Passing Rates of American Children and Youth on the FITNESSGRAM Criterion-Referenced Physical Fitness Standards

Abstract

The purpose of this study was two fold: (1) to determine the percentage of 6-18-year-old students who passed the FITNESSGRAM criterion scores for percent body fat (%BF), body mass index (BM/), mile run (MR). sit-ups (SU), pull-ups (PU), and sit and reach (S&R), and (2) to suggest and illustrate the instructed-uninstructed-/mastery-nonmastery technique for the validation of criterion-referenced cut-off scores. The data base consisted of the NCYFS I and II national probability samples of students. Results showed that the most frequently passed item was the S&R (M =90%; F =97%), followed by the two body composition items (%BF: M = 89%; F = 91%) (BMI:M = 88%; F = 85%), the MR (M = 77%; F = 60%), SU (M = 65%, F = 57%), and finally the PU (M = 73%; F = 32%). It is recommended that the criterion cut-off scores be statistically validated using the illustrated technique when the active (instructed) group has been trained with documented levels of frequency, intensity, and duration and the inactive (uninstructed) group is truly sedentary.

Key Words:

• physical fitness
• criterion-referenced standards
• children and youth
• FITNESSGRAM
• validation of cut-off scores