What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to examine trends in physical activity and metabolic syndrome among Korean adults from 2018 to 2023.

February 6, 2026The Asian Journal of Kinesiology0 citationsOpen Access

Temporal Trends of Association Between Physical Activity and Metabolic Syndrome in Korean Adults:A Nationwide Study in Korea (2018–2023)

CKChae-Been KimUniversity of Tsukuba DADohyun AhnTexas Tech University EKEunhui KimPusan National University

Key Points

This study aims to examine trends in physical activity and metabolic syndrome among Korean adults from 2018 to 2023.
Utilized data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) collected from 2018-2023.
Included 32,639 adults aged 19 and older.
Defined physical activity based on World Health Organization guidelines (≥ 150 minutes/week).
Applied survey weights and primary sampling designs in analyses for accuracy.
Evaluated associations using random-effects meta-regression.
No significant temporal trends in physical activity from 2018 to 2023.
Waist circumference and HDL-C showed significant trends, with plasma glucose peaking in 2021.
Meeting physical activity guidelines was linked to a 25% lower odds of metabolic syndrome (pooled OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.70–0.80).
No significant secular change in the relationship between physical activity and metabolic syndrome across the years.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to examine temporal trends in physical activity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Korean adults, and to evaluate secular trends in the association between physical activity and MetS from 2018 to 2023.METHODS This study utilized data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) collected between 2018 and 2023. A total of 32,639 adults aged ≥ 19 years were included. Physical activity was dichotomized based on meeting the World Health Organization guidelines (≥ 150 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity). MetS was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria with Asian-specific waist circumference cutoffs, as the presence of ≥ 3 of 5 metabolic components based on measured component values. All analyses accounted for the complex sampling design of KNHANES by applying survey weights and primary sampling units and strata. Temporal trends were tested using orthogonal polynomial contrasts. Secular changes in the association between physical activity and MetS were evaluated using random-effects meta-regression.RESULTS Physical activity levels showed no significant temporal trends from 2018 to 2023. Among MetS components, waist circumference and HDL-C showed significant linear and quadratic trends, fasting plasma glucose demonstrated a significant quadratic pattern peaking in 2021, and both triglycerides and diastolic blood pressure showed significant negative linear trends, whereas systolic blood pressure showed no significant temporal trend. Pooled analyses revealed that meeting physical activity guidelines was associated with a 25% lower odds of MetS (pooled OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.70–0.80). Meta-regression indicated no significant secular change in this association across survey years.CONCLUSIONS Meeting physical activity guidelines was consistently associated with lower odds of MetS among Korean adults from 2018 to 2023, with no evidence of secular change in this association. Despite stable physical activity, several MetS components showed partially unfavorable temporal trends, underscoring the need for prevention strategies beyond physical activity alone.

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