1958-2008: 50 Years of Youth Fitness Tests in the United States

The AAHPER Youth Fitness Test, the first U.S. national fitness test, was published 50 years ago. The seminal work of Krause and Hirschland influenced the fitness world and continues to do so today. Important youth fitness test initiatives in the last half century are summarized. Key elements leading...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research quarterly for exercise and sport 2009-03, Vol.80 (1), p.1-11
Main Authors: Morrow, James R., Zhu, Weimo, Franks, Don B., Meredith, Marilu D., Spain, Christine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
AAHPER Youth Fitness Test
AAHPERD
Adolescent
Adolescents
Body Composition
Changes
Child
Child Health
Child Welfare - history
Child, Preschool
Children
Children & youth
Circulatory system
Computer Assisted Testing
Educational History
Educational Policy
Educational Principles
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Methods
Exercise Test - history
Exercise Test - standards
Female
Government Role
Health Promotion - history
Health Related Fitness
health-related
History, 20th Century
History, 21st Century
Humans
Individualized Instruction
Male
Meetings
Motor Activity
Physical Education
Physical Fitness
Professional Associations
Public health
School districts
Social Marketing
Test Construction
testing
Tests
Time Factors
United States
Youth
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Summary:The AAHPER Youth Fitness Test, the first U.S. national fitness test, was published 50 years ago. The seminal work of Krause and Hirschland influenced the fitness world and continues to do so today. Important youth fitness test initiatives in the last half century are summarized. Key elements leading to continued interest in youth fitness testing at the start of the 21st century include (a) concerns about children and youth fitness levels, (b) AAHPER(D)-led youth fitness battery development, (c) differentiation between performance-related and health-related fitness testing, (d) the numerous youth fitness tests developed, (e) collaborative discussions on development and adoption of a unified national youth fitness battery, (f) computerization of youth fitness test results, (g) differentiation between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced evaluation of student results, and (h) concern about youth fitness levels (again, but with a focus on health). We have come full circle on youth fitness interests. This article summarizes the key youth fitness tests in the second half of the 20th century and projects future considerations.
ISSN:0270-1367
2168-3824
DOI:10.1080/02701367.2009.10599524