Assessment of life factors affecting the experience of depressive symptoms in adolescents: a secondary analysis using the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey

BACKGROUND: Adolescents may experience several changes in their lifestyle, such as social activity and school life, which makes them vulnerable to developing a depressive disorder. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the factors affecting the experience of depressive symptoms during adolescence. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis using the 2019 Korean Youth Risk Behavior Web-based survey data, including a total of 57,303 middle and high school students selected from among 400 schools. Factors such as dietary habits, physical activity levels, time spent studying, duration of internet use, and other health risk behaviors were included in the analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors that predict the risk of experiencing depressive symptoms. RESULTS: The perceived stress of Korean adolescents showed a tendency to increase with age, and high school seniors and girls were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Perceived health status, academic performance, time spent studying, physical activity, duration of internet use, and effort to control weight were associated with individual experiences of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: We identified factors that influence the experience of depressive symptoms in adolescents. Our results suggest the possibility that the purpose of students’ physical activities and their leisure activity preferences may be related to their emotional status. We suggest that activities that are appropriate to the culture and lifestyle of adolescents should be recommended to reduce the occurrence of depressive symptoms. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13034-021-00407-0.