Research articleLow Physical Fitness Among Fifth- and Seventh-Grade Students, Georgia, 2006
Introduction
Cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition are a set of physiologic characteristics commonly referred to as health-related fitness.1 They enable people to conduct routine daily activities with vigor and are associated with the prevention of several chronic diseases.2
The nation is known to be experiencing an epidemic of obesity among adults and children.3, 4 The possibility that declining levels of physical activity are contributing to the obesity problem suggests that other components of health-related physical fitness may also be in decline, further threatening the population's health. Although trend data for U.S. children are not available,5 data from other countries indicate that the cardiovascular fitness of children and youth has been in decline since the 1960s and that the decline has been most rapid in recent decades.6, 7, 8, 9
Aside from surveys of body composition, few population-based assessments of health-related physical fitness of American children have been conducted.5 State-specific surveys are uncommon. The Georgia Youth Fitness Assessment (GYFA) was conducted to (1) document current levels of health-related fitness in selected grades, (2) estimate the percentage of students meeting national recommendations for moderate to vigorous physical activity, (3) provide a baseline against which future progress could be measured, and (4) further stimulate public and private leaders and decision makers to consider potentially helpful actions. The purpose of this article is to share the methods and primary results of the GYFA. To the best of our knowledge, the GYFA is the first statewide survey of youth fitness to use a complex survey design.
Section snippets
Objectives
The primary measurement objective of the GYFA was to provide quantitative estimates for the health-related components of physical fitness for Georgia's fifth- and seventh-grade students and to be able to compare differences by grade, gender, race/ethnicity, and urban/rural status. A secondary objective was to provide quantitative estimates of the students' physical activity behaviors.
Survey Design and Management
The survey, conducted in the fall of 2006, was designed and implemented by a private company and managed by the
Participation Rates and Final Sample Characteristics
Of the 108 sampled schools, 93 (86%) participated in the GYFA. Participation rates were similar for schools with fifth (88%) and seventh (85%) grades, and for schools in urban (84%) and rural (94%) locations. Only four of eight small schools participated, and six of 11 private schools. One public school participated in only fitness tests.
Of 6432 students eligible for fitness testing, 5045 (78%) completed at least one fitness test; 4124 (64%) completed all six fitness tests. Of 6303 students
Conclusion
Substantial numbers of Georgia's fifth- and seventh-grade students exhibit unhealthy levels of physical fitness. The body composition of 30% of students is unhealthy; the cardiorespiratory fitness of 52% is unhealthy; and 23% have unhealthy scores on at least two of four tests of muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. These data are consistent with the suggestion that physical inactivity has led to deficient levels of health-related fitness in more areas than just body composition, and
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