THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF JAPANESE PUPILS AND ITS CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

Abstract

In Japan, the physical examination is compulsory to all pupils and students, and it is administered in April every year. This physical examination has been carried on under the law and administered by school physicians with common examination technique. Such a systematical physical measurement and examination may not be observed in the world except in Japan. Around the time when this kind of physical examination was started, the items measured were mainly body height and weight, but later such items as physiological functions, disease, nutrition, etc. have been legislated to be examined. However, from 1940 to 1947, this examination was executed for only sampled pupils in the eight prefectures sampled from all because of World War II. The first objective of this paper is to analyze the data of physical examination published by the Ministry of Education which have been resulted from such a large scale physical examination carried out for 68 years. The second one is to determine the relative degree of contribution of factors, which are supposed to be important to the amount of growth and development of physique of pupils.