Objective: This study aimed to investigate differences in intensity-specific physical activity according to commuting mode among workers, using quantitative assessments with accelerometers.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from a workplace physical activity survey conducted between 2018 and 2019. Participants were recruited from employees attending a seminar on workplace health promotion aimed at occupational health staff. They were instructed to wear a triaxial accelerometer (Active style Pro HJA-350IT; Omron Healthcare) on their waist for seven consecutive days to measure their physical activity. Commuting mode was assessed via a self-administered questionnaire and categorized as car commuting (inactive) or non-car commuting (active). A linear mixed-effects model was used to compare time spent in physical activity at different intensity levels by commuting mode, adjusting for gender, age, body mass index, work schedule, job type, monthly overtime hours, and accelerometer wear time, with workplace location included as a random effect to account for clustering.
Results: Data were collected from seven workplaces, with a total of 549 employees (295 men aged 20–64 years) agreeing to participate. After applying the inclusion criteria, the final analysis included 458 participants (250 men; mean age 44.7 (SD 11.5) years). Compared to non-car commuters (n = 209), car commuters (n = 249) spent approximately 11 fewer minutes per day in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (car commuters: 49.0 min/day; non-car commuters: 60.3 min/day; p < 0.001). The association between commuting mode and physical activity by intensity was greatest for MVPA (Cohen's d = 0.320), whereas no significant difference was observed in light-intensity physical activity (car commuters: 267.0 min/day; non-car commuters: 271.0 min/day; p = 0.628).
Conclusion: The association between commuting mode and physical activity by intensity was greatest for MVPA. Compared to non-car commuters, those who commuted by car engaged in approximately 11 minutes less MVPA per day.

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Objective: This study aims to clarify the experiences and characteristics of life skills (LS) acquired by students through physical education courses at the same university, focusing on various sports.
Methods: The participants included 212 students (111 men and 101 women) who, from among the required basic physical education courses offered at Z University, a comprehensive university in the Kanto area took refresh movements, judo, soccer, outing sports, and new sports in the AY2022 fall semester. Of the 10 classes, a cross-sectional survey was conducted at the end of the 9th class using the Experience Scale in University Physical Education Classes (ESUPEC), and a longitudinal survey was conducted at the end of the 1st and 9th classes using the Daily Life Skills Scale (DLSS). A one-way ANOVA was applied to each score on the ESUPEC, and a two-way ANOVA was applied to each score on the DLSS.
Results: For each of the scores on ESUPEC, values for outing sports were generally higher. A two-way analysis of variance on changes in LS scores before and after each course revealed a reciprocal effect from "sports × time " on "intimacy" and "interpersonal manner" (intimacy: η²G=0.01, interpersonal manner: η²G=0.01). It was also shown that "intimacy" significantly improved after judo, and "interpersonal manner" significantly decreased after new sports. On the other hand, for "leadership," "empathy," and "knowledge summarization," the main effect of the within-participant factor (time) was significant, with values higher after the course than before (leadership: η²G=0.01, empathy: η²G=0.01, knowledge summarization: η²G=0.01).
Conclusion: Regarding the in-class experiences that contribute to LS acquisition, the results suggest that the value of outing sports is generally large. Regarding the acquisition of LS, the characteristics cited were an improvement in "intimacy" in judo and a decrease in "interpersonal manner" in new sports, but it became clear that multiple subscales of LS improved regardless of the sport. Therefore, it can be said that all five sports covered in this study can contribute to students' acquisition of LS.

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This manuscript is based on the contents of the SNS project "#kenkyu aruaru (common pitfalls in research)", conducted from May 6, 2023, to May 4, 2024, as part of the activities of the Seminar Committee and Public Relations Committee of the Japanese Association of Exercise Epidemiology. Here, we present a collection of examples of common pitfalls made when writing the Introduction section and explain how to avoid them. In the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure of scientific research papers, the Introduction section is the paper’s premise. If the content of the Introduction section is not sufficient to explain the significance of research, the subsequent sections on Methods, Results, and Discussion will not be evaluated. The Introduction section must cover the past (research background), present (knowledge gaps, motivation, and ideas), and future (the significance of the research) of the research theme. Only when these contents are sufficiently addressed can reviewers and readers understand the rationale of the study. There is no single correct way to write a paper, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. While high-quality research is not always achievable, high-quality writing can always be achieved regardless of the quality of the research.

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Objective: This study examined the relationship between commuting behavior and objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior among office workers in Okinawa Prefecture, comparing workdays and non-workdays. We hypothesized that active travelers have higher MVPA only on workdays and sedentary travelers do not compensate for workday inactivity on non-workdays.
Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 88 employees from a company in Okinawa Prefecture. We categorized participants into active travelers (walking/public transport users) and sedentary travelers (motorcycle/car users). We assessed physical activity and sedentary behavior over 7 consecutive days using ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers. Associations were analyzed using ANCOVA with covariate adjustment.
Results: Of 62 participants analyzed, 34 (54.8%) were active travelers and 28 (45.2%) sedentary travelers. After covariate adjustment, active travelers showed significantly higher MVPA on workdays (33.1 ± 2.6 vs. 18.7 ± 4.5 min/day, P = 0.008). No significant differences were found in MVPA between groups on non-workdays. Sedentary time showed no significant differences between groups on workdays or non-workdays. The sedentary travel group showed no increase in weekend activity above workday levels.
Conclusion: Among office workers in Okinawa Prefecture where car dependency is high, the active travel group engaged in approximately 15 minutes/day more MVPA than the sedentary travel group, with this difference primarily attributed to non-work time activities including commuting hours. No differences were observed in sedentary behavior, and compensatory behavior was not observed. Active travel practice can serve as an effective means for working adults to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines.

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Objective: This study aimed to examine the amount of physical activity performed by inpatients with stroke in convalescent rehabilitation wards, focusing on their mobility levels.
Methods: This multicenter, cross-sectional study included inpatients with stroke from seven convalescent rehabilitation wards. One month after admission, 119 participants were categorized into three groups based on the Functional Ambulation Categories (FAC) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM): (1) walking independence group (FAC 4 or higher), (2) wheelchair self-drive group (FAC 3 or lower, with an FIM wheelchair drive score of 6), and (3) mobility non-independence group (FAC 3 or lower, with an FIM wheelchair drive score of 5 or lower). Physical activity was monitored using a triaxial accelerometer (HJA-750C), and sedentary behavior, light-intensity physical activity (LIPA), and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) at 1 month of admission were compared among the three groups.
Results: Median (interquartile range) time spent in sedentary behaviors were significantly longer than the mobility non-independence group [600.6 (547.6, 636.4) minutes] than the wheelchair self-drive group [537.6 (480.0, 592.2) minutes] and walking independence group [502.1 (449.9, 563.2) minutes]. For time spent in LIPA, the mobility non-independence group [98.8 (76.5, 134.0) minutes] was significantly shorter than the wheelchair self-drive group [195.0 (165.9, 247.3) minutes] and the walking independence group [155.4 (138.0, 218.5) minutes]. For time spent in MVPA, the walking independence group [17.4 (5.6, 33.9) minutes] was significantly longer than the mobility non-independence group [2.4 (1.3, 4.0) minutes] and the wheelchair self-drive group [2.3 (1.7, 6.7) minutes].
Conclusion: Among inpatients with stroke in convalescent rehabilitation wards, those able to drive a wheelchair independently engaged in light-intensity physical activity for a duration similar to that of those able to walk independently.

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With the revision of the Statistics Law in Japan (Act No. 53 of 2007), the use of official statistics has been further promoted, particularly expanding the potential for utilizing individual data (hereinafter referred to as "survey information"). However, research using survey information on physical activity, exercise and physical fitness within official statistics is less common compared to fields such as nutrition and diet. One possible reason is the lack of shared information regarding the application process, the time required for approval, and examples of successful utilization. This paper aims to present the current status, challenges, and examples of utilizing survey information on physical activity, exercise and physical fitness within official statistics while discussing future possibilities in this field. The contents of this paper are based on presentations and discussions from the "Seminar on Data Utilization: Secondary Use of Official Statistics on Physical Activity and Exercise," held during the 26th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Association of Exercise Epidemiology (June 29 - July 1, 2024). By sharing these findings, we hope to promote further development of epidemiological research in physical activity, exercise and physical fitness using survey information from official statistics.

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