ArticlePloS one2026
Behavior-biological mismatch in metabolic health: Evidence from South Korean adults before, during, and after COVID-19 (KNHANES 2019-2022).
Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveRegular physical activity (PA) is recommended for cardiometabolic prevention, yet emerging evidence suggests that meeting PA guidelines alone does not guarantee metabolic health. Pandemic-related disruptions may have intensified behavior-biology discrepancies. This study examined the prevalence and sociodemographic determinants of the physically active but metabolically unhealthy (PA-NH) group before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea.
methodsWe analyzed 17,719 adults aged ≥19 years using the 2019-2022 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants were classified into four groups: PA-H, NPA-H, NPA-NH, and PA-NH. Temporal patterns across the pre- (2019), during- (2020-2021), and post-pandemic period (2022) were assessed using χ² tests and ANOVA. Multinomial logistic regression identified determinants of PA-NH membership.
resultsFrom 2019 to 2022, PA-H declined during the pandemic and rebounded thereafter, whereas PA-NH increased from 31.2% to 34.0%. Older adults had markedly higher odds of PA-NH (OR 7.30 for ≥70 y vs 19-29 y). Women were less likely to belong to PA-NH. Higher education reduced the odds of mismatch relative to PA-H but increased them compared with NPA-NH. Metabolic risk factors such as hypertension and hypercholesterolemia rose despite recovery in PA.
conclusionsThe persistence and rise of PA-NH after the pandemic show an association suggesting that adherence to PA guidelines alone is insufficient for cardiometabolic protection. Post-pandemic public health strategies should integrate aerobic and resistance exercise with dietary modification, stress management, and routine screening, prioritizing older adults and other high-risk groups.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.