Background/Purpose: Physically fit children tend to be physically active. This study investigated 4th graders' physical fitness as a result of participating in a three-year PEP grant intervention. Methods: 573 4th graders in PEP year 2 and 623 4th graders in PEP 3 completed five Fitnessgram tests administered by their physical education teacher during regular physical education lessons. Nine teachers were trained for use of the Fitnessgram test criteria and protocols in PEP year 1.
Analysis/Results: PACER tests indicated that 70.8% of the students in year 2 and 68.1% in year 3 met the age and gender guidelines. Curl-up tests revealed that 78.5% of the students in year 2 (M = 28, SD = 20.62) and 76.9% in year 3 (M = 26, SD = 19.6) performed 10 or more curl-ups, the criteria for healthy fitness. Push-up tests indicated that 75.2% of the students in year 2 (M = 13, SD = 9.76) and 73.3% in year 3 (M = 13, SD = 8.67) completed 7 or more push-ups, meeting the healthy fitness criteria. Regarding trunk lift tests, 87% of the students in year 2 (M = 11, SD = 1.69) and 89.2% in year 3 (M = 11, SD = .81) reached 9 inches (healthy criteria) or higher. For shoulder stretch tests, 77.9% of the students in year 2 and 82.2% in year 3 met the healthy fitness zone.
Conclusions: The greatest number of the students meeting the healthy fitness zone was trunk lift test, followed by shoulder stretch test.
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