stress and occupational identity. CONCLUSIONS Job stress indirectly affects occupational identity of taekwondo referees through job satisfaction and feedback environment. These results highlight the importance of fostering job satisfaction and cultivating a supportive feedback environment as essential mediating factors in mitigating the negative effects of job stress on occupational identity.
