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| Is
fitness testing appropriate in school physical education?
There are several concerns about
the administering of fitness tests in school physical education.
Despite claims from those who market and sell fitness testing programs,
there is little if any evidence that performance on a fitness test
(a) relates to how healthy a student might be, (b) educates a student
about the importance of being physically active, or (c) motivates
a student to develop a lifelong activity habit.
The problems associated with fitness
testing in a physical education classes are significant.
(1) Is fitness test
performance related to health?
The major components that constitute
'health-related fitness' can each be assessed by one or more tests.
Fitness test items (purport to) measure aerobic capacity, flexibility,
muscle strength and endurance, and body fat.
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Are these items related to
physical health - that is, blood pressure and metabolic conditions
such asinsulin resistance, high triglycerides, and low HDL levels? In
adult populations the answer is yes - less fit adults are more likely
to be at higher risk for these health problems. In children and teenagers
however, there is little to no relation between fitness test performance
and these health indicators. Why? First, the majority of children
and teens (unless severely obese) exhibit few if any of the health
problems mentioned. Therefore, suggesting students are unhealthy on
the basis of a fitness test is likely to be incorrect. Second - and
this is very important - fitness test performance is influenced
by factors unrelated to the component of fitness actually being
assessed. This relates to what experts in measurement call the validity
of the test
(2)
The threat to the validity of fitness test results in school physical
education
Is the mile run test a valid measure of aerobic capacity?
Is the curl-up test a valid measure of muscle endurance? Does skin-fold
testing provide a valid measure of health risk due to excess body fat?
Advocates for fitness testing may initially answer with an unequivocal
'yes'. When pressed further, the term 'acceptable validity' is often
heard. However, most of the studies to conclude test items have acceptable
(not good, let alone strong) validity, have been conducted
in settings far removed from the ninth grade physical education classroom;
settings such as exercise physiology laboratories in universities, where
control of conditions is paramount.
The exercise physiology
lab (what might be called 'the gold standard' in fitness testing environments)
could not be more different that a ninth grade physical education classroom
setting. One of the most critical distinctions is that in a laboratory
environment, everything possible is done to encourage participants to
give a maximal effort. If students in physical education do not
give 100% on the mile run or push-ups for example, it is not fitness
that is being tested, but motivation.
The school year has
begun and physical education teachers around the country will be conducting
fitness tests with their classes. Yet many factors are needed to ensure
the results of such tests approximate valid measures of aerobic capacity,
muscular strength, or muscular endurance. It is very difficult for
school physical education to ensure testing conditions can provide
a reasonable testing environment.
Even on a rare occasion
when a gifted teacher could somehow create conditions conducive to
ensuring a true maximal effort (i.e., conditions in the gym or sports
field mimic an exercise physiology lab), the subsequent act of telling
students their performance indicates how healthy they are on the basis
of their results, is misleading.
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| Destroying
the opportunity to promote physical activity - the questionable practice
of fitness testing in America's schools.
I believe fitness testing is detrimental
to the mission of lifelong activity promotion. Fitness testing
in physical education has been a controversial issue for a long
time. It is controversial because the process of fitness testing
usually involves one or more of the following - student embarrassment,
lack of information to students on why they are being tested, and
extremely poor control of conditions to ensure validity and reliability
of tests. As I will explain today and in future columns, testing
in physical education is often a worthless and meaningless practice.
Fitness testing has taken place in schools for years - and has contributed
zero toward physical education's primary goal - helping students
to develop appropriate lifelong exercise behaviors.
Today on this page, I question
the assumption that a student's fitness test performance is related
to his or her physical health. Fitness test results are less to
do with health and more a function of the environment in which the
test in conducted as well as the characteristics of the students
taking the test.
For these reasons alone, teachers should be very careful in conveying
to their classes that fitness test performance is indicative of
health status. For instance, if a student has not given a maximal
effort on tests of aerobic capacity or strength, the results are
meaningless. Yet, in physical education classes, the likelihood
that many students did not give 100% effort is very high.
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In this issue (left column) I discuss two concerns about fitness testing
in physical education; the weak relation between test performance and
physical health in youth, and the difficult task of eliciting a maximal
effort from students being tested. In future columns other issues will
be highlighted: the low relation between activity behaviors and fitness
test performance; the influence of body weight, sex, and chronological
age on performance; the mistaken assumption that extrinsic rewards can
motivate; why children and teens do not like testing; how the school setting
is are far removed from the optimal fitness testing environment; and what
might replace fitness testing in schools.
In school physical education, the fitness
testing emperor is wearing no clothes. Skin calipers, stop watches, and
tape measures should be put away. We should stop pretending we can tell
parents how healthy their children are. We are not medical experts. We
are physical educators. Our role is to educate - not embarrass, mislead
and misinform.
Darren
Dale
Health and Fitness Section Editor
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| Food Safety
September is National
Food Safety Month, with a specific theme of keeping foods cold.
Many Americans become ill every year through poor handling, storage,
and preparation of foods. There are several simple things
that can be done to help prevent food-related illnesses. Visit the
following food safety
site to find out this information.
Food Guide Pyramid for Kids
At this site you will find Food
Guide Pyramid posters, in different sizes, for download as PDF files.
The files can be viewed or printed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. They
can be a benefit in teaching children about nutrition.
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Accurate Dietary Information
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Nutrition information on the Internet is plentiful, but can
often be confusing or contradictory. For example, conflicting views
can be found on issues such as taking dietary supplements, high
protein diets, the benefits of soy, weight gain, and the influence
of dietary fat on good health.
The American Dietetic Association provides consumers with accurate
and prudent information on dietary matters. Teachers and parents
can be confident that the web site of the ADA
and their food and
nutrition guide book can each provide answers to many dietary
questions.
Helping Children Relax
Relaxation can channel a child's
excess energy and help overcome stress that can be caused by time
spent in non-directive activities, or other unproductive activities.
A description of some of the common techniques used in relaxation
are provided here:
Physical Activities: Daily
exercise and physical activity can be an excellent stress reliever.
For additional information click here - PA & Stress
Meditation: This may be
the oldest form of relaxation. It can reduce heart rate and blood
pressure, and help to clear the mind.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
By systematically tensing and relaxing groups of muscles the symptoms
of stress can be alleviated. Click this link for more information.
Deep Breathing: Breathing
exercises can be an effective way to relieve stress and are commonly
used in conjunction with meditation techniques. More information
can be found here - Breathing
Fitnet
is a daily email message. The three main themes of FITNET are:
1) to encourage the consumption of fruit and vegetables at least
5 times a day, 2) to encourage physical activity for 30 minutes
at least 5 times a week, and 3) to take small steps toward achieving
these goals. Here's a sample tip:
"In
1958, scientists had not yet started studying the layer of ozone
5 to 25 miles above our planet. But by the fall of 1987, they
were finding evidence the layer was thinning. This provides us
with yet another good reason to choose walking over internal combustion
engines. I suggest an "0 zone" around your residence in which
you don't drive. This could be a six-block radius where there
is zero or no driving if your destination is within that zone.
If there is anything going to get thicker around here, let it
be the ozone layer!"
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If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions
about particular topics, please email one of the following Section
Editors: |
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