The Amount of Light to Vigorous Physical Activity (Met's-Hours/Day) in Children with and without Down Syndrome Attending Elementary School in Japan.

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have physical characteristics such as hypotonus of the musculature. Therefore, their attainment rate of physical activity guidelines is low, and guidelines alone may not be sufficient in assessing the amount of physical activity in children with DS. Compared with normal children (NC) of the same grade, light physical activity (LPA) must be considered while assessing physical activity of children with DS, owing to muscle hypotonia.

Changes in physical activity patterns of students from primary to secondary school: a 5-year longitudinal study.

This study aimed to annually examine anthropometric characteristics and physical activity (PA) among children transitioning from fourth grade (9-10 years of age) to eighth grade (13-14 years of age) in Japan. The participants' (n = 63) age, grade, sex, weight, height, and weight status were recorded at baseline. Accelerometry assessments were performed annually following established protocols.

Evaluation of the accuracy of a non-invasive hemoglobin-monitoring device in schoolchildren.

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a public health problem in children and adolescents that is characterized by reduced hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Non-invasive monitoring devices can measure Hb levels continuously without pain or discomfort; however, little is known about their accuracy in children and adolescents. This study estimated the accuracy of a non-invasive Hb monitor in this age group.

The association between obesity and sedentary behavior or daily physical activity among children with Down's syndrome aged 7-12 years in Japan: A cross-sectional study.

Background: An assessment of the adverse health effects of obesity in children with Down's syndrome (DS) is required to develop programs that facilitate the acquisition of healthy behaviors. Individuals with DS are often obese. These individuals must develop health related behaviors in childhood.

Physical activity and sedentary behavior among children and adolescents living in an area affected by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami for 3 years.

The purpose of this study is to examine the change in physical activity levels among children and adolescents living in the area affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami for 3 years immediately following the disaster. Children and adolescents graded four to nine and attending school in the Pacific coastal area of northern Japan were included in a total of four serial prevalence investigations: the first at 6 months after the earthquake/tsunami (I, n = 434) and additional surveys at 1 year (II, n = 437), 2 years (III, n = 401), and 3 years (IV, n = 365) after the earthquake. Students were also required to undergo assessment of their accelerometer-determined daily steps and sedentary time using a self-administrated questionnaire.

One-year outcome of an interactive internet-based physical activity intervention among university students.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether improvement in physical activity of students following a 4-month intervention of a university course was maintained 8 months later.

Methods: Data on 77 students who responded to our scheduled inquiries completely through 1 year were analyzed. Participants of the intervention group (n=49) using the internet-based physical activity program exhibited significant increases in energy expenditures measured by IPAQ compared with the no-treatment control group (n=28) through 1 year.

[Developing Japanese version of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS)].

Objectives: With the rapid developing an internet society, ehealth literacy, defined as the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise and apply the knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem, becomes important to promote and aid health care at the individual level. However, the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) was only a scale developed to assess the ehealth literacy. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluated the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of the eHEALS (J-eHEALS), and examine the association of ehealth literacy with demographic attributes and characteristics on health information searching among Japanese adults.