Over the past 10 years, youth obesity has increased as physical activity has stagnated, highlighting the need to promote ‘school-based’ physical activity, leveraging both the strengths of schools and out-of-school resources

• ■As of 2020, less than 70% of the required PE teacher positions in elementary schools were filled. In middle schools, PE classes are often taught by teachers of other subjects, while in high schools, they are often replaced by study halls.

• ■Due to a lack of human and material resources, absence of strategies to engage interest, and concerns about complaints, physical activity classes for children and adolescents are often conducted merely as a formality.

• ■The fact that most children and adolescents participate in physical activity because “it’s fun” points to the importance of incorporating into physical education elements that will capture students’ interest.

KIHASA has published Issue & Focus No. 457, titled Policy Agenda for Promoting School-Based Physical Activity for Youth. The principal author is Kim Su-kyung, an associate research fellow at the Department of Universal Health Coverage Policy Research at KIHASA.

Dr. Kim says, “According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s annual ‘Youth Health Behavior Survey,’ while obesity rates among Korean middle and high school students have increased over the past 10 years, the proportion of students engaging in the recommended level of physical activity―at least 60 minutes a day, five days a week―remains low. As of 2024, the proportion was 25.1% for boys and 8.9% for girls.”

In this brief, Dr. Kim, drawing on interviews with students, parents, and other stakeholders, outlines the problems encountered in schools and the need for physical activity among children and adolescents. She also provides a comprehensive review of policies promoting youth physical activity and proposes policy directions and agendas for promoting school-based physical activity.”

Kim pointed out, “Since physical activity involves students’ overall lifestyle, simply promoting PE classes and sports activities has its limitations. Policies based on the assumption that promoting school sports alone will solve the problems related to declining fitness, physical activity, and health levels have somewhat contributed to the perception that student health is solely the responsibility of the Ministry of Education, local education offices, and schools.” She also cited “shortages of space, facilities, and staff within schools, as well as a lack of strategies to generate interest, as key problems, emphasizing the need to “create environments inside and outside schools that encourage physical activity among young people.”

She suggests moving away from the confrontational framework of ‘teachers vs. students’ or ‘teachers vs. parents,’ and, from a long-term perspective, toward fostering attitudes of mutual effort and understanding under the shared goal of ‘promoting student health.’ She also argues that we should discard our notion that school physical activity is solely the responsibility of PE teachers, and instead establish a system that brings together various school staff, including nutrition teachers, health teachers, and teachers of other subjects. She explains, “For example, a ‘home-linked model’ could involve schools assigning physical activity homework for families to complete together, while a ‘community-linked model’ might have schools providing sports programs to all students, and local health centers offering Saturday programs for students with obesity. Another approach could be to hire external physical activity experts to deliver tailored programs for students with low fitness.”

Kim stressed the need for a “school-based approach that preserves the strengths of schools while also utilizing outside resources, such as families and local communities, to promote physical activity among children and adolescents.”

Finally, she said, “We must create an environment and develop strategies that support and stimulate students’ interest in physical activity. It is important to reactivate the original intent of the Physical Activity Promotion System (PAPS), which combines fitness assessment and prescription, by linking it with school programs, such as school sports clubs. Additionally, we should use student fitness assessment results to evaluate the effectiveness of sports and physical activity programs and strengthen the role of health authorities in program design and staffing support and evaluation.”