Author(s): SANO, T., KANO, H., MIYATA, H., GOTO, A., NAKANO, T., Institution: CHUKYO UNIVERSITY, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 1019

INTRODUCTION: The Japan Sports Agency conducts a national survey on physical fitness, motor ability, and exercise habits among elementary and junior high school students. Most analyses based on this data focused on tracking changes in single variables or correlations between single variables. Consequently, there have been no studies that express the characteristics of each students exercise and lifestyle habits as profiles based on combinations of multiple variables. Therefore, we aimed to identify diverse groups reflecting differences in the profiles of junior high school students exercise and lifestyle habits by applying latent class analysis to questionnaires on exercise awareness, opportunities, and lifestyle.
METHODS: We used questionnaire data provided from Aichi Prefecture, involving 39,050 2nd-grade junior high students (19,853 males, 19,197 females). The items included exercise preference, exercise importance, motivation to exercise after graduation, weekly exercise time, breakfast consumption status, daily sleep hours, daily screen time, membership status in sports clubs, exercise habits on holidays. To clarify groups reflecting differences in exercise and lifestyle habits profiles, latent class analysis based on items was conducted. The number of groups was determined by ensuring each classs composition ratio exceeded 5% and minimizing information criteria (AIC, BIC). Utilizing the conditional response probabilities, we interpreted each groups profiles.
RESULTS: As a result of latent class analysis, 7 groups were derived reflecting differences in exercise and lifestyle habits profiles. Among the three groups with positive attitudes toward exercise, C1 (composition ratio: 28.8%) exercised a lot with good lifestyle habits. C2 (11.7%) had plenty of exercise time and opportunities but excessive screen time. C3 (5.1%) did not belong to any sports clubs and exercised <60 minutes/day. Among the two groups with slightly positive attitudes toward exercise, C4 (24.6%) belonged to clubs with plenty of exercise time. C5 (11.5%) did not belong to any sports clubs and exercised <60 minutes/day. Among the two groups with negative attitudes toward exercise, C6 (9.1%) belonged to sports clubs and had a lot of exercise time but had few opportunities for exercise on holidays. C7 (9.3%) did not belong to any sports clubs and exercised <60 minutes/week.
CONCLUSION: The exercise and lifestyle habits profiles among junior high school students can be classified into 7 groups. While attitudes towards exercise generally align with exercise time and opportunities, some students who have limited exercise opportunities despite having a positive attitude towards exercise, or students who have plenty exercise time despite having a negative attitude towards exercise. These findings underscore the need to provide sufficient opportunities for exercise in daily life and enhance activities to ensure the enjoyment of exercise according to each groups challenges.