2018 Volume 20 Issue 1 Pages 37-48
Objective: The aim of the present study is to compare indicators of physical activity by gender in primary school and junior high school students in 47 prefectures based on international indicators.
Methods: The determinants of physical activity based on international indicators of “Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth” were evaluated by representative data from 47 prefectures in primary school and junior high school students. The percentage of students meeting the criteria for each indicator was calculated and each indicator, divided by gender, was assigned a grade.
Results: “Active Transportation,” and “Weight Status,” received from A+ to B grades in all 47 prefectures. The grade for “Organized Sport Participation” was from B to C, while “Physical Fitness” grades ranged from B to D. The grade for “Sedentary Behavior” was from C to D+. In the influences domain, “Family and Peer Influence” were graded as D- or F. “Overall Physical Activity” and “Active Play” could not be graded. In terms of gender differences, girls’ grades for “Organized Sport Participation” and “Family and Peer Influence” were lower than those of boys in every prefecture. In some prefectures, girls also had lower grades for “Active Transportation” than those of boys. In keeping with this trend, boy’s grades in “Sedentary Behavior” were also lower than those of girls in every prefecture.
Conclusion: The differences in all indicators except for “Physical Fitness” among prefectures were small. However, grades for some indicators were low, which has to be improved. One notable finding was that girls lagged behind boys in indicators for “Sports Participation” and “Family and Peer Influence”, and also for “Active Transportation” in some prefectures. Boys’ “Sedentary Behavior” was lower than that of girls in every prefecture; this suggests there is a need for strategy appropriate to each prefecture, considering the gender differences.
