Cross-sectional evidence supports for school connectedness as an important element of healthy youth development. Prospective studies are needed to argue its causal relationship. The aim of this study was to examine whether school connectedness is a determinant of WHO physical activity recommendation for youth in a sample of Japanese junior high school students.

Analyses were based on one-year with two time-point data of 505 students (265 boys) who entered in five junior high schools in one Okinawan educational office in 2015. School connectedness was evaluated using the sum of a scale constructed from three items “I like school”, “School is a nice place to be”, and “Sense of belonging at school”. Self-reported physical activity was assessed using the Patient-Centred Assessment and Counselling for Exercise plus Nutrition questionnaire.

According to the analysis by the Generalized Estimating Equation models adjusted for BMI, academic achievement, family structure, and parental education level, the changes in school connectedness score within-person and the differences in average of school connectedness score two-time points between-person were associated with physical activity. Totally, no sex differences in these relationships were found.

Establishing school connectedness can contribute to the compliance with WHO physical activity recommendation in Japanese junior high school students, regardless of the interindividual differences of level of connectedness to school. Although further research is required to identify the effects of school connectedness on other health-related behaviors, increasing school connectedness should be a consideration for school administrators and health-promotion policymakers.

Objective: The present study systematically reviewed the research trends of exercise interventions on motor coordination (MC) in school children.

Methods: Studies published from January 2009 to January 2019 were identified by literature searches in multiple international databases. Terms for “motor coordination”, “koordination”, “motor skill”, “movement skill”, “motor competence”, “motor proficiency”, “neuromuscular”, “gross motor”, “fundamental”, “locomotor skill”, “object control”, fitness, “coordinative exercise”, “coordination exercise” were used. Studies were included if they were conducted among school children and measured MC, MC‒related variables as primary or secondary outcomes, and published in a peer‒reviewed journal. After examination and careful review of the included studies, the characteristics of the studies (study design, participant, measure of MC, intervention, and results) were extracted and summarized. Also, the methodological quality of the randomized controlled trials (RCT) included was assessed.

Results: A total of 13 studies (RCT: n＝9, quasi‒experimental design: n＝3, pre‒post design: n＝1) met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies (n＝13) were conducted using school‒based interventions. With the exception of one study, all other studies showed significant effects of the intervention.

Conclusion: The present findings suggest that all eligible studies can improve MC in school children. However, some methodological limitations were also found. Thus, further high‒quality intervention studies will be necessary.

This study aims to compare the physical activity, habitual lifestyle, and physical fitness of the sixth‒grade elementary school students before and after the summer vacation. This study was conducted at an elementary school located in the city of Kurashiki within the Okayama Prefecture from April to September, 2013. A total of 131 participants (70 boys and 61 girls) with ages of 11‒12 participated in this study. We investigated the physical activity, habitual lifestyle, and physical fitness before, during, and after the summer vacation. A uniaxial accelerometer was used to measure the total steps and moderate‒to‒vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of the participants. Further, the habitual lifestyles were assessed using a questionnaire. Physical fitness was assessed using a 50‒m dash and 20‒m shuttle run.

The total steps and MVPA during the summer vacation were significantly less than those before the summer vacation. The wake‒up time and bedtime of girls were considerably late during the summer vacation than those before and after the summer vacation. Further, the total amount of time spent on TV/video/DVD, internet, and TV games during the summer vacation was significantly more than those before and after the summer vacation. The 50‒m dash measured before the summer vacation was significantly lower than after the summer vacation. In contrast, no differences can be observed with respect to the 20‒m shuttle run before and after the summer vacation.

In conclusion, our study suggests that the physical activity is reduced and the habitual lifestyle is disturbed during the summer vacation. In addition, physical fitness is lowered or is stable between before and after summer vacation.