TRACKING OF HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS COMPONENTS IN YOUTH AGES 9 TO 12

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the tracking of mult iple health-related fitness components in children from fourth to sixt h grade. Methods: A battery of fitness rests was used to measure 414 c hildren (213 boys, 201 girls, mean = 9.48 yr, +/- 0.41) from three ele mentary schools in Southern California. Children were assessed during the fail and spring of each grade. Baseline scores were correlated (Sp earman) with each subsequent time point. Results: For boys 3-yr correl ations of body mass index (BMI) (0.89), skinfold thickness (0.80), sit -and-reach test (0.67), and the pull-up test (0.66) indicated high lev els of tracking. Mile run (0.56), sit-up test (0.46), and waist-to-hip ratio (0.30) tracked moderately. For girls BMI (0.83), sum of skinfol ds (0.75), sit-and-reach test (0.72), and the pull-up test (0.63) trac ked highly, while mile run (0.42), sit-up test (0.47), and waist-to-hi p ratio (0.42) tracked moderately. Conclusions: Results suggest that r elative rankings of BMI, skinfold thickness, and sit-and-reach test pe rformance are more likely to track during early adolescence. Measures of cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and endurance and fat di stribution may be less likely to track into adolescence, possibly beca use they are more influenced by changes in physical activity or becaus e tracking may be reduced by measurement error.