Background: School personnel often attempt to cultivate self-esteem, attributing the causes of many psychological and behavioral problems of children to their low self-esteem. Although self-esteem needs to be extensively studied with high accuracy due to its great interest, many serious problems have been identified regarding research on self-esteem. Most problems concern the concept and assessment of self-esteem. To address the problems, in recent years, self-esteem was divided into two types: autonomous and heteronomous self-esteem. The former is healthy and adaptive, while the latter is unhealthy and nonadaptive. Moreover, a school-based universal program that cultivates autonomous self-esteem and decreases heteronomous selfesteem has been developed. The program is termed “the School-Based Universal Prevention Program for Enhancing Autonomous Self-Esteem.” However, despite that autonomous and heteronomous self-esteem nonconsciously function with the need for being nonconsciously assessed, no nonconscious assessment tool has been utilized to test the effectiveness of the program.

Objective: The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of the program using a reliable and valid implicit association test as a nonconscious assessment tool.

Methods: Participants were 55 (23 boys and 32 girls) and 60 (31 boys and 29 girls) 5th-grade children for the intervention and control groups, respectively. The program was conducted for 45 minutes once a week for four successive weeks. The test to assess the effectiveness of the program was the Autonomous and Heteronomous Self-Esteem Implicit Association Test for Children. The children in the intervention group completed the test twice, before and after the implementation of the program. Similar time periods were utilized for the control group that received no intervention.

Results: Results by 2 (intervention and control groups) × 2 (pe-intervention and post-intervention periods) × 2 (boys and girls; or high and low groups) analyses of variance showed that the program intervention significantly increased autonomous self-esteem and decreased heteronomous self-esteem compared to the control group. Moreover, the effectiveness of this program was similar regardless of sex and the level of autonomous self-esteem before the intervention.

Conclusion: The school-based universal program was found to be effective in cultivating autonomous self-esteem and decreasing heteronomous self-esteem when a nonconscious assessment tool of the implicit association test was utilized. Hereafter, the program is expected to be conducted at schools as an effective method to cultivate healthy and adaptive self-esteem.

Background: Global trends in self-medication indicate that students begin to use medicines in junior high school, and without appropriate interventions at this time, the problem may worsen in the future.

Objective: There is little research on the relationship between adolescent identity development and perceptions and behaviors related to medicine use. Therefore, in order to fill this gap, this study will investigate how developmental conflicts affect medicine use among Japanese junior high school students.

Methods: In this study, we surveyed junior high school students and their parents about their behaviors related to the use of medicine and their perceptions of whether they considered it important or not, in terms of three aspects: reading the warning labels, adhering to the dose times, and adhering to the dose. In addition, students' "rebelliousness" was measured by a scale we developed, and the WHO-5 was used to assess students' depressive tendencies. As for the parents, their experiences of misuse of medicine were also ascertained.

Results: The results showed that students' perceptions and behaviors toward medicine use were only marginally related to those of their parents. There was a gap between the perceptions and behaviors of both students and parents. Of the three factors on the rebelliousness scale (rebellion, conflict, and relationship), conflict and rebellion were positively correlated with inappropriate use of medicine at the behavioral and cognitive levels. Depressive tendencies were detected in 14.5 % of the students and should be given more attention in the future. Furthermore, the sub-items of the rebelliousness scale, conflict and perception of dose, were significantly correlated with depressive tendencies based on the WHO-5.

Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that perceptions and behaviors of inappropriate medicine use are associated with rebelliousness. They also had an impact on mental health. There is a gap between the behavior and perceptions of both parents and junior high school students, and many of the parents have experienced misuse of medicine. Since parents are the main source of advice for junior high school students when they use medicine, medicine use education and drug abuse prevention education would be more effective if implemented for both parents and students.

Background: In Japan, sexual health has been an important issue for a long time for many reasons. Considering the current state of abortions and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents andteenagers, sexuality education, particularly for youth, should be further emphasized and enhanced.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to carry out a sexuality education workshop for university students, who as a group are likely to become sexually active, and to examine its effectiveness. In the workshop, a university student of the same generation as the participants provided information on sexuality and acted as facilitator. In addition, the workshop was designed to encourage students to actively participate.

Methods: In January 2021, a 60-minute workshop was held for students enrolled at University A in the Kanto region. The facilitator was a freshman from the university’s faculty of education, and the number of participants was approximately 70. The first 40 minutes of this workshop provided information in a lecture-style, and the final 20 minutes used the chat function to exchange opinions among participants. We fully guaranteed the anonymity of the participants, who were not required to show their names or faces. The survey was conducted in February 2021 using the semi-structured interview method. We interviewed 7 students who had participated in this workshop and had consented to be interviewed. Interviews were conducted individually (approximately 60 minutes per student).

Results: As a result of data analysis, the data were coded and classified into 11 subcategories in 5 categories. Specifically, we identified the following 5 categories: [Advantages of online format], [Advantages of the facilitator being of the same generation], [Awareness of the importance of thinking and commenting on sexuality], [Opportunity to share opinions and worries about sexuality with the same generation], and [Awareness of the need for enhanced sexuality education for university students].

Conclusion: Regarding the workshop, positive opinions were shown about the fact that anonymity was ensured and that a university student of the same generation was the facilitator. This practice encouraged the participants to participate voluntarily and exchange opinions, suggesting that this workshop was meaningful. While sexuality education for university students is not sufficient in Japan, it is hoped that activities similar to this workshop will become widespread in the future. In addition to such activities, it is also important that the aim and content of sexuality education for university students be thoroughly examined.

Background: The coming-of-age ceremony is a social ceremony marking the day when a person is recognized as an adult. The ceremony, in which participants wear a furisode (long-sleeved kimono) and hakama (traditional Japanese dress), has attracted much attention from overseas.

Objective: This study investigates the behavior of university students on the day of the coming-ofage ceremony to consider preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: A total of 170 University students who attended coming-of-age ceremonies participated in this study. A questionnaire survey was conducted using Google Forms focusing on students’ behavior, specifically whether they wore masks and ate or drank in social settings after the ceremony.

Results: Of the 170 participants, 150 chatted with their friends, and 140 had their photo taken (mostly without masks). Seventy-eight students (45.9%) ate and drank with friends after the ceremony, but only a few always wore a mask.

Conclusion: Students should be educated on strict infection control measures to prevent outbreaks on campus, and classes should be conducted online after potential cluster events.

Background: Junior high school students are currently living in rapidly changing social and living environments and have diversified interests. Classes that encourage their intellectual curiosity are therefore needed. Junior high school is a fundamental period as students acquire healthy behaviors that may last a lifetime. However, challenges remain as these students typically do not fully apply their health education learnings to their daily lives.

Objective: The objective of this study is to design a scale that evaluates junior high school students’ health behaviors and their perceptions thereof, and to clarify the relationships between junior high school students’ health behaviors, perceptions thereof, daily life habits, and psychosocial factors.

Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey, the Questionnaire on the Everyday Health Behaviors and Perceptions of Junior High School Students (Q-EHBP-JHSS), was conducted on 645 students from three junior high schools. To test the questionnaire’s reliability and validity, factor validity, internal consistency, stability, and criterion-related validity were evaluated. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was also performed to understand the overall structure of the relationships between the Q-EHBP-JHSS and the Diagnostic Inventory of Health and Life Habits (DIHAL.2), Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and the Children’s Health Locus of Control Scale (CHLCS).

Results: There were 486 valid questionnaires from the 574 questionnaires received (89%). The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed a total of 48 items under eight factors of the Q-EHBP-JHSS. The SEM of the Q-EHBP-JHSS, DIHAL.2, RSES, and CHLCS revealed that of the eight Q-EHBP-JHSS factors, exercise, appropriate behaviors, setting times, and mobile phone use affected daily exercise, diet, and rest habits the most. These four factors were also correlated with one another. Stress avoidance/prevention was associated with students’ degree of health and internal and external health locus of control, while sleep fulfillment was associated with physical and social health. Sleep regularity was associated with the external health locus of control. Exercise behavior/environment was associated with physical and social health, while physical and mental health was associated with self-esteem. Exercise consciousness affected the internal health locus of control.

Conclusion: The reliability and validity of the Q-EHBP-JHSS were confirmed. The results of SEM revealed that factors such as exercise, appropriate behaviors, setting times, and mobile phone use can be used as course content for health education that increases students’ intellectual interest. Further, these results can contribute to the development of courses that support junior high school students’ implementation and continuation of appropriate health behaviors.

Background: Non-cognitive skills (NCS) are vital components of a socially and financially successful life, developed through childhood education, family and school environments, and social settings. The effects of NCS in adulthood have been studied, whereas those in adolescents have rarely been examined in Japan. Grit and self-control are significant components of NCS. This study focused on the influence of grit and self-control on lives of adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between grit and self-control, and Japanese adolescents’ mental health, lifestyle at school and home, and parent-child relationships.

Methods: In April 2016, we performed an observational cross-sectional study using an online survey. Participants were 1,566 mothers and their children (8^th year of school) in Japan. The survey included items on background, grit and self-control scales, and mental health (DSRS-C); mothers provided social, financial, and educational information and information on parent-child relationships. Their children answered questions about their grit, self-control and mental health.

Results: Of the 1,566 adolescent participants, 783 were boys and 783 were girls. Mean scores for grit and self-control were 3.07 ± 0.60 and 2.97 ± 0.64, respectively. Grit and self-control were significantly correlated with mental health scores (r = -0.34, p < 0.0001). All adolescent lifestyle parameters were significantly associated with both grit and self-control (p < 0.0001). Adolescents with good parent-child relationships exhibited higher grit and self-control scores. Moreover, good parent-child relationships were significantly associated with better mental health scores.

Conclusion: Our results implied that good parent-child relationships may promote the development of grit, self-control, and good mental health among adolescents, leading to favorable lifestyles at home and school.