Structural Relationship between Korean Adolescent's Sports Participation, Optimism, Pessimism, Self-Regulation, and Coronavirus-Related Stress in the Pandemic Situation.

This study aimed to examine the relationships between sports participation, optimism/pessimism, self-regulation, and coronavirus-related stress in Korean adolescents during the pandemic situation. Specifically, we attempted to offer valuable information that could help to alleviate coronavirus-related stress in adolescents by promoting participation in sports and the development of optimism and self-regulation. To achieve this aim, we conducted an online survey of 836 Korean adolescents in the pilot and main studies. Confirmatory factor, frequency, path, reliability, descriptive statistical, and multimedia analyses were performed. Our findings indicated several differences for each variable according to demographic characteristics. Sports participation exerted a positive effect on optimism (p < 0.001) and self-regulation (p < 0.01) and negative effects on coronavirus-related stress (p < 0.05) and pessimism (p < 0.001). In addition, optimism exerted a positive effect on self-regulation (p < 0.001) and a negative effect on coronavirus-related stress (p < 0.001), while pessimism exerted a negative effect on self-regulation (p < 0.01) and a positive effect on coronavirus-related stress (p < 0.001). Further analysis indicated that self-regulation had a negative effect on coronavirus-related stress (p < 0.05). These findings highlight the need for youth educational institutions to encourage adolescents to participate in sports and for organizing bodies to suggest various policies and provide education that can assist them in properly coping with and overcoming coronavirus-related stress by strengthening their optimistic attitude and self-regulation ability.

Analysis of the Structural Relationship of Sports Participation and Ego-Resilience in the Health-Promoting Behavior of Korean Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to verify the structural relationship between sports participation, ego-resilience, and health-promoting behavior of Korean adolescents in a pandemic situation. METHODS: In Nov 2020, an online survey was conducted with 751 adolescents in Korea. The data obtained through the survey were analyzed in several ways, including frequency, reliability, confirmatory factor, descriptive statistical, and path analyses. RESULTS: Sports participation had a positive effect on ego-resilience and health-promoting behavior, while egoresilience has a positive effect on health-promoting behavior. Overall, sports participation directly affects health-promoting behavior and that an indirect effect occurs through ego-resilience. CONCLUSION: Educational institutions such as schools and the Korea Offices of Education should devise various measures so that adolescents growing up in a global pandemic situation can strengthen their health-promoting behavior by securing ego-resilience through participation in various sports.

The Effect of STEAM-Based Physical Education Classes on Middle School Students' Attitudes toward Physical Education Classes and Self-Directed Learning Abilities.

BACKGROUND: Efforts have often been made to improve physical education (PE) classes in response to rapidly changing societies. We applied science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education to PE classes. The purpose was to examine the effect of STEAM-based PE lessons on self-directed learning abilities, a core competency of the 21st century, and on attitudes toward PE classes related to PE alienation and avoidance. METHODS: To achieve this purpose, six out of eight classes at a middle school in Jeollabuk-do province, Republic of Korea were selected in 2019. The experimental and control groups, consisting of 87 and 88 students, respectively, were chosen from among 238 first-grade students by utilizing convenience sampling. The experimental group attended PE classes based on STEAM for 14 weeks, whereas the control group attended traditionally teacher-centered PE classes. We used a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: The experimental group displayed significant differences in all the sub-factors of attitudes toward PE classes and all the sub-factors of self-directed learning abilities, compared to the control group (P<0.05). PE classes based on STEAM appear to have a positive effect on students' attitudes toward PE classes and their self-directed learning abilities. CONCLUSION: PE is struggling to solve students' alienation and avoidance problems, despite numerous efforts. Thus, discussions have been conducted on how the STEAM philosophy can be implemented in the field of PE. Results suggest that efforts to combine STEAM education and PE are needed.

Relationships among the Degree of Participation in Physical Activity, Self-Concept Clarity, and COVID-19 Stress in Adolescents.

The COVID-19 pandemic situation threatens the health of people globally, especially adolescents facing mental problems such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder due to constant COVID-19 stress. The present study aimed to provide basic data highlighting the need to alleviate COVID-19 stress among adolescents by promoting physical activity participation and strengthening self-concept clarity (SCC). To examine the relationships among participation in physical activity, SCC, and COVID-19 stress in pandemic-like conditions, the study was conducted on middle and high school students aged 14 to 19 and an online survey was conducted on 1046 Korean adolescents (521 male and 525 female students in the preliminary survey and main survey). Frequency, reliability, confirmatory factor, descriptive, and path analyses were performed using SPSS and AMOS 18.0. Participation in physical activity exerted a positive effect on SCC (p < 0.001) as well as a negative effect on COVID-19 stress (p = 0.031). Our findings also indicated that SCC exerted a negative effect on COVID-19 stress (p < 0.001). Regular participation in physical activity and strong SCC are also fundamental elements for alleviating COVID-19 stress. Given these results, state and local governments and educational institutions should encourage youth to participate in sports by suggesting policies, providing guidelines, and offering education. Such information may allow adolescents to endure and overcome COVID-19 stress during this critical period of life.

The Relationship between Korean Adolescents' Sports Participation, Internal Health Locus of Control, and Wellness during COVID-19.

This study was aimed at providing practical information to improve Korean adolescents' wellness by empirically identifying its correlation with sports participation and having an internal health locus of control (IHLC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study comprised both a pilot test and a main study. We recruited 844 Korean adolescents as subjects in January 2021 to participate in an online self-reported survey. The reliability and validity of the scales used (sports participation, IHLC, and wellness) were verified through a pilot test. In the main study, we verified the differences between all variables according to adolescents' demographic characteristics and the structural relationship of sports participation, IHLC, and wellness. Sports participation had a positive effect on IHLC (p < 0.001) and wellness (p < 0.001). Additionally, IHLC had a positive effect on wellness (p < 0.001). In juvenile educational institutions, there is a need to develop strategies to increase wellness, sports participation, and IHLC among adolescent students, which can improve their wellness in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.