Health-related fitness knowledge (HRFK) has been found to be limited in elementary to college age students and can possibly be a hindrance to an individual’s ability to stay physically fit and physically active over a lifetime. The purpose of this study was to investigate the basic HRFK of college students using a validated test for high school students (FitSmart Test, Zhu, et al., 1999).
Method:
A total of 593 participants (75.5% non-Hispanic White, male = 255, female = 338, mean age = 19.8) from a Mid-west university (N=402) and a Southwest university (N=191) were administered the FitSmart Test. The FitSmart Test criterion-related and construct validity was established by taking the domain of HRFK and breaking it up into six content areas: (a) concepts of fitness, (b) scientific exercise principles, (c) components of physical fitness, (d) effects of exercise on chronic disease risk factors, (e) exercise prescription, and (f) nutrition, injury prevention, and consumer issues. SPSS software was used to analyze frequency distribution, descriptive statistics, mean comparisons, and Pearson’s bivariate correlations.
Analysis/Results:
Findings from the study indicated that the average score was 66.6% with no mean difference between gender or location. Only 34 participants (5.7%) scored above 80% with 88% being the highest score. HRFK correlated with previous college exercise science classes r = .107.
Conclusions:
This data follows the same trend found in other studies investigating HRFK which indicates that overall HRFK is low (less than 70%). The following research continues to acknowledge the lack of HRFK in college students but brings to the forefront an underlying problem of what students are learning and carrying forward throughout their K-12 education and in college physical activity courses. Learning accountability is being addressed for the core subject matters in K-12 and this accountability should be no less in a physical education class where learning should be taking place not just in the psychomotor domain but also in the cognitive domain. If students are not being equipped with the applicable knowledge needed to stay physically active and physically fit, then the chances of being fit and active decrease. Future research concerning learning accountability models in physical education courses is warranted.