This study aimed to identify the loads characteristics of the lower extremities during a jump shoot in handball. Ten male handball athletes performed jump shoot following three steps in running approach. Kinematics and kinetic data were collected from data recorded using a Vicon motion system (250 Hz) and force platforms (1,000 Hz). The loads characteristics of the lower extremities during a jump shoot in handball were as follows: 1) Load of vertical direction was more than triple of the body weights, and load of horizontal direction with the same body weights was received in approximately 0.2 s. 2) The takeoff movement was performed by a stretch-shortening cycle motion of the extension muscle of the knee and ankle joints. 3) Immediately after touching down, the extensor muscles of the knee joint sustained a large negative joint work, and then the extensor muscles of the ankle and knee joints sustained a large negative joint work. 　Therefore, it was suggested that force development was achieved mainly by the knee and ankle joints during a jump shoot in handball.

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　In this study, the influence of dietary life on goal orientations of athletes was examined, focusing on kendo contestants, concerning whom no reports have been published as to the relationship between sports and dietary life. The study indicated that the frequency of eating breakfast was highly related. Food intake and dietary balance were also highly related to goal orientations. These results clarified that dietary life affected the goal orientations of athletes. 　While it was assumed that dietary life primarily depended on home education, it has been pointed out that the educational ability of households have recently been declining. The study indicated that universities and other higher educational institutions should take measures to encourage their students to eat breakfast, recognizing the importance of breakfast and dietary education. Furthermore, it was also suggested that dietary education was important for kendo contestants to recognize the importance of dietary life, in order to improve their goal orientations.

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　This study aimed to comprehensively examine the relationship between physical fitness / motor ability and young children’s characteristics of the Big Five personality factors (curiosity, nervousness, honesty, cooperativeness, and diplomacy). We administered physical fitness tests comprising seven types of exercises to 216 young children (109 boys and 107 girls) to understand their physical fitness characteristics. Additionally, in order to objectively investigate children’s personalities with regard to the Big Five personality characteristics, a questionnaire survey was administered to the children’s schoolteachers. The questionnaire was created with reference to Goldberg’s previous research. Results of the multiple regression analysis revealed a moderate multiple correlation coefficient between the Big Five factors and comprehensive physical fitness scores. Additionally, a significant partial regression coefficient was observed between comprehensive physical fitness scores and the characteristic of “cooperativeness.” Continued from that, in terms of “diplomacy,” “curiosity,” “honesty,” and “nervousness,” the influence on overall physical fitness scores was the strongest. A moderate degree of multiple correlation coefficient was also found between the Big Five personality traits and exercise performance scores. A significant partial regression coefficient between motor skill scores and “cooperativeness” and “curiosity” was also found. Scores of “diplomacy,” “nervousness,” and “honesty” (in that order) had a strong influence on exercise performance scores. Based on these results, during activities such as athletics, physical fitness, exercise ability, and personality traits are thought to be cultivated.

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Academic motivation, as well as social problem-solving, is significant for college students. However, the relationship between the two constructs has been given only a little attention. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effects of social problem-solving on academic motivation by using longitudinal data. In this study, academic motivation was assessed based on the self-determination theory. Participants were 362 college students (mean age 20.45 years). The participants completed questionnaires twice, at Time 1 and Time 2, with a four-week interval. The questionnaires contained two scales: (1) the Japanese versions of the social problem-solving scale, which is comprises the social problem-solving scale and problem-solving skills scale, and (2) the academic motivation scale, which assesses the five regulatory styles, which refer to the types of motivation based on the self-determination theory. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to examine whether social problem-solving was related to academic motivation in Time 2, even after controlling for age, sex, grade, and academic motivation in Time 1. The results showed that social problem-solving was a significant predictor of all the regulatory styles and autonomy for academic motivation. Of the two subscales of the social problem-solving scale, the scores on the problem-solving self-efficacy scale were positively related to scores for intrinsic regulatory style and autonomy for academic motivation. In contrast, the scores on the problem-solving skills scale were negatively related to scores for amotivation and controlled motivation, and positively related to scores for autonomous motivation and autonomy for academic motivation. Implications for the influence of social problem-solving on autonomy for academic motivation are discussed and suggestions for future research are made.

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Background: Accelerometer cut-points for preschoolers are required to accurately determine the accumulation of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The purpose this study was to accuracy and reliability of Lifecorder (LC) for intensity and step counts during horizontal treadmill in preschool children. Methods: A sample of 29 preschoolers were recruited from one preschool in Osaka, Japan (15 girls and 14 boys, mean age 5.2 ± 0.8 years). Physical activity was assessed using uniaxial accelerometers (Lifecorder GS, Suzuken Co. Ltd., Nagoya, Japan). LC was worn on the right waist and oxygen uptake (V · O2) was measured by portable metabolic system (AE-310S, Minato, Osaka, Japan). In this protocol, after participants had a rest for twenty minutes sitting on the chair, participants performed walking (3 km/h), brisk walking (4 km/h), and running (6 km/h) for three minutes on the horizontal treadmill, respectively. Result & Discussion: LC intensity was significantly correlated with V·O2 ( r =0.950, p <0.001). Current study suggested that LC intensity for moderate physical activity (MPA) indicated LC 5 and LC intensity for vigorous physical activity (VPA) indicated LC 8 in preschool children. LC step count underestimated 10.6 % at 3 km/h, 5.6 % at 4 km/h, and 0.2 % at 6 km/h during horizontal treadmill in preschool children, respectively. Our findings were suggested to clarify the accuracy of LC intensity and step counts in preschool children. We need to determine LC intensity and step counts under free living conditions in the future study.

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　The purpose of this study was to clarify the characteristics of late life functions (physical function, cognitive function, and depression) in older people living alone in Japan. The subjects were 10,154 community-dwelling older adults who did not require nursing care. Self-administered questionnaires were used to evaluate the physical function, cognitive function, depression, and living arrangements. Physical function, cognitive function, and depression were evaluated using the Kihon Checklist, a screening tool used to identify pre-frail older adults in Japan. No Significant difference was observed with regard to physical function between adults who living alone and those who living with others. The odds ratio of cognitive decline was significantly lower (OR: 0.79, 95%CI: 0.69-0.90) in older adults living alone compared to those living with others. However, the odds ratio of depression was significantly higher (OR: 1.32, 95%CI: 1.14-1.54) in those living alone compared to those living with others. Our results suggest that appropriate support for depression prevention is important for older adults who living alone.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate where the audiences of sports broadcasts are looking when watching table tennis games on television, and examine their gaze and cognition at sponsors’ advertisement for conducting fundamental verification to explore sponsor value of table tennis league aiming for complete professional league in the future. The direction of their gaze was measured by an eye movement analysis instrument (EMR ACTUS). The subjects were eight college students (six males and two females, mean age: 21.0±1.3 years old). The results of this study demonstrated that about 90 % of the subjects’ gaze was directed to places other than advertisements. As a result of measuring the number of gaze placement on the advertisement and the gaze placement time, it was indicated that the gaze to the advertisement tends to gather in the digital advertisement behind on the players (M = 7.50 times, 3.42 seconds). On the other hand, the results of the interview for subjects after measurements demonstrated three out of eight subjects answered concrete sponsors’ name on digital advertisement. From the above, it could be said that this study showed a new knowledge about gaze and advertisement cognition for sports broadcast’s audience of table tennis game.

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