Earticle

This study aimed to analyze the effects of using outdoor fitness facilities located near mountainous areas (referred to as Sansujang) on health indicators and quality of life among local residents. Participants included residents from Seoul and the metropolitan area who either regularly used Sansujang or did not use such facilities. Physical health indicators—including muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, cardiopulmonary endurance, BMI, body fat percentage, and blood pressure—were measured, along with quality of life assessed through the WHOQOL-BREF. The results showed that the Sansujang user group demonstrated significantly better outcomes in most health indicators compared to the non-user group. Additionally, users reported higher levels in physical, psychological, and environmental domains of quality of life, as well as overall quality of life scores. However, no significant difference was found in the domain of social relationships. These findings suggest that Sansujang serves as a valuable community resource for enhancing public health and quality of life. The study recommends the development of community-based exercise programs centered around Sansujang and policy-level support for such initiatives.

This study aimed to predict park golf participation intention based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and to examine the effects of its core predictors on both intention and actual behavior. A survey was conducted with 173 adults who had prior experience participating in park golf. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that among the three TPB predictors, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control had statistically significant positive effects on participation intention, whereas attitude did not show a significant influence. Additionally, perceived behavioral control was not significantly associated with participation behavior, while participation intention showed a strong positive effect on actual participation. These findings support the applicability of TPB in explaining behavioral intentions in the context of park golf and offer theoretical and practical implications for promoting participation in emerging sport-for-all activities.

In this study, we investigated the potential of Angelica gigas Nakai root oil (AGRO), extracted via steam distillation, as a functional cosmetic ingredient. The major components of AGRO were identified by analyzing peak area ratios using GC-MS/MS, resulting in the identification of 25 chemical compounds. To evaluate its antioxidant properties, total polyphenol content, as well as DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, were measured. At a concentration of 5%, AGRO exhibited approximately 65.8% DPPH and 96.9% ABTS radical scavenging activity. Furthermore, AGRO significantly promoted type I procollagen synthesis without inducing cytotoxicity in human dermal fibroblast cells. These findings suggest that AGRO holds promise as an effective ingredient in skin care formulations.

This study explores how the idealization of athletes’ bodies is constructed, circulated, and internalized through media and public perception, and how this process shapes societal standards of physical ideals and aesthetic evaluation. The findings reveal that athletes’ bodies are often idealized beyond their functional athletic purpose, significantly influencing how the public evaluates their own bodies and sets physical aspirations. However, this process can lead to an excessive focus on physical appearance, often overshadowing the importance of athletic performance and health. To address these concerns, the study proposes alternative aesthetic criteria that prioritize functionality, health, and body diversity. Such criteria would enable athletes to maintain both performance and well-being while receiving positive recognition, and would promote more inclusive societal standards that emphasize diversity and functionality—ultimately reorienting public appreciation toward the fundamental values of sport.

This study explores the theoretical basis and practical potential of personalized fashion color strategies by linking the latest fashion color trends of 2025 with the nine personality types of the Suji Enneagram. Recent fashion color trends reflect complex sociocultural factors such as eco-friendliness, psychological stability, individual expression, and digital sensibility, which are organically connected to the essential needs and external image characteristics of each Suji Enneagram type. This research provides an in-depth analysis of the relationship between each type and 2025 trend colors (including deep chocolate brown, sunshine yellow, lilac mist, sage green, aqua blue), their psychological and sociocultural meanings, and practical applications in fashion and color therapy. The findings confirm that Suji Enneagram-based customized color strategies can meaningfully contribute to self-understanding, self-expression, psychological growth, and social communication. This study suggests practical applications in fashion therapy, color marketing, and education, and highlights the need for future empirical research and the development of digital diagnostic tools.

This study aims to explore the structural transformations in the world of sports brought about by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and to examine the coexistence of technological change and potential risk. With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, AI has permeated all areas of sports—including athlete training, game operations, refereeing, and media consumption. The introduction of such technologies has enhanced efficiency, fairness, and accuracy, yet simultaneously threatens the human-centered values of sports—humanity, fairness, and playfulness. The findings indicate, first, that AI-based officiating systems have reduced human error and improved credibility but have also raised ethical concerns regarding algorithmic transparency and accountability. Second, data-driven training systems have contributed to athletic performance improvement, while revealing the “trap of data dependence,” which weakens athletes’ sensory judgment and creativity. Third, the spread of technology has transformed the roles of coaches and referees, accelerating the dehumanization of sports by excluding emotional and intuitive engagement. Consequently, this study emphasizes the need to redefine AI not as a tool for efficiency but as a supportive partner that complements human decision-making. To ensure sustainable coexistence, it proposes (1) the establishment of ethical guidelines ensuring data protection and fairness, (2) institutional regulations at national and international levels, (3) the enhancement of AI literacy education for sports practitioners, and (4) the redefinition of human-centered roles within the sports ecosystem. Ultimately, the relationship between AI and sports should be reconstructed as one of mutual complementarity rather than opposition, where technological innovation and human reflection coexist in harmony to sustain the true spirit and value of sports.

Just like the Miracle on the Han River in the 1980s, Korean golf has grown steadily and achieved remarkable growth, reaching the second place in the world. In order to the Korean golf industry to develop in the future, based on an analysis of the development process and the industry as a whole, a literature review was conducted from a historical perspective to determine the factors that have led to growth so far and the direction which it should move forward. It was reviewed at the period from 1900, when golf began in Korea, to 2023. The process of golf being introduced and established in Korea during the period 1900-1989 was observed along with the establishment of institutions. From 1990 to 2007, it was seen the growth and leap forward of the Korean golf industry with the emergence of star players. From 2008 to 2019, it was looked at the changes and renaissance of the golf industry through 'Se-Ri Kids' and screen golf. Lastly, in the 2020-2023 period, it was reviewed at the current situation of the golf industry in Korea and presented concerns in three areas (balanced development, technological change, and growth engines) for future development.

This study aimed to investigate the structural relationships among physical self-efficacy, social capital, and psychological well-being of women participating in sport-for-all programs, and to examine the mediating role of social capital. A total of 224 female participants residing in metropolitan areas and regularly engaged in sport-for-all activities completed a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed for hypothesis testing. The results revealed that physical self-efficacy had significant positive effects on both social capital and psychological well-being. Social capital also had a significant positive effect on psychological well-being and partially mediated the relationship between physical self-efficacy and psychological well-being. These findings suggest that sport-for-all participation plays a crucial role not only in physical health but also in enhancing psychosocial well-being among women. Practical implications highlight the necessity of incorporating community-based components and social interaction strategies into program development. This study provides fundamental evidence for promoting sport-for-all policies and interventions that support women’s holistic health and well-being.

This study explores the lived experience of a university professor in sports management who conducted guest lectures at other institutions, through the lens of autoethnography. The primary purpose of the research is to examine how such experiences contribute to the professor's evolving sense of educational identity, passion, professional calling, and scholarly communication. Autoethnography was employed as the methodological framework, drawing on the researcher's own narratives, lecture materials, reflections, and interactions with students during multiple guest lectures. The analysis yielded three central themes: (1) the tension and growth experienced while teaching in unfamiliar educational spaces, (2) the rediscovery of academic dialogue through reciprocal knowledge-sharing, and (3) the deepened sense of professional identity and educational calling. These findings highlight the dynamic nature of a professor’s role when removed from the familiar context of their home institution. The study suggests that guest lectures are not merely supplementary activities but can serve as meaningful pedagogical and cultural practices that reshape one’s understanding of teaching and scholarship.

This study aims to explore the multi-layered concept of “cultural sports” from the perspective of the sports industry and to clarify its structural characteristics within contemporary social and media environments. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital and Gerbner and Gross’s cultivation theory, the study constructs an integrated theoretical framework that explains how sports participation and consumption, media representation, and globalization interact to reshape the boundaries and meanings of sports. Methodologically, the research employs literature review and critical discourse analysis to examine domestic and international studies, policy documents, media texts, and fan discourses related to cultural sports and the sports industry. The findings indicate that cultural sports operate as a complex structure encompassing cultural capital accumulation, social stratification, media-driven cultural cultivation, ideology and myth-making, and globalization-induced cultural homogenization. In particular, digital media expansion, fandom-based user-generated content, and the spread of ESG-oriented management practices are shown to reinforce the dual nature of cultural sports as both an economic asset and a socio-cultural field of power. These results provide theoretical and practical implications for redefining the identity of sports studies, designing sports industry policies, and developing strategies that simultaneously pursue industrial growth, social responsibility, and cultural diversity.