The purpose of this study was to determine the growth and developmental changes and the sex difference in anthropometric characteristics, muscular strength, and flexibility in 205 junior high school competitive swimmers.
Factor analytic technique was applied to three different correlation matrices, each of which consisted of 14, 12, and 15 selected variables in anthropometric characteristics, muscular strength, and flexibility domains, respectively.
The main results can be summarized as follows;
1) Among 2 extracted factors representing anthropometric characteristics domain, physique (factor 1) grew gradually as the age increased in both sexes. Amount of the physique growth for boys was, however, greater than that for girls. Physique of boys in the 8th and 9th grades was larger than that of girls.
Body fat (factor 2) for girls appeared to be greater than that for boys.
2) Among 3 extracted factors representing muscular strength domain, static strength (factor 1) developed gradually as the age increased in the both sexes. Amount of the development for boys was greater than that for girls, and this ability of boys was greater than that of girls.
Muscular endurance in fast muscular exercise (factor 2) for boys became to be greater than that for girls as the age increased.
Dynamic strength of shoulder-arm girdle (factor 3) for boys of the 8th and 9th grades was greater than that for girls.
3) Among 6 extracted factors reprsenting flexibility domain, trunk rotation flexibility (factor 2) and ankle extension and mobility flexibility (factor 5) for girls were much greater than those for boys.
Trunk extension and flexion flexibility (factor 6) for girls seemed to be greater than that for boys. Development of this ability in accordance age increase was found only in boys.
In contrast, no differences between sex were found in trunk lateral flexibility (fator 1) and shoulder flexibility (factor 4) .

Purpose: The present study aimed to determine the problems of the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale when applied to Japanese independent community-dwelling elderly focusing on its factor structure. Methods: The subjects were 1791 community-dwelling independent elderly aged 60 and over (848 males and 943 females). This study used the Japanese version of the CES-D scale to assess depression in the elderly. Results: From the results of an exploratory factor analysis, the four factors of somatic symptoms, depression affect, positive affect and relation with others were interpreted. These factors were the same as those in the previous study, but the items making up each subscale differed. Therefore, the construct validity of each subscale was not necessarily assured. In the confirmatory factor analysis, goodness-of-fit was high for both the first and second-order factor models. In examining the validity by Akaike's information criterion (AIC), the second-order factor model assuming depression as a higher-order factor among the four factors was a better fit than the first-order factor model. Although the reliability of each subscale was not sufficient, adequate reliability was assured in the total scale. Conclusion: An assessment of depression using the Japanese version of the CES-D scale should be conducted using the total score, while a re-examination of items making up each subscale is needed.
Japanese language ; 2-Chloroethyl 2-(4-1,1-dimethylethyl) phenoxy-1 methylethyl ester ; Upper case dee ; Elderly ; Cancer patients and suicide and depression

The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in physical fitness between aged gateball players (mean age =72.4yrs.) and people not engaged in exercise (mean age=72.4yrs.), ranging in age from 59 to 89 years.
The sample sizes are as follows ; gateball players : male=68, female=36/people not engaged in exercise : male =21, female =52.
A total of 11 tests representing each physical fitness domain were selected, considering aged people's physical condition.
These tests and the questionnaire on their health and exercise participation were administered to them.
A two-way analysis of variance was used to determine the differences of 11 physical fitness elements.
The results can be summarized as follows:
1. Aged gateball players are more self-confident about their health and physical fitness than people not engaged in exercise with a similar age. The latter tend to complain about their health conditions more frequently.
2. Male gateball players showed significant higher scores in vertical jump and sit-andreach tests, and female gateball players in a tapping test, as compared with people not engaged in exercise.
Overall, gateball players seemed to be healthier and to possess better physical fitness.
3. Although a significant difference in standing height was found between gateball players and people not engaged in exercise in females, this was considered to depend mainly on the difference of standing posture.
4. From examining correlations between the age and physical fitness elements, gateball exercise seemed to be useful to keep up aged people's health and to prevent their physical fitness from declining.

The difference in vascular reaction to cold among 5 groups of 17 swimmers with experience of 3 years or longer, 13 swimmers with experience of 2 years or less, 12 track and field athletes, 7 gymnasts and 9 non-athletes were studied. Four components which are useful indexes of cold tolerance showed statistically significant differences among 5 groups. From test results of linear comparison between each group, it was determined that athletes compared with non-athletes, and swimmers with other athletes possess better cold tolerance. But there was no significant difference between swimmers with different types in swimming experience years or between outdoor-and indoor-athletes.

As physical elements appear to relate independently to the achievement in each running performance, it may be appropriate to separate the general population into several groups when physical traits specific to the achievement in each running performance are investigated. For this reason, the following four groups were arbitrary set: Group FF with higher running speed in both 100m and 10km runs, Group SS with slower running speed in both 100m and 10km runs, Group FS with higher running speed only in 100m run, and Group SF with higer running speed only 10km run. The purpose of this study was to compare physical elements and their developmental balance between 4 different groups in terms of running ability. The subjects were 166 high school boys aged 15 to 18 (X=16.9yr) . Within the limitation of the present study, the folowing conclusions were drawn:
1) Group SS was much inferior to the other groups in many tests representing power, agility, balance, coordination, and leg muscular endurance. This group also possessed higher body fat. And scores in such traits as power and agility were significantly higher in FF group than in SF group.
2) Factor analysis showed that physical fitness domain represented by 30 variables would be divided into six factors. While group SS possessed greater body bulk (F1) than the other groups, it had much inferior ability in power and agility (F5) . Cardio-respiratory function (F4) was significantly better in FF and SF groups as compared with SS and FS groups. However, no distinct differences existed beween groups in any of static strength (F2), body linearity (F3), and flexibility (F6) factors.
3) Finally, this study supports the hypothesis that the developmental balance of physical elements is specific to each running group. Particularly, it is interesting to note that group SS showed higher scres in body bulk and lower scores in cardio-respiratory function, power and agility as compared with scores in the other factors.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the application range and utility of an ADL index for disabled elderly people (Demura et al., 2000), by examining the ADL characteristics of an elderly population when this index was applied to disabled and independent elderly people. Subjects of this study were 697 Japanese institutionalized disabled elderly people and 482 independent elderly people (ID) living at home. Disabled elderly people were classified into four groups based on conditions of use of assisting devices for movement; D1 did not use assisting devices; D2 used a stick or a walker; D3 used a wheelchair; D4 was immobile. From the findings of comparing achievement proportions, ADL score and the distribution of total score among elderly groups, it was suggested that this ADL index can assess gradually from disabled elderly people who cannot move to independent elderly people. Since this index classifies independent elderly people and disabled elderly people with high probability, it can evaluate if elderly people can maintain a functional level needed for independent living, and can recognize the symptoms of disability. Furthermore, this study proposed useful activities to discriminate the functional level for each elderly group. Although it is important to comprehensively assess ADL ability, further use of this ADL index to discriminate the functional level of an elderly population, by making use of these useful activities, is expected.
Elderly ; Activities of Daily Living ; Disabled Persons ; Persons ; livin

Well-trained young swimmers seem to have different physical characteristics as compared with non-athletes of the same age group. The purpose of this study was to determine physical characteristics of well-trained young competitive swimmers from a standpoint of differences in training, sex, and growth and development. A total of 47 boy and girl swimmers and 124 untrained boys and girls were selected as subjects.
All swimmers began to swim regularly in an elementary school age and continued hard swimming training for at least 2 years. A battery of 53 parameters representing each physical domain such as physique, muscular strength, flexibility, neuromuscular function, cardio-respiratory function, were selected to examine subject's physical characteristics. The following results were found : boy swimmers have less body fat, superior physique, mascular strength, flexibility, agility, and also superior cardio-respiratory function as compared with untrained boys. Also girl swimmers have almost the same physical characteristics except for physique and general static strength. Boy swimmers possess larger stature and bone width, and superior muscular strength and cardio-respiratory function as compared with girl swimmers. A similar sex difference is found in non-athletes. High school swimmers have more solid body mass, and superior dynamic and static strength, relating to an achievement of swimming speed, than junior high school swimmers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of fundamental physical fitness (FPF) and health-conditions, activities of daily living, and food habits in elderly women.
A total of 338 women aged 60 to 89 years were the subjects for this study. Fourteen tests were selected from 4 physical fitness domains of muscle function, joint function (flexibility), neuromuscular function and lung function, considering the validity, safety and convenience of tests. To measure the above-stated living conditions, a questionnaire consisting of 30 items was constructed. Principal component analysis was applied to the correlation matrix, which was calculated from physical fitness variables. The first principal component could be interpreted as the FPF factor, since it correlated significantly with all physical fitness variables and showed the greatest contribution (about 36%) to total variance. Statistical techniques of contingency coefficient and theory of quantification I were used to determine the influence of the above-stated living conditions to FPF.
It was inferred that each living condition influences FPF as a composite factor, and the elements of exercise habit, the existence of the trouble caused by past disease and injury, bedtime and age have greater influence on the decline of FPF. Fundamental physical fitness showed a decreasing trend with age, but the continuous exercise enforcement on one day or more a week, seemed to be effective in postponing the decline of FPF related to age. Further, it was inferred that influence of each living condition to FPF differs in the 60 and 70 age levels.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physical fitness and ability to coordinate exertion of force (ACEF) in 82 healthy middle and old-aged people aged 54 to 78 years (male 41, female 41), and to examine its sex differences. The ACEF test was conducted with the subject fitting the exertion value of grip strength to a changing demand value appearing on the display of a personal computer. The variable estimating ACEF was the total sum of the differences between the demand value and the produced strength value. The physical fitness items measured were : grip strength, shoulder arm strength (push and pull), vertical jump, vital capacity, foot balance with eyes open, trunk flexion, trunk rotation, whole body reaction time, finger tapping, and stepping. To clarify the relationship between the ACEF and physical fitness, multiple regression analysis was used after age-controlled partial correlations were computed. No sex difference was found in nervous function based on the exertion of maximal ability, but there was with the ACEF based on the exertion of sub-maximal strength. Also the relationship between the ACEF and age differed in men and women. The tests of nervous function and grip strength had little relation to the ACEF test. Each physical fitness factor and the fundamental physical fitness had low relation to the ACEF. It was inferred that ability measured by the ACEF test differs from that measured by general physical fitness tests based on the exertion of maximal ability. It is necessary to examine the relationship between the ACEF test and a similar test based on the exertion of sub-maximal strength.

The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between physical fitness elements in healthy older adults, considering the differences between gender and between age. Subjects were 1042 active and non-injured people aged from 60 years to under 90 years. The subjects were classified into two different age groups of under 75 years group and 75 years and over group. A total of 11 variables representing four physical fitness elements (muscular, joint, neural, and respiratory functions) were selected through examination of safety and validity. Two-way ANOVA was used to examine gender and age differences in each physical fitness element. Pearson's correlation coefficient and partial correlation coefficient excluding age factor were calculated for each gender and age group.
As a result of examining the relationship among physical fitness elements, the correlation coefficients within variables consisting of the following each function, muscular function, joint function and agility of extremities, were significant in both age groups, and these tendencies were consistent in both gender groups. Similarly, significant correlation coefficients between standing-reach and muscular function variables, and between trunk twist and foot balance with eyes open and reaction time were found in the under 75 years group, but not in the over 75 years group. On the other hand, different tendencies between genders were found in the relationship between the muscular function variables and trunk twist and foot balance with eyes open, and between the reaction time and stepping and muscular function variables. As the relationships among physical fitness elements tended to decline in the over 75 years group, it is inferred that this tendency is influenced by the change with aging of physical fitness characteristics and environmental factors around the older adults.