Secular Trends in the Development of Health-Related Physical Fitness in Japanese Adolescents

Abstract

This study explored the development of adolescent health-related physical fitness and the secular trend of its trajectory. Data for the study were drawn from archival data of the secondary school attending the University of Tokyo's Faculty of Education. Participants for endurance running were 3,763 adolescents (1,870 females) who entered the school between 1968 and 2001, and those for grip strength were 2,137 adolescents (1,072 females) who entered the school between 1968 and 1987. The results of latent growth curve modeling showed that males improved in their endurance running performance and grip strength during adolescence. Meanwhile, females did not greatly change their endurance running performance and slightly improved in their grip strength during adolescence. In addition, the results also indicated a secular trend in their developmental trajectories. Later-born cohorts showed a decline of endurance running performance for both sexes. Meanwhile, these cohorts also showed an increase in grip strength, but only for male adolescents.