Affiliations: [a] Department of Nursing, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea | [b] Sports and Health Care Major, College of Humanities and Arts, Korea National University of Transportation, Chungju-si, Korea
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Wi-Young So, Sports and Health Care Major, College of Humanities and Arts, Korea National University of Transportation, 50 Daehak-ro, Chungju-si, Chungbuk 27469, Korea. Tel.: +82 43 841 5993/82 10 8998 4642; Fax: +82 43 841 5990; E-mail:[email protected]
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the secular trends in weight status
and weight-related behaviors in adolescents in Korea from 2006 to 2013.
Using a repeated cross-sectional design, we analyzed raw data from the 2006
and 2013 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, which included 69,500
adolescents in 2006 and 70,354 adolescents in 2013. Subjects were 12- to
18-year-old boys and girls from the first grade of middle school through the
third grade of high school. The data was collected by using an anonymous
self-administered online survey. From 2006 to 2013, the prevalence of
obesity increased by 0.7 (percent point; %p) (p < 0.001) in boys and
1.0%p (p < 0.001) in girls. At the same time, the prevalence of obesity
increased by 1.0%p (p < 0.001) in middle-school students and decreased
by 0.7%p (p < 0.001) in high-school students. Healthy, unhealthy, and
extreme weight-control behaviors decreased in all adolescents (all p <
0.001). Obesity and unhealthy weight control behaviors in Korean adolescents
remain major public concerns, and programs to encourage healthy weight
control behaviors are required.
Keywords: Adolescents, obesity, weight control behaviors
