Takahiko Nishijima

Functional fitness may be related to life satisfaction in older Japanese adults.

The relationship between functional fitness status and life satisfaction was assessed in older Japanese people from the perspective of quality of life (QOL). A total of 123 older men and women (M = 74.3 years, SD = 5.4) participated in the study. The questionnaire contained 21 questions covering eight structural factors pertaining to the feelings of life satisfaction in older people. The functional fitness test consisted of nine items representing the following five areas of fitness: muscular strength, agility, coordination, balance, and flexibility. The analysis revealed no overall correlation between the total fitness and the total life satisfaction scores, but some of the life satisfaction factors were significantly related to some functional fitness items (P < .01). The results suggest it is important for older people to maintain their functional fitness in order to manage a high quality of life.

Sensitivity of the Soccer Defending Skill Scale: A comparison between teams

Abstract The aim of the present study was to examine the sensitivity of the Soccer Defending Skill Scale (SDSS) using multiple-group analysis and a structured mean model. The data were 469 defending performances in the finals of the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2002TM, which were measured as distances, angles between attackers and defenders, and the number of players using 6-point interval scales. The results of multiple-group analysis indicated that the model, which had factor loading, intercept and factor correlation, and F3/F4/F6 variances invariant across Brazil and Germany, represented the best fit to the data (e.g. Tucker-Lewis index = 1.001, confirmatory fit index = 1.000, root mean square error of approximation = 0.000). Furthermore, the latent mean model comparison between teams revealed significant differences in latent mean with respect to “defence to attackers without the ball” (Brazil < Germany). We conclude that our results provide strong support for the sensitivity of the SDSS.