Objective: This study aimed to examine the effect of static stretching guidance given by older exercise volunteers together with the use of diaries on stretching frequency and flexibility among community-dwelling older adults. Subjects and Methods:This study was a randomized controlled trial. Seventy-five older adults were randomly assigned to three groups: “Classroom + Diary Group”for stretching guidance using diaries,“Classroom Group”for stretching guidance only, and “Diary Group”for the distribution of diaries only. Older exercise volunteers conducted one classroom session (60 min) per week for 8 weeks. The main outcome measures included stretching frequency and flexibility. Results: Compared with the “Classroom Group”, the “Classroom + Diary Group”and the “Diary Group”showed a significant increase in stretching frequency. There was no significant group-by-time interaction with respect to flexibility. Regardless of the group, regarding range of motion, straight leg raising and ankle dorsiflexion showed an increase and decrease, respectively. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the use of diaries may be useful for improving stretching frequency with or without guidance given by olderexercisevolunteers.

This study sought to clarify the relationships between positive affect, psychological competitive ability and stressor awareness, and to clarify the differences due to psychological characteristics. A sample of 50 male university student-swimmers was examined using the Japanese Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), the Diagnostic Inventory of Psychological Competitive Ability for Athletes (DIPCA.3) and the Daily and Competitive Stressor Scale for University Athletes. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between SHS and DIPCA.3 scores, and a significant negative correlation between SHS and stressor scale scores. Additionally, we performed cluster analysis using standardized DIPCA.3 scores to examine psychological characteristics. Classifying participants into three clusters (CL1: good psychological condition group; CL2: low cooperation group; CL3:low willingness to compete group) revealed that CL1 participants scored highest on both the SHS and DIPCA.3, and low on the stressor scale. CL2 participants scored lowest on the SHS, second highest on the DIPCA.3 and highest on the stressor scale. CL3 participants scored second highest on the SHS, lowest on the DIPCA.3 and low on the stressor scale. These results confirmed that university student-swimmers with high positive affect had high psychological competitive ability and low stressor awareness. Furthermore, the current findings suggested that the relationship between positive affect and psychological competitive ability may be related to factors including personality inferred from psychological characteristics.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between locomotive syndrome (LS) development and motor imagery (MI) ability in children. The study included 212 children of elementary school age. We used a motor organ dysfunction checklist for LS testing and a mental rotation (MR) task to measure MI capacity. Based on the results of the LS assessment, the subjects were placed in either the LS-positive (38 subjects) or LSnegative (174 subjects) group. The number of males was significantly more in the LSpositive group than in the LS-negative group. Additionally, the average age, height,weight, and Laurelʼs index were higher and the inverse efficiency score (IES) during the MR task was lesser in the LS-positive group than in the LS-negative group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for gender, age, and body size, the IES obtained during the MR task was a significant explanatory variable for LS assessment. These results indicate that MI ability is a factor affecting LS development in children.

[Purpose] To examine the absolute reliability and relative reliability of a method for measuring and evaluating the wheelchair propulsion skills of turning, accelerating, and decelerating manual wheelchairs among healthy adults. [Method] Two occupational therapists performed the tests on 36 healthy adults (men: 15;women: 21; mean age: 21.3±0.6 years). In the figure-of-8 type of measured course, each participant propelled a wheelchair with arm propulsion and maximum effort. Examiners measured the time required for participants to propel the established course using a stopwatch. The absolute reliability of the measurement value was examined using the BlandAltman analysis, and the relative reliability was examined using the intraclass correlation coefficient (2.1). [Results] A proportional bias was found as a systematic bias of the measured value; however, no fixed bias was observed. The intraclass correlation coefficient (2.1) of the measured values was 0.999, with 95% confidence interval of 0.999­1.000. [Conclusion] The measurement and evaluation method developed in this study confirmed the error characteristics in the measured values and showed a high inter-tester reliability.

【Purpose】This study investigated the relationship between toe-grip strength and temporal and spatial gait parameters when walking comfortably and at a high speed,to clarify the function of toe-grip strength in gait in patient with Parkinsonʼs disease.【Subjects and Methods】Forty patient with Parkinsonʼs disease living at home were enrolled in this study. The measured items were toe-grip strength, along with speed (comfortable and fast), stride length, walking rate, stride interval, foot angle, stance duration, swing duration,and double-leg support duration. The association between toe-grip strength and these items were investigated using Pearsonʼs product-moment correlation coefficient.【Results】Toe-grip strength showed a significant positive correlation with stride length and speed when walking comfortably and fast, but no significant correlation with stance duration, swing duration, and double-leg support duration.【Conclusion】These results suggest that individuals with greater toe-grip strength are able to walk faster by increasing their stride length while preserving temporal/cyclical parameters, without altering their gait rhythm.

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to investigate the position of the toe grip bar at which maximum strength could be exerted during toe grip strength and measurement reproducibility. [Subjects] Twenty-four healthy young men were selected. [Methods] We measured toe grip strength during the following three positional conditions of the toe grip bar: immediately above the first interphalangeal (IP) joint, front of the IP joint, and back of the IP joint. [Results] We found that toe-grip strength was significantly higher immediately above the IP joint than at the front and back of the IP joint. Moreover, the intraclass correlation coefficient was good for the three conditions. [Conclusion] The results suggest that immediately above the IP position is the most suitable toe grip bar position for measuring toe grip strength, as this position allows maximum strength exertion and repeated measurements.

This study investigated the effect of an alert system that can feed back information about the forward bending angle of the trunk on an improvement of poorposture,which occurs during nursing care. Sixteen healthy subjects participated in this study. The experiment consisted of two periods (3 days each); (A) The subjects performed nursing care without using the alert system as a control experiment of the below procedure initial phase. (B) The other procedure was to performed nursing care with using the alert system. We measured the number of forward bends (41°or more) during nursing care and compared the differences between the two periods. The number of forward bends of 41°or more that occurred during nursing care was significantly reduced in the intervention period, which used the alert system, compared to the control period. These results suggested that the alert system about the forward bending may be effective in improving posture during nursing care.