Factors Facilitating the Continuous Exercise in the Adolescents

－ A Comparative Study between of University Students in Japan and South Korea－

Abstract

This study aims to clarify the factors related to the continuation of exercise in adolescent since their childhood. Although there are some differences between Japan and South Korea regarding the exercise environment or other condition, a comparative study of this topic of would be important. After comprehending the situation of how the university students continue their exercise or sports activities from childhood to date, we studied the relationship between “exercise adherence situation” and “factors related to the continuation of exercise” targeting 722 Japanese ordinary university students, 707 Japanese athletic university students, 232 South Korean ordinary university students and 271 South Korean athletic university students. About the factor related to continue exercise, we then conducted exploratory factor analysis.

As a result, on the exercise adherence situation, many Japanese students discontinued it during their high school days, and many South Korean students did it during their elementary school days.

The factor analysis resulted in the extraction of “palatability of exercise” as the first factor, “effect of exercise” as the second factor, “feeling of capability and sense of fulfillment” as the third factor, “influence of parents” as the forth factor, “exercise capacity and endowment” as the fifth factor and “effect of friends” as the sixth factor for the Japanese students, whereas “feeling of capability and sense of fulfillment” as the first factor, “effect of friends” as the second factor, “influence of parents” as the third factor, “effect of exercise” as the forth factor, “environmental impact” as the fifth factor, “palatability of exercise” as the sixth factor and “exercise capacity and endowment” as the seventh factor for the South Korean students. The order and the number of factor-items differed between two countries, but both students selected almost the same factors. We compared factor score by dividing exercise continuation-situation into the following 3 groups, 1) group continuing exercise to date, 2) group of withdrawal by the wayside and of reopening, 3) group of discontinuation; and obtained the result that athletic university students attained high score in all factors despite of the above exercise situation, and that ordinary university students of both Japan and South Korea in the group continuing exercise to date attained significantly higher score of “palatability of exercise” factor than other 2 groups, which suggested that the feeling of love and fun to exercise related to the continuation of exercise.

Furthermore, in Japan, there was a gender difference between exercise continuation group and exercise discontinuation group in each exercise continuation factor. Based on the outcome mentioned above, compared to athletic students, in order to continue exercise for ordinary students in both Japan and South Korea, favorable feeling against exercise with love and fun would become an important determinant factor.