Changes in Body Mass Index Among Korean Adolescents Before and After COVID-19: A Comparative Study of Annual and Regional Trends

Seongjun Ha ()
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Seongjun Ha: Department of Physical Education, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju 28173, Republic of Korea

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: This study aimed to longitudinally analyze changes in body mass index (BMI) among Korean middle and high school students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained from the national-level Physical Activity Promotion System (PAPS), collected between 2018 and 2024. A total of 171,705 adolescents aged 13 to 18 were included in the analysis (86,542 males and 85,163 females), with a mean age of 15.2 years (SD = 1.68). Time-series analysis and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to examine differences in BMI by year, sex, region (capital vs. non-capital), and urban–rural classification. The results indicated a significant increase in BMI during the pandemic period (2020–2022), peaking in 2022, followed by a gradual decline thereafter. Notably, male students and those living in rural or non-capital areas consistently exhibited higher BMI levels, suggesting structural disparities in access to physical activity opportunities and health resources. This study employed the Socio-Ecological Model and the Health Equity Framework as theoretical lenses to interpret BMI changes not merely as individual behavioral outcomes but as consequences shaped by environmental and policy-level determinants. The findings underscore the need for equity-based interventions in physical education and health policy to mitigate adolescent health inequalities during future public health crises.

Keywords: body mass index (BMI); adolescents; COVID-19; socio-ecological model; health equity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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