This study examined associations among psychological factors and subsequent sports-related injury occurrence in college athletes. Participants included 218 male athletes from individual-sport teams at College A. Psychological competitive abilities (DIPCA.3), sport-related stressors, and mental health (SMHAT-1) were assessed at baseline, and injury occurrence was monitored for approximately three months. Logistic regression showed that higher psychological distress was associated with greater odds of injury (OR = 1.08, p < .01). Path analysis among continuous variables indicated that psychological skills, particularly mental stability/concentration and cooperativeness were associated with fewer stressors (e.g., interpersonal and intrapersonal/social-change stressors), which in turn related to lower psychological distress (R² = .32). These findings suggest that strengthening psychological skills and managing stressors may improve mental health in college athletes and may help prevent sports-related injuries.

View full abstract

This study aimed to clarify the status of mental health and the structure and seasonal variations of related psychological stressors among male academy coaches affiliated with professional football clubs in the Japan Professional Football League (J-League). A cross-sectional and longitudinal survey was conducted using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). In the cross-sectional analysis, 28.0% of participants exceeded the GHQ-12 cut-off score. There were no significant associations found between mental health status and demographic variables such as club category, player age category, coaching role, or year of experience. Coaches with suspected mental health problems reported significantly higher levels of stress related to personal performance, organizational demands, and interpersonal relationships, suggesting a multilayered structure of stressors. The longitudinal analysis further indicated that these stressors were consistently associated with mental health status throughout the season, and increased in the final phase of the season. These findings highlight the necessity of establishing a comprehensive, year-round support system for coaches, including the implementation of flexible psychological interventions during critical periods such as the final phase of the season.

View full abstract

This study aimed to develop evaluation criteria for assessing the Psychological competitive adaptation status of athletes and to examine the characteristics of this status across different age groups. The participants consisted of junior high school students (n = 1,007), high school students (n = 907), university students (n = 722), young adults (n = 929), and older adults (n = 918), all of whom were continuously engaged in competitive sports. To standardize the ABPQ-2, four competitive state factors “enthusiasm,” “stagnation,” “perseverance,” and “exhaustion” were classified into three levels (low, medium, and high) for each age group. Based on these age-specific criteria, score tendencies were analyzed, resulting in the classification of nine Psychological competitive adaptation statuses： four competitive adaptation states (“enthusiasm state,” “stagnation state,” “perseverance state,” and “exhaustion state”), four competitive Adaptation tendencies (“enthusiasm tendency,” “stagnation tendency,” “perseverance tendency,” and “exhaustion tendency”), and “indifference states.” The results indicated that many junior high school athletes were in an enthusiasm state, but this proportion decreased among high school students, with an increase in exhaustion state. Among university students, the stagnation state decreased while the perseverance state increased. Furthermore, among working adults, many young adults were classified in the perseverance state, whereas approximately half of the older adults were classified in the exhaustion state. These findings suggest that Psychological competitive adaptation status changes across different age groups, highlighting the need for age-appropriate support strategies.

View full abstract

This study examines the differences in playing styles between Japan’s B.LEAGUE and the NBA during the 2023-2024 season and analyzes the statistical impact of various performance indicators on win rates. Using the “Four Factors”- effective field goal percentage (eFG%), offensive rebound percentage (OREB%), turnover percentage (TOV%), and free throw rate (FT rate), as well as game pace (PACE), the study conducted multiple regression and t-test analyses. The results show that eFG% and OREB% positively influenced win rates in both leagues, while TOV% negatively affected B.LEAGUE outcomes and FT rate negatively affected those in the NBA. Comparative analysis revealed that the B.LEAGUE has a slower pace, relies more on offensive rebounding, and suffers from higher turnover rates than the NBA. These findings offer strategic insights for the B.LEAGUE’s future performance enhancement.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study is to reveal the structure and property of mutual reference among municipalities regarding local sports policies using social network analysis, and provide insights for the advancements of research and policy innovation. A questionnaire survey asked local sports policy departments for five frequently referred municipalities, their sport promotion plan, their latest budget, and their new projects over the past three fiscal years (2018-2020). The data was obtained from 248 municipalities. The referred and referring municipalities as nodes, and social network analysis measured the number of nodes, ties, cliques, network density, and degree centrality. The reference relationships visualized by NetDraw, consisting of 460 nodes and 507 ties, and identified 47 reference cliques involving three or more municipalities. The 66 highly referred municipalities with a degree centrality exceeding 7 were compared with the 248 less referred municipalities with 3 or less in terms of municipal classification and the promotion plan, budget, and new project. The geodesic distance, calculated between two municipalities in reference relationship from their latitude and longitude, was averaged 37.13±97.27 km (mean±SD), with over 90% of reference relationships (470 types) being within 86 km. Nine reference relationships exceed 177 km. Municipal classification and promotion plan are significantly related to high and less referred municipalities, but not to new projects. The average budget of highly referred municipalities (1.368±1.947million yen) was significantly higher than that of less referred municipalities (0.393±0.612 million yen). The national visualization revealed that mutual references were largely shaped by geographical proximity or similarity in scale, rather than by policy innovation. Nonetheless, a subset of references appeared to be informed by specific policy content. These suggested the importance of further empirical studies on policy transfer and other factors in policy innovation, and strategic approaches in policy innovation and diffusion.

View full abstract

This study aimed to examine the immediate stress–relieving effects of short-term Qigong practice in healthy adults with no prior Qigong experience. There were 13 adult participants (3 men, 10 women; mean age = 50.9 years) attending a Qigong salon in Tokyo. A 15-minute Qigong session consisting of “Shuai Shou” (swinging arms) and “Standing Meditation” was conducted. Stress was evaluated physiologically via salivary amylase activity and psychologically using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), focusing of state anxiety. Measurements were taken immediately before and after the intervention. Data was analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed–rank test with a significance level set at p < 0.01. Effect sizes (r) were also calculated. The results showed a significant reduction in participants’ anxiety scores, from an average of 37.4 before the session to 26.5 after the session (p < 0.01, r = -0.83). Although the salivary amylase activity decreased in 11 of the 13 participants (mean reduction from 13.3 KIU/L to 7.9 KIU/L), the difference was not statistically significant (p =0.230, r = -0.38). Qualitative analysis of post–session free descriptions revealed themes such as “feeling refreshed” and “mind and body collected.” These findings suggest even a brief Qigong session can provide immediate psychological benefits, particularly anxiety reduction, for individuals with no prior experience. Due to its simplicity, low physical intensity, and accessibility, Qigong—especially the Shuai Shou technique—has potential for broad application in workplaces, schools, and health and wellness programs.

View full abstract