• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2024

Background & Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between subjective health perception and health behaviors among adolescents, utilizing raw data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019-2021) while distinguishing between genders. Methods: The study employed data from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019-2020), recruiting students from 1st to 3rd grades in middle and high schools nationwide. Through population stratification, sample distribution, and sampling stages, a final sample of 1,065 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years was selected. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) at a significance level of .05. Results: Regarding the general characteristics of the subjects, no statistically significant differences were observed among male students based on school, family structure, and income. However, among female students, a significant difference in subjective health perception was noted, with higher perception among high school students compared to middle school students (p=.001). Significant differences in health behaviors were identified based on family structure for male adolescents, where those living with both parents exhibited more health-promoting behaviors than single-parent adolescents (p=.011). However, no significant difference was observed among female adolescents. In terms of health behaviors related to gender, regular exercise was found to significantly impact subjective health perception in male adolescents (p=.013), while breakfast habits were identified as significant influencers for female adolescents (p<.001). Conclusions: This study revealed gender differences in subjective health perception and health behaviors among adolescents. Based on these findings, there is a perceived need for the development of health promotion programs tailored to the unique needs of male and female adolescents.