Smoking, Drinking Rise While Exercise, Healthy Eating Decline Among Korean Students as They Age

A recent survey in South Korea indicates a concerning trend in adolescent health behaviors: as students advance through their school years, their engagement in unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking rises, while healthy practices decline.

The "Youth Health Panel Survey," conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), tracked 3,756 students who participated from the first to the seventh year of the study, covering grades 6 through 12. The findings reveal that the lifetime experience rate of using tobacco products increased significantly from 0.35% in 6th grade to 11.93% by the time they reached 12th grade. For boys, this rate was 16.02%, and for girls, it was 7.64%.

Similarly, the current alcohol consumption rate among adolescents also saw a notable increase. The survey, which began in 2019 with 5,051 sixth graders and is set to continue until 2028, aims to understand changes in health behaviors and their contributing factors among young people.

During the same period, students reported engaging less in physical activity and skipping breakfast more often. These shifts in lifestyle habits suggest a broader pattern of declining health consciousness as students navigate the pressures of higher academic grades.

The KDCA's analysis highlights the need for targeted interventions to address these escalating risks among teenagers. The data underscores the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles early on and providing support systems to help adolescents maintain positive habits throughout their school years.