Students look at their smartphones as they leave school at a middle school in Seoul, South Korea. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – Smoking and drinking among South Korean adolescents have dropped to one-third of their levels from two decades ago, according to a new report.
However, concerning trends in mental health and dietary habits, including a sharp rise in skipped breakfasts, highlight the need for greater focus on youth well-being.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) and the Ministry of Education released the findings during the 20th Annual Youth Health Behavior Survey in Seoul on Friday.
The survey, conducted annually since 2005, examines behaviors such as smoking, drinking, physical activity, and diet among approximately 60,000 middle and high school students nationwide.
Key Improvements in Health Behaviors
The “current smoking rate,” representing students who smoked on at least one day in the past month, fell to 3.6% in 2023, down from 11.8% in 2005. Similarly, the “current drinking rate,” measuring those who drank at least once in the past month, dropped from 27% in 2005 to 9.7% this year.
Physical activity levels also improved. The percentage of adolescents engaging in at least 60 minutes of exercise five days a week rose from 10.9% in 2009 to 17.3% in 2023, with middle school students showing higher activity rates than high schoolers.
The “current smoking rate,” representing students who smoked on at least one day in the past month, fell to 3.6% in 2023, down from 11.8% in 2005. (Image courtesy of Pixabay/CCL)
Alarming Trends in Diet and Mental Health
Conversely, dietary habits have worsened. Over 42% of students reported skipping breakfast at least five days a week, up from 27.1% in 2005. Fast food consumption has more than doubled since 2009, with 28.9% of students eating fast food three or more times a week in 2023.
Mental health indicators have also deteriorated in the past decade. While stress levels had improved by 2015, they have since rebounded, with 42.3% of students reporting high stress in 2023, compared to 35.4% in 2015.
The prevalence of depressive symptoms—feeling sadness or despair severe enough to disrupt daily life for two weeks—has also risen, reaching 27.7% in 2023 from 23.6% in 2015.
Government Response
Lee Ju-ho, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, emphasized the need for targeted interventions, noting that while smoking and drinking rates continue to decline, “greater attention and support are required to address mental health and dietary issues.”
The survey’s 20th-anniversary event included a recognition ceremony for contributors and a panel discussion on strategies to improve youth health indicators.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
