"Kids Really Do Need to Play"...One Hour of Daily Physical Activity Reduces Loneliness and Depression

Less Than One Hour of Physical Activity: 1.3 Times Higher Risk of Loneliness
Depression Rates: 17.9% vs. 11.0%
"The Government, Educational Authorities, and Schools Must Work Together"

A new study has found that adolescents who engage in more than one hour of physical activity per day are less likely to experience loneliness and depression compared to their less active peers. This has prompted calls for institutional measures that guarantee physical activity for youth in Korea’s entrance exam-focused education environment.

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On July 13, according to academia, a research team led by Professor Jae-Yeob Kim from the Department of Social Welfare at Yonsei University published a study in the international journal 'Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal' that analyzed the correlations between physical activity, smartphone use, and loneliness among 1,000 middle and high school students across the country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an average of at least one hour of physical activity per day to promote adolescent health and prevent disease. Based on this standard, the research team compared differences in adolescent mental health depending on the amount of physical activity.

Reduced Risk of Loneliness, Depression, and Smartphone Addiction ..."Physical Activity Plays an Important Role in Mental Health"

The results showed that adolescents who performed less than one hour of physical activity per day were 1.3 times more likely to feel lonely than those who were active for at least one hour. Notably, increased physical activity was found to reduce the likelihood of experiencing loneliness even for those who had experienced emotional abuse.

A clear difference was also found in rates of depression. Among adolescents with less than one hour of daily physical activity, 17.9% were classified as being in the depression group, compared to only 11.0% of those who exercised for at least one hour.

Physical activity was also found to help reduce the risk of smartphone addiction. However, the effect differed by gender.

For boys, the smartphone addiction rate was 41.0% among those with less than one hour of physical activity per day, and 40.7% among those with at least one hour—a minimal difference of just 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, for girls, the addiction rate was 37.0% for those with less than one hour of physical activity per day, compared to 32.8% for those with at least one hour—a more significant difference of 4.2 percentage points.

Dong-Hyun Kim, the lead researcher, stated, "Physical activity, which is considered relatively less important than core subjects like Korean, English, and math, is actually a crucial mechanism for preventing loneliness and smartphone addiction in adolescents. The government, educational authorities, and schools must work together and establish systems that guarantee physical activity for Korean youth."

He added, "Our education system, which is centered around college entrance exams, demonstrates that physical activity can play a key role in protecting adolescent mental health. For adolescents to lead healthy and happy lives, it is essential for society at large—as well as for adolescents themselves and their families—to recognize the importance of physical activity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.