The Effects of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Subjective Health Perception among Adolescents: Evidence from the Korean Youth Survey

This study examined the effects of physical activity on mental health and subjective health perception among adolescents using data from the 2025 Korean Youth Survey (N=54,170). Physical activity was categorized into vigorous and transport-related activity, while mental health variables included perceived stress and depressive experience.<br/> Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that vigorous physical activity decreased with increasing grade level. Adolescents with high or low stress levels were more likely to engage in lower levels of vigorous physical activity compared to those with moderate stress. In contrast, adolescents without depressive experience were more likely to participate in transport-related physical activity. Positive subjective health perception was associated with a lower likelihood of physical inactivity.<br/> These findings suggest that physical activity is significantly related to adolescents’ mental health and health perception, with daily activities such as walking playing a particularly important role. Promoting sustainable, everyday physical activity may be an effective strategy for improving adolescent health.