Scheduled for Pedagogy I Posters, Thursday, April 3, 2003, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall A


An Analysis of the Relationships Between Physical Activity Levels and Physical Fitness/Health-Related Variables for First- Through Fifth-Grade Students

Sue Wedman Brittenham, Boulder Valley Public School District, Longmont, CO, Julian A. Reed, Furman University, Greenville, SC and D. Allen Phillips, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 2001 stated that children aged six through 17 should participate in 60 minutes of daily physical activity or take 11,000 steps a day, a minimum of five days a week to receive health benefits. This study was designed to determine if (n=298) first through fifth grade students are meeting this recommendation. A Digi-Walker SW-401 step counter was used as a measure of physical activity. Each student wore the step counter for seven days and kept a home physical activity diary. Daily step averages ranged from 9,500 to 14,000 steps; however, only 41% of the subjects in this study met The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recommendation. Results indicated that elementary age children tend to take more daily steps as they progress from first through fifth grade, and males tend to take more daily steps than females. Perhaps age and gender should be considered when determining a healthy guideline regarding daily steps taken for children. A secondary purpose of this study was to identify relationships between steps taken and scores on physical fitness/health-related fitness variables. Subjects’ physical fitness levels were tested over a nine-week period during physical education class using test items from: The President’s Challenge and Fitnessgram. Scores on physical fitness/health-related tests did not appear to be related to physical activity levels of elementary children in this study. Items on the President’s Challenge could only explain 21.7% of the variance in physical activity (daily average number of steps taken); and the Fitnessgram items could explain only 16.9% of the variance. Additionally, a significant (p<.05) difference in means (steps taken) was identified between qualifiers and non-qualifiers for the Active Lifestyle Award, National Fitness Award and Health Fitness Award. In general, the number of daily steps taken was higher for students who qualified for The President’s Challenge Award Programs compared to the mean number of daily steps taken for students who did not qualify.

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