A Study on the Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Adolescent Obesity: Focusing on Difference by Non-metropolitan Area and Gender

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent obesity in Korea. In particular, we focus on whether there is a heterogeneous effect of COVID-19 on weight status between students living in metropolitan areas and students living in non-metropolitan areas. Using data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS), we find that students living in non-metropolitan areas are more likely to be overweight or obese than students in the metropolitan area. This impact is particularly evident among female students. To understand the underlying mechanism behind these results, we examine how physical and eating activities differ among female students by metropolitan resident status. We find that female students living in non-metropolitan areas show a higher frequency of eating activities that could negatively affect their weight status. These results suggest that there has been a gap in the health status of adolescents between the metropolitan area and non-metropolitan areas after the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the policy implications of this paper should be aimed at mitigating the gap through dietary support policies for adolescents living in non-metropolitan areas.