Objectives: To assess the quality of classroom-based physical activity intervention that integrated academic contents (active lesson program: ALP), and to update the effectiveness of the interventions on physical activity, health, or educational outcomes.

Methods: Studies, which published from April 2015 to September 2018, were identified in five electronic databases (ERIC, PubMed, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE). Inclusion criteria were: 1) classroom lesson containing both physical activity and educational contents; 2) physical activity, physical constitution, fitness components, academic achievements, or facilitators-of-learning were evaluated as outcome values; 3) intervention studies featuring randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental design, or pre-post study design; 4) school-aged children (5–18 years) for study participant; 5) at least one week for the intervention period. Physical activity breaks without educational content, the ALP as part of complex interventions, and studies investigating special populations (such as disabled or obese children) were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed using the the Cochrane Collaboration "risk of bias" assessment tool.

Results: All ten studies found increased physical activity following the ALP. Compared with inactive teaching, two studies showed positive effects of the ALP on standardized academic performance test. Four studies found the effectiveness of the ALP on on-task behavior, which is one of the facilitators-of-learning outcomes. Risk of bias was totally high.

Conclusions: Quality of study design has been improving, but the risk of bias is high. Overall, the ALP can increase physical activity level without sacrificing academic performance, but further research is needed to refer to the effectiveness on the health outcome.

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between frequency of smartphone use during mealtimes, the existence of and compliance with rules prohibiting their use during mealtimes, and high-school students' enjoyment of family meals.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,897 high-school students from Kumamoto and Fukui prefectures. Of these, 1,718 valid responses were analyzed. The survey focused on the following areas: basic demographic data, enjoyment of family meals, family meal frequency, frequency of smartphone use during mealtimes, and the existence of and compliance with rules prohibiting their use during mealtimes. The dependent variable was the enjoyment of family meals. The independent variables were the frequency of smartphone use during mealtimes and the existence of and compliance with rules prohibiting their use during mealtimes. We conducted a separate logistic regression analysis for each gender. Model 1 was not adjusted, model 2 was adjusted for basic demographic data, and model 3 was adjusted for basic demographic data and family meal frequency as control variables.

Results: In model 3, the existence of and compliance with rules prohibiting smartphone use at mealtimes was associated with enjoyment of family meals among boys and girls (boys: adjusted odds ratio 2.24, 95% CI, 1.37-3.65; girls: adjusted odds ratio 1.69, 95% CI, 1.13-2.54). Among girls, frequency of smartphone use during mealtimes was negatively related to enjoyment of family meals.

Conclusion: The existence of and compliance with rules prohibiting smartphone use at mealtimes was positively associated with enjoyment of family meals for both boys and girls.

Objectives: This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of workers who regularly exercise despite their limited leisure time. Their reasons for exercise were explored to apply them for encouraging exercise for more workers.

Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study to employees at 10 companies in Japan. A total of 1,020 employees answered the self-administered questionnaire. We then analyzed data of 521 employees after excluding invalid data. A total of 31 reasons for continuing exercise were given scores from 1 to 5, and the mean scores were compared between exercise "repeaters" and "non-repeaters". We also conducted a factor analysis to examine the reasons for continuing exercise.

Results: Among the higher-scoring items for continuing exercise, many reasons were related to health benefits, such as maintaining physical fitness (estimated mean score and [SE]: 4.02 [0.12]), maintaining body figure (3.98 [0.13]) or preventing illness (3.90 [0.12]). However, similar tendencies were observed in "non-repeaters" and "repeaters". Analysis of the reasons for continuing exercise revealed the following five factors: "enjoyment or uplifting of mood", "outside pressure or self-esteem", "appearance or yearning", "health benefits", and "dietary satisfaction". Among these factors, a typical characteristic among "repeaters" was "enjoyment or uplifting of mood". Meanwhile, the factor "dietary satisfaction" was significantly higher among "non-repeaters" than "repeaters".

Conclusions: Among workers with little leisure time, the most important motivational factor for repeating exercise was "enjoyment or uplifting of mood". Positive feedback of this factor may provide an effective behavioral approach for promoting the continuity of exercise.

Objective: A cooking class with older adult male instructors was held for men of the same generation. This article reported about the class including the evaluations of the class students and the resulting changes in the attitudes of the instructors.

Classroom activities: In January 2017, at the H City Social Welfare Center. 8 male members (avg. 72.0 years old) of the cooking club held a cooking class as instructors and 16 men (avg. 68.1 years old) attended. Self-reported questionnaire and group interview surveys were conducted with the instructors before and after the class. Free comments at meal times were analyzed.

Results: For the 16 students' motivations for participating, over 80% of them responded, "because I thought it necessary for the future" and "because I was interested in a cooking class taught by men". Nearly 90% of them highly rated the contents of the class and the male instructors, and all of them wanted to participate in the class if it were held again. Both the instructors and students appreciated the class by noting "empathy unique to members of the same sex" and "benefit of being on the same level". The "emergence of self-awareness" was seen among the instructors and "excitement about the future" was seen in both of them.

Conclusion: The cooking class was successful when it was conducted with older adult men as instructors and it increased both students' and instructors' interest in cooking. The class was expected to be repeated, suggesting the possibility of continuing this program in the future.