Kyan Akira

写真a

Title

Associate Professor
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Current Affiliation Organization 【 display / non-display 】

  • Duty   University of the Ryukyus   Faculty of Medicine   Health Sciences   Associate Professor  

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University 【 display / non-display 】

  • 2010.04
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    2014.03

    University of the Ryukyus   Education   Health and Physical Education   Graduated

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Graduate School 【 display / non-display 】

  • 2016.04
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    2019.03

    University of the Ryukyus  Graduate School of Health Sciences  Doctor's Course (second term)  Completed

  • 2019.10
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    2021.03

    Gifu Women's University  Graduate School of Cultural Development  Doctor's Course (second term)  Completed

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External Career 【 display / non-display 】

  • 2016.04
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    2020.10

    Okinawa Christian University  

  • 2019.04
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    2021.03

    Gifu Women's University  

  • 2019.04
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    2021.03

    Okinawa Women's Junior College  

  • 2019.04
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    2023.10

    University of the Ryukyus  

  • 2019.10
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    2021.03

     

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Affiliated academic organizations 【 display / non-display 】

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    JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF EXERCISE EPIDEMIOLOGY 

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    THE ASSOCIATION OF JAPANESE CLINICAL DOHSALOGY 

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    JAPAN SOCIETY OF HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 

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    THE JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL HEALTH 

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    JAPANESE SOCIETY OF HEALTH EDUCATION AND PROMOTION 

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Research Interests 【 display / non-display 】

  • 学校保健、社会疫学、ヘルスプロモーション

  • 運動; 体育; スポーツ; 身体活動; 座位行動; 睡眠; ソーシャルジェットラグ; 24-hr movement behavior; 健康教育; 学校教育; 社会経済状態; 格差; ソーシャルキャピタル; 体力; 運動能力; 健康; 発育発達; 学力; 認知機能; 幸福; ウェルビーイング

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Research Areas 【 display / non-display 】

  • Life Science / Hygiene and public health (non-laboratory)

  • Life Science / Nutrition science and health science

  • Humanities & Social Sciences / Childhood and nursery/pre-school education

  • Life Science / Physical education, and physical and health education

  • Life Science / Sports sciences

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Published Papers 【 display / non-display 】

  • Presence or Absence of Experiential Activities Before Entering Elementary School and Psychological Resilience Among Individuals Aged 15–39 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study in Japan

    Masana Sannomiya, Yuki Imamatsu, Mio Ishii, Takashi Kimura, Kumiko Mitsuzono, Atsushi Sakima, Akira Kyan, Koshi Nakamura, Tomoyuki Miyazaki, Akiko Tamakoshi

    Youth ( MDPI AG )  6 ( 3 ) 119 - 119   2026.08 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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    Psychological resilience is a key protective factor for mental health. Reducing inequalities in access to childhood experiential activities may foster resilience across socioeconomic backgrounds. However, Japan limits policies ensuring equitable access to such activities before entering elementary school. This cross-sectional study examined the association between exposure to experiential activities before entering elementary school and psychological resilience in Japanese individuals aged 15–39 years (n = 8000). Experiential activities were classified into nature-related, social, and cultural domains and by number and combination (none, any single, any two, and all three types). Psychological resilience was assessed using the 14-item Resilience Scale (Japanese version). Multivariable linear regression models were adjusted for demographic and socioeconomic covariates with Benjamini–Hochberg (BH) correction. Exposure to one or two activity domains was significantly associated with higher psychological resilience, except for the nature-related plus social activities combination. Exposure to all three domains showed the strongest association (β = 8.06, 95% confidence interval [6.73, 9.38], BH-adjusted p < 0.001). Therefore, early childhood experiential activities may promote psychological resilience, with persistent long-term effects. Implementing social policies to reduce the disparity in access may be a key strategy for promoting psychological resilience among Japanese individuals aged 15–39 years.

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  • Validity of the Japanese version of the Health Promoting School culture scale: multilevel associations with workplace social capital

    Akira Kyan, Kiyonori Masukawa, Minoru Takakura

    Health Promotion International ( Oxford Academic )  41 ( 3 )   2026.06 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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    Abstract The World Health Organization’s Health Promoting School (HPS) framework takes a multi-component approach integrating health into education, environment, policy, and community partnership. Effective implementation depends not only on resources but also on school culture—the shared values and norms that sustain health promoting practice. The Health Promoting School Culture Scale (HPSCS) measures these cultural and normative foundations. This study validated a Japanese version (J-HPSCS) and examined its psychometric and multilevel properties. A web-based survey was administered to 1148 staff from 135 public high schools in one Japanese prefecture. After forward–backward translation and expert review, confirmatory factor analysis tested factorial validity; convergent and discriminant validity were examined using composite reliability, average variance extracted, and the Fornell–Larcker criterion. Multilevel models assessed between-school variation and concurrent validity using workplace social capital as an external correlate. Four items on community partnerships, school meals, and active transport showed weak performance and were removed. The refined 12-item, three-factor structure (Parent engagement in the school, School/Teachers’ Commitment to Student Health, and School Physical Environment) demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. J-HPSCS scores were positively associated with workplace social capital at both individual and school levels, with stronger effects at the school level. The J-HPSCS provides a concise, reliable measure of school organizational culture that supports health promoting practice and can be used to monitor implementation and inform policy within educational systems.

  • Screen time as a mediator and effect modifier of adolescent physical activity trends: repeated cross-sectional surveys in Okinawa, Japan, 2008–2024

    Minoru Takakura, Akira Kyan, Masaya Miyagi

    Research Square ( Springer Science and Business Media LLC )    2026.05

    Type of publication: Research paper (other science council materials etc.)

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    Abstract <p>Background Adolescent physical activity (PA) has declined while screen time (ST) has increased, yet it remains unclear whether PA trends are driven by rising exposure to ST or by temporal changes in the strength of the ST–PA association. Using repeated cross-sectional data, we examined (1) whether increasing ST mediated secular declines in PA (exposure hypothesis) and (2) whether the negative association between ST and PA strengthened over time (vulnerability hypothesis).Methods We analyzed five repeated cross-sectional surveys of public high school students in Okinawa, Japan (2008, 2012, 2016, 2021, and 2024). The analytic sample included 12,445 students aged 15–18 years. PA was defined as ≥ 60 minutes/day of exercise on all 7 of the past 7 days. ST was defined as computer/video game use for ≥ 3 hours/day on a school day. Covariates were gender, grade, school type, region, family structure, parental education, sleep duration, and television viewing. To test the exposure hypothesis, mediation analysis decomposed the association between survey year and PA into the natural indirect effect (NIE) through ST and the natural direct effect (NDE). To test the vulnerability hypothesis, effect modification was assessed using modified Poisson regression with a survey year×ST interaction.Results From 2008 to 2024, PA declined while ST increased. Mediation analysis showed that ST partially mediated the decline (NIE − 0.019; 95% CI − 0.024, − 0.013), accounting for 18.7% of the total association. The NDE was − 0.082 (95% CI − 0.126, − 0.038), indicating that pathways other than ST contributed to the remaining decline. Effect modification was detected in 2021/2024: the ST–PA association remained negative but attenuated over time. Year-specific prevalence ratios for high ST were 0.41 (2008), 0.49 (2012), 0.48 (2016), 0.77 (2021), and 0.78 (2024). Predicted probabilities suggested recent PA declines occurred mainly among the low-ST group.Conclusions Rising ST contributed modestly to the secular decline in adolescent PA, supporting the exposure hypothesis in part. However, the ST–PA association weakened in later years, contradicting the vulnerability hypothesis. Population-wide strategies that address broader upstream factors reducing opportunities for PA should be required, not only efforts to reduce excessive ST.</p>

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  • Validity of the Japanese version of health promoting school implementation questionnaire

    Akira Kyan, Kiyonori Masukawa, Minoru Takakura

    Scientific Reports ( Springer Science and Business Media LLC )  16 ( 1 )   2026.04 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

  • Association between objective and subjective relatedness to nature and human well-being: Key factors for residents and possible measures for inequality in Japan’s megacities

    Yuta Uchiyama, Akira Kyan, Masayuki Sato, Atushi Ushimaru, Toshifumi Minamoto, Kazuhiro Harada, Minoru Takakura, Ryo Kohsaka, Mieko Kiyono, Tetsuya Tsurumi, Atsuhiko Uchida, Tatsuya Saga, Kenta Yamamoto

    Landscape and Urban Planning ( Landscape and Urban Planning )  261   105377 - 105377   2025.09 [ Peer Review Accepted ]

    Type of publication: Research paper (scientific journal)

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Other Papers 【 display / non-display 】

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Presentations 【 display / non-display 】

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Academic Awards 【 display / non-display 】

  • Best Reviewer Award

    2025.11   The Japanese Association of School Health  

    Winner: Akira Kyan

  • award

    2024.11   The Japanese Association of School Health   Changes in the prevalence of health-risk behaviors among Japanese adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: 2002-2021

    Winner: Minoru Takakura, Masaya Miyagi, Akira Kyan

  • Encouragement Award

    2023.01   Japanese Society of Health Education and Promotion  

  • Encouragement Award

    2022.05   Japan Society of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine   Validity of Japanese version of a two-item 60-minute moderate-to-vigorous physical activity screening tool for compliance with WHO physical activity recommendations

    Winner: Kyan Akira, Tanaka Shigeho, Takakura Minoru, Olds Timothy, Schranz Natasha, Tanaka Chiaki

  • Presentation Award

    2021.09   Japanese Society of Health Education and Promotion  

    Winner: Yoshito Kamiya, Akira Kyan, Noboru Kinjo, Tadashi Nakasone, Minoru Takakura

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Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 【 display / non-display 】

  • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(B)

    Project Year: 2026.04  -  2031.03 

    Direct: 14,100,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 18,330,000 (YEN)  Total: 4,230,000 (YEN)

  • Novel algorithm for accurate physical activity estimation in older adults using accelerometry data

    Short-term

    Project Year: 2024.12  -  2025.03 

    Investigator(s): Yuta Nemoto, Arao Takahi, Akira Kyan, Shigeru Inoue 

  • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

    Project Year: 2024.04  -  2027.03 

    Direct: 3,500,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 4,550,000 (YEN)  Total: 1,050,000 (YEN)

  • Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

    Project Year: 2024.04  -  2027.03 

    Direct: 3,500,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 4,550,000 (YEN)  Total: 1,050,000 (YEN)

  • Temporal trends in social determinants of health among young people

    Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(C)

    Project Year: 2024.04  -  2027.03 

    Investigator(s): Takakura M, Kyan A, Miyagi M 

    Direct: 3,600,000 (YEN)  Overheads: 4,680,000 (YEN)  Total: 1,080,000 (YEN)

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SDGs 【 display / non-display 】

  • WHOが提唱するヘルスプロモーティングスクールの促進

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Social Activity 【 display / non-display 】

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