title: 1958-2008: 50 years of youth fitness tests in the United States.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76205-5017, USA. Jim.morrow@unt.edu
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Morrow
authors.forename: Weimo
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: B Don
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Franks
authors.forename: Marilu D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Meredith
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000266:history; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000266:history* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000266:history; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010809:Physical Fitness; D040241:Social Marketing; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States