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Objective To understand the intake of added sugars among primary school students, to analyze the sources and influencing factors of intake, and to propose improvement measures. [WTHZ]Methods [WTBZ]A stratified cluster sampling method was used to select 12,603 primary school students in Lianyungang as the research subjects. A food atlas-based questionnaire was used to investigate the intake of foods with added sugars and calculate daily intake of added sugars. [WTHZ]Results [WTBZ]The median added sugar intake of primary school students was 22.1 g/day, 45.7% of students consumed more than 25 g/day, and 21.7% of students consumed more than 50 g/day. Sugar-sweetened beverages, flavored yogurt, pastries and sweets were the four main sources of added sugar intake among primary school students (accounting for 38.3%, 24.0%, 14.1% and 12.1% respectively). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that boys, higher grade, higher BMI, and less sleep were associated with increased intake of added sugars. [WTHZ]Conclusions [WTBZ]The excessive intake of added sugar by primary school students in Lianyungang was quite prominent. On the one hand, nutrition education should be carried out to publicize the harm of excessive intake of added sugar. On the other hand, it isrecommended to include the added sugar content in the nutrition label to guide teenagers to choose healthy food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To understand the impact of school food education on nutrition and health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among primary school students in Xinyang city, to provide a basis for the assessment and promotion of school food education. Methods A stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 12 primary schools from food education counties and control counties in Xinyang city. A survey was conducted on nutrition and health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among all 3rd to 5th grade students in the selected schools. Chi-square tests, t-tests, and rank-sum tests were performed to compare the differences in survey results between the two groups. Results A total of 2 627 participants were included in the study, with 1 276 from food education counties and 1 351 from control counties. The scores for nutrition and health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in the food education group were 70.7%, 88.0%, and 79.3%, respectively, significantly higher than the control group’s scores of 60.9%, 84.8%, and 72.4% (P<0.05). Students in the food education group demonstrated superior nutrition and health knowledge, and their dietary habits showed significant improvement. Conclusion School food education has a significant positive effect on primary students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to nutrition and health, and it is recommended to promote food education in more regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rigakuryoho Kagaku is the property of International Press Editing Center Incorporation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Students’ development of multilingual competence has attracted increasing attention from language researchers and educators. However, research on students’ interaction strategy use in group discussions across different language settings remains scarce. In this study, therefore, we examined interaction strategy use in Cantonese as a first language (L1) and Putonghua as a second language (L2) during group discussion tasks among 42 primary school students in Hong Kong. We also investigated the effects of interaction strategy use on performance in respective tasks. We discovered that students employed significantly more interaction strategies in L1 than in L2, with a higher contribution to L1 task performance. Specifically, three of the five strategies identified—Strategy 2 (S2) asking for opinions, S3 expressing attitude, and S5 non‐verbal language—were employed more frequently in L1 than in L2. Furthermore, we found that strategy use had various effects on oral performance between the two languages. In the L1 task, S1 expressing actively, S3 expressing attitude, and S4 giving clarification significantly predicted students’ group discussion performance, whereas this effect was only observed in S1 expressing actively in the L2 task. Pedagogical implications for primary students’ learning of interaction strategies for group discussions in both L1 and L2 are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the developmental characteristics of different cognitive styles on verbal and visuospatial working memory of primary school students. Methods: The Mosaic graph test was used to test the cognitive style of students in grades 2, 4 and 6. The three-factor mixed experiment of 2 (cognitive style: field independent, field dependent) x 3 (grade: 2,4,6) x2 (task type: letter task, spatial task) was carried out. The 2-back task was used to measure the working memory characteristics of students with different cognitive styles, and the repeated measurement ANOVA was performed on the accuracy of letter and spatial tasks of 175 effective subjects. Results: The accuracy of letter task and spatial task of field independent primary school students were higher than that of field-dependent primary school students (P<0.001). The accuracy rate of letter task for field independent primary school students was higher than that of space task(P<0.001). The accuracy of two kinds of tasks of field independent students in grade 6 was better than that of field independent students in grade 2 and grade 4(P <0.05). Conclusion: There are differences in the development of verbal and visuospatial working memory of primary school students with different cognitive styles, which may also be related to task type and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the efficacy of a psycho-educational program aimed at improving sixth-grade studentsʼ ability to send and receive SOS signals as part of suicide prevention education. We compared the outcomes of a practice group (N＝54) and a waiting-list control group (N＝64). The program was implemented over two sessions on a class-by-class basis. Self-rated scales were used to assess changes in studentsʼ help-seeking preferences toward friends and teachers, help-seeking skills, support skills for friends, and depressive symptoms, which are significant risk factors for suicide. Compared with the control group, girls in the practice group exhibited substantially improved help-seeking skills and reduced depressive symptoms after program implementation. A follow-up survey conducted 2 months later reaffirmed these improvements. Furthermore, correlation analyses from the pre-implementation to follow-up stages revealed a significant negative association between changes in help-seeking skills and depressive symptoms among both boys and girls in the practice group. The study concludes by discussing its limitations, challenges faced, and directions for future research in suicide prevention education for elementary students. 【Research Impact】 This study assessed the efficacy of a psycho-educational program focused on sending and receiving SOS signals among sixth-grade students. Comparisons with a waiting-list control group and follow-up data showed that the program significantly bolstered help-seeking skills and reduced depressive symptoms, which are key risk factors for suicide, among girls; however, results for boys remained inconclusive. These findings can help improve suicide prevention educational practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression among primary and middle school students quarantined in hotels during the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: Anxiety and depression symptoms among 726 primary and middle school students quarantined in hotels were investigated with The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) and Depression Self-rating Scale for Children (DSRSC) from September to October 2022 in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. There were 624 students completed investigation with response rate of 86%. The positive score of SCARED was 23 and DSRSC was 15. Results: The detection rates of anxiety and depression were 17.9% and 15.4% respectively. The detection rates of anxiety and depression were higher in middle school students than in primary school students (Ps <0.05). The scores of generalized anxiety and social phobia factors were higher in female students than in male students (Ps <0.05). The scores of dissociative anxiety factor and depression were higher in middle school students than in primary school students (Ps <0.05). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 epidemic, middle school students quarantined in hotels are more likely to have anxiety and depression symptoms than primary school students, and female students are more likely to have anxiety symptoms than male students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate tlie current situation of behavioral problems of senior primary school students in Guizhou Province, and to explore the influence of family-related factors on primary school studentsJ behavioral problems. Methods By using the method of multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling, a total of 2 698 subjects were selected from one primary school in each of tliree urban areas with different levels of economic development in Guizhou Province. The parents of primary school students were investigated with self-made questionnaire and Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). The 於 test was used to compare the differences, and the logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between family-related factors and pupils' behavior problems. Results The detection rate of behavior problems in senior primary school students was 11,60%, which was 11.79% in boys and 11.40% in girls, respectively, with no significant gender di匸 ference (P>0.05). The detection rate of behavior problems in students of grades 4 to 6 was 13.36%, 12.49%, and 930%, re-spectively, and the difference between grades was statistically significant (P<0.05). The top behavioral problem was obsessive-compulsive behavior (4.92%) and hyperactive behavior (3.44%) in 6-11-year-old boys and girls, respectively. The top behavioral problem was hyperactive behavior (2.66%) and aggressive behavior (15.30%) in 12-16-year-old boys and girls, respectively. The results of Logistic regression analysis showed that parents5 introverted personality, mother5 s poor health status, and motherJ s neglected rearing style were positively correlated with primary school studentsJ behavior problems (OR= 1.52, 1.54, 1.74, and 2.22), while father? s college education, no bad life habits of parents, and father s democratic rearing style were inversely correlated with primary school studentsJ behavior problems (Oi?=0.43, 0.66, 0.64, and 0.59). Conclusion The detection rate of behavioral problems among primary school students in Guizhou Province is still at a high level, which is related to various family factors. Parents should improve their own self-quality and improve the family environment to reduce the occurrence of behavioral problems in primary school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Education Theory & Application is the property of Omniscient Pte. Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Rigakuryoho Kagaku is the property of International Press Editing Center Incorporation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Digital Education is the property of Haiyan Publishing Co. Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, we examined reciprocal relations between students' achievement emotions (enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom) and learning strategies (deep-processing strategy and surface-processing strategy). Japanese elementary school students (N = 111; 5th and 6th grade students) twice completed self-report measures of achievement emotions and learning strategy use in mathematics and Japanese classes. Results of the cross-lagged panel model indicated that "enjoyment" positively predicted the use of deep-processing strategies and negatively predicted the use of surface-processing strategies. In addition, "anxiety" positively predicted the use of surface-processing strategies, and "boredom" negatively predicted the use of deep-processing strategies and positively predicted the use of surface-processing strategies in Japanese class. Results also indicated that the use of deep-processing strategies negatively predicted "boredom." In addition, the use of deep-processing strategies positively predicted "joy" and negatively predicted "anxiety" in Japanese class. These results suggest that emotions can be antecedents of students' learning strategies and that the development of emotion differs depending on strategy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Modern Education Exploration is the property of Omniscient Pte. Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Psychological Science is the property of Psychological Science Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Rigakuryoho Kagaku is the property of International Press Editing Center Incorporation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Japanese Journal of Special Education / Tokushu Kyoikugaku Kenkyu is the property of Japanese Association of Special Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Home Economics of Japan is the property of Japan Society of Home Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To explore school bullying among primary school students, and to analyze the relationship among different bullying roles, problem behavior and life satisfaction. Methods: A total of 1317 students from grade 4-6 in 7 primary schools of Chongqing were selected and were assessed with the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire（OBVQ）,Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires（Student Edition）（SDQ） and Satisfaction with Life Scale（SWLS） to evaluate the role of school bullying, problem behavior and life satisfaction respectively. Results: Totally 48.97% of the students were involved in school bullying, including 1.82% of the bullies,35.16% of the victims, and 12.00% of the bully-victims. Bully-victims and bullies had the highest scores of problem behavior, followed by victims and the lowest for those uninvolved. Accordingly, the SWLS scores were significantly lower in those involved in bullying than in those uninvolved. Optimal scale regression analysis showed that school bullying was positively associated with internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors（β=0.19,0.16;Ps <0.001） and negatively associated with life satisfaction（β=-0.14,P <0.001）.Conclusion: There are significant differences in problem behavior and life satisfaction among primary school students with different bullying roles. Being involved in school bullying has a significant negative impact on the mental health development in primary school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the developmental status and the related factors of the theory of mind in hearing-impaired pupils. Methods: According to the developmental stages of theory of mind,67 hearing-impaired pupils and 75 hearing-normal pupils which were selected randomly from a city in Guizhou province were measured for their first-order and higher-order theory of mind levels using the Five-Item ToM task and the Faux-Pas task in the two studies, respectively. Results: The total score of the Five-item task, different beliefs, false beliefs, and hidden emotions of the hearing-impaired pupils [Mean age（12±2） years] in the first study were lower than that of the general pupils [Mean age（8±1） years]（P <0.01）.The more verbal communication styles and the older they were, the higher the score on the theory of mind task（Ps <0.05）.In addition, the total scores of the Faux Pas task, cognition, emotion, and intention of the hearing-impaired students [Mean age（14±2） years] in the second study were higher than that of the general students [Mean age（12±1） years]（P <0.01）.The older the hearing-impaired students were, the higher the scores of the higher-order theory of mind task, and those with hearing aid, congenital hearing loss, and close family had higher scores in the theory of mind task（Ps <0.05）.Conclusion:The development of the first-order theory of mind of hearing-impaired pupils in lower grades is weaker than that in the normal pupils, but the development of the higher-order theory of mind is adjusted by age, and the task score is higher than that in the normal pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Physical Education / Tiyu Xuekan is the property of Journal of Physical Education Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Educational Studies (1673-1298) is the property of Journal of Educational Studies Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Physical Education / Tiyu Xuekan is the property of Journal of Physical Education Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of China Medical University is the property of Journal of China Medical University Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Shanghai Physical Education Institute / Shanghai Tiyu Xueyuan Xuebao is the property of Shanghai Physical Education Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Shanghai Physical Education Institute / Shanghai Tiyu Xueyuan Xuebao is the property of Shanghai Physical Education Institute and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Rigakuryoho Kagaku is the property of International Press Editing Center Incorporation and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, by positioning an inferiority complex regarding physical education as an avoidance attitude, we studied the reciprocal relationships between physical competence and avoidance attitudes in physical education among elementary and junior high school students. A three-wave panel was used to investigate data for 155 elementary (64 male, 91 female) and 330 junior high school students (180 male, 150 female), who completed questionnaires. The measures included assessment of an inferiority complex in terms of a physical education class scale (avoidance attitude focused on motor skills and a complex focused on psychosocial and physical factors, causing feelings of inferiority that would develop into an avoidance attitude) developed by Sasaki and Suko (2016), and a physical competence scale (perceived physical competence, feeling of control and peer and teacher acceptance) developed by Okazawa et al. (1996). The validity of the three-wave, cross-lagged effect model was verified using structural equation modeling. In addition, simultaneous multi-population analysis was verified for both boys and girls. The results suggested the following processes: (1) In elementary school students, perceived physical competence has a negative effect on avoidance attitudes to physical education (including both an avoidance attitude focused on motor skills and a complex focused on psychosocial and physical factors, causing feelings of inferiority that develop into an avoidance attitude). (2) In junior high school students, an avoidance attitude focused on motor skills as well as perceived physical competence and peer and teacher acceptance had negative mutual effects. Therefore, the causal relationship between physical competence and avoidance attitude in physical education was shown to differ between elementary and junior high school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Physical Education / Tiyu Xuekan is the property of Journal of Physical Education Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Computer & Education is the property of Tokyo CIEC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To estimate the epidemiology of depressive symptoms among primary school students in China and to provide scientific evidence for control and prevention of depressive symptoms. Methods: The Chinese and English databases were searched to collect the studies published from 2000 and 2019 about the epidemiology of depressive symptoms among Chinese primary school students. Random-effects meta-analysis was adopted to combine the detection rate of depressive symptoms according to the test of heterogeneity, followed by subgroup analyses by time, region, gender, grade, place of residence and screening scale. Results: Totally 39 studies with 71 170 participants and 10 618 students with depressive symptoms met the eligibility criteria. The pooled detection rate of depressive symptoms among primary school students was 17. 1 % (95% Cl: 14. 7% - 19. 5% ) . Subgroup analyses of 23 studies that reported the year of survey showed that the detection rate was 13. 8% from 2001 to 2010, 16. 8% from 2011 to 2018 among the 23 studies. The rates were higher in less-developed areas (21. 7%) than in other areas, in boys than in girls ( 16. 3% vs. 12. 3%), in sixth grade students ( 19. 9%) than in other grade, and in rural students than in urban students ( 18. 8% vs. 13. 9% ). The CDI scale was the most frequently used, and the rate obtained with CES-D (22. 2% ) was the highest (22. 2%) . Conclusion: The detection rate of depressive symptoms among primary school students in China may be high. It is necessary to strengthen the mental health education of primary school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics is the property of Xiangya Medical Periodical Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective　To investigate the poor vision and ametropia of primary school students in Xundian County， Yunnan Province in 2019. Methods　From November 2018 to November 2019， a total of 3， 764 students in 30 classes from grade one to grade five in six primary schools were selected in Xingdian county by using a stratified random sampling method The rate of poor vision and the composition of ametropia were analyzed， and the differences of the total and each ametropia in gender and grade were compared by rank sum test. Results 1 392 children with poor vision were detected， with an average rate of 36.98%. The proportion of myopia in girls （15.25%） was higher than that in boys （12.65%），the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.01）. The proportion of myopia in the total number of students gradually increased from 14.23% （ grade 1） to 44.61% （Grade 5），the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.01） . The proportion of myopia in girls in grade 3 and 5 （ 17.19%， 24.66%） was higher than that in boys in the same grade （ 10.73%， 19.95%）， the difference was statistically significant （P < 0.01）. The proportion of hyperopia decreased rapidly in grade 3 （10.41%），and the difference was statistically significant compared with grade 1 and grade 2 （P < 0.01）. The proportion of astigmatism was the highest in grade 5 （17.43%），and the difference was statistically significant compared with grade 1，2 and 4 （P < 0.01）. Conclusion　In the six primary schools in Xundian County， myopia is the main factor of poor eyesight and the main reason for its change Among various types of refractive errors and female students have more problems than male students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 4-week barefoot sprint training program on sprint biomechanics and stretch-shortening cycle jump ability. Methods: Fourteen children with no experience in barefoot sprinting were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: a barefoot training group (3 boys and 4 girls; age, 11.0 ± 0.8 years-old; height, 143.1 ± 8.4 cm; body mass, 35.4 ± 5.6 kg; shoe mass, 0.17 ± 0.02 kg) and a control group (3 boys and 4 girls; age, 11.0 ± 0.8 years-old; height, 142.6 ± 8.2 cm; body mass, 34.4 ± 6.4 kg; shoe mass, 0.18 ± 0.01 kg). The 4-week intervention consisted 40 minutes of sprint training per weekly session using the allocated footwear. Before and after the intervention, 2-dimensional biomechanical analysis of the 50-m maximal sprint under both shod and barefoot conditions, and the countermovement jump and 5 repeated rebound jumping tests were performed by both groups. Pre- to post-test changes in spatio-temporal parameters and sprint kinematics, and jump heights for both jump types, and the contact time and rebound jump index for the rebound jump, were analysed using 2-way mixed ANOVA. Results and Discussion: After the 4-week intervention, a higher step frequency (p <0.01), a longer step length (p <0.05), and a higher sprint velocity (p <0.01) were observed in the barefoot training group, although no change was observed in the foot strike patterns and the swing leg velocity. The barefoot training group showed a higher rebound jump index (p <0.05) and a shorter contact time (p <0.01), while no differences were evident in the counter-movement jump height. These results suggest that 4-week barefoot sprint training seems to be an effective strategy for improving certain aspects of sprint biomechanics and for development of fast stretch-shortening cycle ability in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first objective of this study was to develop a course unit plan for physical fitness in the lower grades of elementary school, in which traditional play as exemplified by exercises for physical fitness are used as teaching material to create various movements (Study I). The second objective was to conduct classes using traditional play as teaching material based on the course unit plan, in order to gain an understanding of the fundamental movements that appear and the amount of physical exercise during the class (Study II). Study I: A total of 163 traditional play physical activities were selected from prior studies and related publications. 22 elementary school third graders were examined for the fundamental movements included in 42 of the traditional play physical activities. The median number of such fundamental movements that appeared was 3 (minimum: 1, maximum: 8). From the survey results, traditional play physical activities were selected from among those that had no bias in their fundamental movements and had rules that could easily be changed and levels of difficulty that could easily be adjusted, and a course unit plan was developed taking into account the ease of class preparation by teachers. Study II: A total of 5 lessons based on the course unit plan were given to 23 elementary school second graders. The fundamental movements were measured using observational methods, and the number of steps was measured objectively using an accelerometer. The fundamental movements observed and the number of steps measured during the course unit were compared with the age-appropriate standards for motor skills. The results revealed the following: 1) Of the 28 fundamental movements that were set, 25 were observed during the course unit. 2) There was a high frequency of fundamental movements common to many of the traditional play physical activities. 3) The mean number of steps in the physical education classes with diverse movements using traditional play physical activities as teaching materials for lower grades of elementary school was 2343.6±586.1. 4) There were no differences in the number of steps in any of the classes between the higher-ranked and the lowerranked children. These results suggest that from the perspective of fundamental movements and amount of physical exercise, creating various movements using traditional play physical activities as teaching materials may be satisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]