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Pursuing Sustainable Happiness through Participation in Exercise for South Korean Students: Structural Relationships among Exercise, Mental Health Factors, School Satisfaction, and Happiness

Author

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  • HangUk Cheon

    (Department of Physical Education, BaeMyeong High School, Seoul 05598, Korea)

  • Seijun Lim

    (College of Physical Education, KyungHee University, Gyeonggi-do 10315, Korea)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility that exercise participation can be an important factor in the pursuit of sustainable happiness. For this purpose, this study focused on the causal relationships among the frequency of exercise, self-esteem, stress, depression, school satisfaction and degree of happiness in elementary, junior high and high school students (n = 11,132) in South Korea. The data used for this study were collected in 2016 by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI) for the “UN convention on the rights of the child.” The results were as follows; firstly, the exercise frequency had a significant causal relationship with self-esteem, stress, school satisfaction and happiness but not with depression. However, it was found that exercise frequency had an indirect effect on depression through stress. In detail, exercise frequency could positively reduce stress, and less stress affects depression. Secondly, there were significant direct or indirect effects on self-esteem, stress, depression, degree of happiness and school satisfaction. Lastly, only depression did not affect school satisfaction and happiness.

Suggested Citation

  • HangUk Cheon & Seijun Lim, 2020. "Pursuing Sustainable Happiness through Participation in Exercise for South Korean Students: Structural Relationships among Exercise, Mental Health Factors, School Satisfaction, and Happiness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:9:p:3797-:d:354834
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Teen-Hang Meen & Charles Tijus & Jui-Che Tu, 2020. "Selected Papers from the Eurasian Conference on Educational Innovation 2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-5, July.
    2. HangUk Cheon, 2021. "The Structural Relationship between Exercise Frequency, Social Health, and Happiness in Adolescents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Svein Barene & Andreas Ruud-Tronsmoen & Patrick Foss Johansen, 2022. "Associations between Demographic Characteristics, Lifestyle Factors and School-Related Conditions and Symptoms of Mental Health Problems in Norwegian Upper Secondary School Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, August.

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