Author(s): KIM, M.J., KWAK, Y.S., Institution: SAITAMA JUNSHIN COLLEGE, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 871

INTRODUCTION:
In Korea and Japan, childrens physical strength and exercise ability tend to decline as they get older. Although many studies have been conducted on infant physique and physical strength in both countries, there seems to be a lack of mechanism research on comparing physical activity and motor skills between Korean and Japanese children. In addition, since Korean and Japanese children have age differences, the researcher needs to consider the age difference when comparing physical ability levels between Korean and Japanese children. By doing so, we can obtain more accurate and meaningful results that can inform promoting physical fitness, motor ability, and health promotion in both countries. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the physical characteristics of infants growth and development in both countries by comparing the characteristics of physique and motor ability of infants in the two countries by age.
METHODS:
In Korea and Japan, physique and motor skills were measured on 3- to 5-year-old children attending kindergarten. The subjects were 245 children in Korea (boys, 3.95 ± 0.81 years, girls, 3.93 ± 0.82 years), and 232 children in Japan (boys, 4.04 ± 0.79 years, girls, 4.20 ± 0.80 years). Age was divided into two groups: 0-5 months and 6-11 months, and each age group was classified. Since Korea and Japan have different kindergarten class systems by age, the 0-5 months group is born between July and December in Korea, and between October and March in Japan. The 6-11 months group is born between January and June in Korea and born between April and September in Japan.
Physique was measured by height and weight. Motor ability was measured using the MKS Infant Ability Test, which included 7 events: 25m run, 15m round trip running, standing long jump, tennis ball throw, repeated double-foot jump, body support endurance time, and ball catching.
RESULTS:
In Korea, the average body weight for boys in the 5-year, 6-11 months group was 23.56±6.40kg, in girls, 17.96±2.52kg in the 4-year-old, 6-11 months group, and 23.15±3.81kg in the 5-year-old, 6-11 months group were lower than the average for the 0-5 months group, weight can change as children age (p<0.001). In addition, in terms of athletic ability, in the Korean group of 6 to 11 months old, 25 m running (9.77 ± 2.52 s for girls at 3 years old), 15 m round trip running (10.86 ± 1.29 s for girls at 3 years old), standing long jump (93.63 ± 15.61 cm for boys at 4 years old), Regarding the duration of support (8.34±8.99s for males aged 3 years), there was a tendency for the mean value to be slightly higher in the 0-5 months group (p<0.001). In Japan, the average values of the 0-5 months group were slightly higher in tennis ball throwing (8.13±2.51 m for 5-year-old boys) and catching (7.75±2.45 times for 5-year-old boys, 7.15±2.07 times for 5-year-old girls) (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION:
Accordingly, it was revealed that Korean and Japanese infants differ in age-related changes in physique and motor ability. Further study is needed in this area.