title: Health-related fitness of American Indian youth.
abstract: A physically fit lifestyle is important for American Indian (AI) youth who are at risk for hypokinetic diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes. Some evidence exists on the physical activity patterns of AI youth, but there is little information on their health-related fitness.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to describe the health-related fitness levels of youth living in an AI community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants included youth from 5th to 9th grade (N = 85) in a Southwestern U.S. AI community. Youth were of AI descent and were 12.36 +/- 1.68 years of age. Participants completed 5 parts of the FITNESSGRAM fitness test during physical education. The tests included the Progressive Aerobic Cardiorespiratory Endurance Run fitness test (cardiovascular fitness), curl-up (muscular endurance), pushup (muscular strength), sit-and-reach (flexibility), and body mass index (estimated body composition).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results were similar to other youth studies with some of the students reaching the healthy fitness zone for muscular strength (28%), body composition (30%), flexibility (60%), aerobic fitness (63%), and muscular endurance (74%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings highlight the capacity for improvement for students across all of the components of health-related fitness.
authors.forename: Timothy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Brusseau
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.forename: Pamela H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Kulinna
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pangrazi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001823:Body Composition; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D014481:United States