2020 Volume 65 Issue 4 Pages 240-249
This study aimed to compare the new physical fitness test results of the fifth- and sixth-grade students in a school established by reorganization with Japan national average. Furthermore, it was also investigated the difference in the physical fitness between students who commutes to a school by bus and walking. Ninety-four primary school students volunteered to undergo the new physical fitness tests. Grip strength, sit-up, flexibility, repeated lateral steps, standing broad jump, 20-m shuttle run, 50-m sprint, and softball throw were measured based on the guidelines of the Japanese Ministry of Education and Science. While, it was also surveyed how the participants commute to school. The one-sample t-test revealed that the number of sit-ups performed by the sixth-grade boys and girls as well as the standing broad jump of the sixth-grade boys were significantly higher than the national average. The 50-m sprint time of the fifthgrade girls was significantly inferior than the national average. In addition, the 20-m shuttle run of the fifth-grade boys and the fifth- and sixth-grade girls were significantly lower than the national average. Furthermore, in all groups, the 50-m sprint time and 20-m shuttle run of the participants in this study were inferior than the national average, although the differences for some groups were not-significant. Then, it was found that the participants in this study was inferior in variables associated with running. While, unpaired t-test found the non-significant difference in all variables between bus and walking. The result of the non-significant difference between groups indicated that the mean of commute did not mainly affect to the physical fitness tests. However, this study was conducted as a cross-sectional research, so that it was not evaluated directly whether physical fitness is affected by mean of commute. Therefore, as future research, it is required to examine in longitudinal research design.
