American Journal of Sports Science

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Recent Trends in Physique and Motor Ability of Preschool Children-Trends After 2000 in Japan

Received: 14 May 2020    Accepted: 01 June 2020    Published: 17 June 2020
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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to clarify the trends since 2000 in body shape, physical strength, and motor ability in early childhood in Japan. The study subjects were kindergarten and nursery school girls (age 3–5 years old) in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Physique (height and weight), quantitative motor ability (20 m dash, standing long jump, tennis ball throw, side step, one-leg hop, hanging from a horizontal bar, and general motor ability (jump over and under) were compared in the 1999 and 2009 school years. The results revealed that, compared with ten years earlier, height was approximately 0.9 cm shorter in 4-year-old girls and weight was approximately 0.3 kg lighter in 3- and 4-year-old girls in 2009. In physical strength and motor ability, the time for jump over and under was shorter in 3-year-olds, the number of times a rope was jumped was higher and the time hanging from a horizontal bar was longer, and the time for jump over and under was shorter in 4-year-olds. In 5-year-olds, only an increase in the number of times a rope was jumped increased. The tennis ball throw and side steps were not significantly different from 10 years earlier in any of the ages. Physique, physical strength, and motor ability improved with growth, but compared with 10 years earlier many of the items were found to decrease or remain the same in all ages.

DOI 10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12
Published in American Journal of Sports Science (Volume 8, Issue 2, June 2020)
Page(s) 33-38
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Preschool Girls, Physique, Physical Strength, Annual Comparison

References
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[4] K. Hayakawa, K. Fujii, K. Kasuya, T. Kndoh, N. Tanaka, “Exporing appropriate physical fitness for corporate employees derived from the balance of body composition,” production Management, Vol. 23 (2), pp. 97-102, 2016.
[5] K. Hayakawa, K. Fujii, K. Kasuya, N. Tanaka, “Optimum validity of the body in defense personnel productivity of defence education judged from physical strength,” Production Management, Vol. 24 (1), pp. 69-74, 2017.
[6] K. Hayakawa, K. Fujii, T. Ishigaki, Y. Naito, “Validity Physical Strength Derived from the Secular Span Evaluation in Female University Students”, Society for Standardization Studies, Vol. 16 (1), pp. 87-101, 2018.
[7] T. Akimaru, S. Nonaka, T. Hanai, T. Murase, K. Fujii, “Changes of 30 years of childhood development and physical exercise development in Aichi prefecture and their problems,”(for child rearing support), Technical Committee on physical Development, pp. 1-51, 2002.
[8] T. Akimaru, “Changes in the physique and exercise capacity of an infant for 30 years and its problems in child”, Growth and Development Study, Vol. 1 (2), pp. 128-132, 2003.
[9] K. Fujii, T. Akimaru, T. Hanai, T. Murase, K. Kasuga, “A study on the age-related changes in physique and athletic ability of young children -Analysis of girls by polynomial-”, The Journal of Education and Health Science, Vol. 50 (4), pp. 217-228, 2005.
[10] K. Fujii, T. Akimaru, T. Hanai, T. Murase, T. Sakai, “A study on the age -related changes in physique and athletic ability of infants by Polynomial-Analysis on boys-”, Tokai Health and Physical Education, Vol. 27, pp. 9-20, 2005.
[11] K. Fujii, T. Akimaru, T. Hanai, T. Sakai, “Verification on annual change in growth and development of physique and exercise capacity of an infant -Approach from the viewpoint of physical maturity-,” The Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, Vol. 55, pp. 489-502, 2006.
[12] K. Kasuga, “Longitudinal transition of physical strength difference in early childhood Based on follow- up data for 3 years,” Growth and Development Study”, Vol. 41, pp. 17-27, 2009.
[13] http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/toukei/chousa05/hoken/kekka/k_detail/1345146.htm, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, years school health statistics survey, 2013.
[14] http://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/toukei/chousa04/tairyoku/kekka/k_detail/1340101.htm, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology years school health statistics survey, 2014.
[15] T. Nakano, K. Kasuga, T. Murase, “Study of appropriate amount of physical activity in young children considering relationship with lifestyle and physical fitness,” Growth and Development Study, Vol. 46, pp. 49-58, 2010.
Author Information
  • Graduate School of Business Administration and Computer Science, Aichi Institute of Technology, Toyota, Aichi, Japan

  • Graduate School of Business Administration and Computer Science, Aichi Institute of Technology, Toyota, Aichi, Japan

  • Sports and Health Science, Tokai Gakuen University, Miyoshi, Aichi, Japan

  • Life and Health Science, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan

  • Graduate School of Business Administration and Computer Science, Aichi Institute of Technology, Toyota, Aichi, Japan

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  • APA Style

    Kohsuke Kasuya, Katsunori Fujii, Nozomi Tanaka, Toshiro Sakai, Yuki Takeyama. (2020). Recent Trends in Physique and Motor Ability of Preschool Children-Trends After 2000 in Japan. American Journal of Sports Science, 8(2), 33-38. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12

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    ACS Style

    Kohsuke Kasuya; Katsunori Fujii; Nozomi Tanaka; Toshiro Sakai; Yuki Takeyama. Recent Trends in Physique and Motor Ability of Preschool Children-Trends After 2000 in Japan. Am. J. Sports Sci. 2020, 8(2), 33-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12

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    AMA Style

    Kohsuke Kasuya, Katsunori Fujii, Nozomi Tanaka, Toshiro Sakai, Yuki Takeyama. Recent Trends in Physique and Motor Ability of Preschool Children-Trends After 2000 in Japan. Am J Sports Sci. 2020;8(2):33-38. doi: 10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12,
      author = {Kohsuke Kasuya and Katsunori Fujii and Nozomi Tanaka and Toshiro Sakai and Yuki Takeyama},
      title = {Recent Trends in Physique and Motor Ability of Preschool Children-Trends After 2000 in Japan},
      journal = {American Journal of Sports Science},
      volume = {8},
      number = {2},
      pages = {33-38},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajss.20200802.12},
      abstract = {The purpose of this study was to clarify the trends since 2000 in body shape, physical strength, and motor ability in early childhood in Japan. The study subjects were kindergarten and nursery school girls (age 3–5 years old) in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Physique (height and weight), quantitative motor ability (20 m dash, standing long jump, tennis ball throw, side step, one-leg hop, hanging from a horizontal bar, and general motor ability (jump over and under) were compared in the 1999 and 2009 school years. The results revealed that, compared with ten years earlier, height was approximately 0.9 cm shorter in 4-year-old girls and weight was approximately 0.3 kg lighter in 3- and 4-year-old girls in 2009. In physical strength and motor ability, the time for jump over and under was shorter in 3-year-olds, the number of times a rope was jumped was higher and the time hanging from a horizontal bar was longer, and the time for jump over and under was shorter in 4-year-olds. In 5-year-olds, only an increase in the number of times a rope was jumped increased. The tennis ball throw and side steps were not significantly different from 10 years earlier in any of the ages. Physique, physical strength, and motor ability improved with growth, but compared with 10 years earlier many of the items were found to decrease or remain the same in all ages.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Recent Trends in Physique and Motor Ability of Preschool Children-Trends After 2000 in Japan
    AU  - Kohsuke Kasuya
    AU  - Katsunori Fujii
    AU  - Nozomi Tanaka
    AU  - Toshiro Sakai
    AU  - Yuki Takeyama
    Y1  - 2020/06/17
    PY  - 2020
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12
    T2  - American Journal of Sports Science
    JF  - American Journal of Sports Science
    JO  - American Journal of Sports Science
    SP  - 33
    EP  - 38
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8540
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajss.20200802.12
    AB  - The purpose of this study was to clarify the trends since 2000 in body shape, physical strength, and motor ability in early childhood in Japan. The study subjects were kindergarten and nursery school girls (age 3–5 years old) in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Physique (height and weight), quantitative motor ability (20 m dash, standing long jump, tennis ball throw, side step, one-leg hop, hanging from a horizontal bar, and general motor ability (jump over and under) were compared in the 1999 and 2009 school years. The results revealed that, compared with ten years earlier, height was approximately 0.9 cm shorter in 4-year-old girls and weight was approximately 0.3 kg lighter in 3- and 4-year-old girls in 2009. In physical strength and motor ability, the time for jump over and under was shorter in 3-year-olds, the number of times a rope was jumped was higher and the time hanging from a horizontal bar was longer, and the time for jump over and under was shorter in 4-year-olds. In 5-year-olds, only an increase in the number of times a rope was jumped increased. The tennis ball throw and side steps were not significantly different from 10 years earlier in any of the ages. Physique, physical strength, and motor ability improved with growth, but compared with 10 years earlier many of the items were found to decrease or remain the same in all ages.
    VL  - 8
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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