Fitness Measures and Health Outcomes in Youth

Physical fitness is a key tenet of health. It affects our ability to function and be physically active, and poor fitness levels are associated with such health outcomes as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Physical fitness testing in American youth was established on a large scale in the 1950s. In the intervening decades, the underlying philosophies that have guided development of fitness testing protocols and specific test items used in test batteries have evolved considerably. An early focus on performance-related fitness, measured by test items that relied heavily on power and speed, gradually gave way to an emphasis on health-related fitness, composed of components that were linked to health outcomes. Health-related fitness typically has been defined as including body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, musculoskeletal fitness, and flexibility. Although extensive evidence links performance on specific measures of fitness to health outcomes in adults, such evidence in children and adolescents is less abundant and debate continues about the best fitness measures for youth. Using appropriately selected measures to collect fitness data in youth will advance our understanding of how fitness among youth translates into better health. At the request of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) appointed a study committee to assess the relationship between youth fitness test items and health outcomes, recommend the best fitness test items, provide guidance for interpreting fitness scores, and provide an agenda for needed research. The IOM committee presents its findings and recommendations in Fitness Measures and Health Outcomes in Youth. For the purposes of this report, " youth " is defined as children aged 5-18. Using appropriately selected measures to collect fitness data in youth will advance our understanding of how fitness among youth translates into better health.