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BACKGROUND: Kansas Fitness Information Tracking (K-FIT) has provided FITNESSGRAM®, a web-based student fitness testing resource, to physical educators in Kansas schools since 2011. Participating schools submit students’ results to the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) where they are linked to other student data, including demographics, absenteeism, and reading, math and science performance assessment results. Partners at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment analyze the linked dataset to assess the relationship between student fitness and academic performance. In year 2 (2012/2013) of the K-FIT project, more than 300 schools across Kansas submitted FITNESSGRAM data to KSDE on approximately 56,000 students, a substantial increase over the previous year when 152 schools across Kansas submitted FITNESSGRAM data on more than 17,000 students.
METHODS: For each fitness test (aerobic capacity, curl-up, trunk lift, 90 degree push-up, and back-saver sit and reach), students were categorized based on whether or not their score met the FITNESSGRAM Healthy Fitness Zone (HFZ) standard. Odds ratios and 95 percent confidence intervals were computed to determine statistically significant differences between groups based on the number of fitness tests for which students met the HFZ standard. Hierarchical generalized logistic regression models were constructed using the SAS GLIMMIX procedure with school modeled as a random effect. Logistic regression models examining the association between meeting fitness standards and academic performance were adjusted to control for sex, race/ethnicity, grade level and weight status.
RESULTS: After applying exclusion criteria, a total of 38,843 student records in the year 2 K-FIT database were analyzed. Among students who completed all five fitness tests, nearly 1 in 3 (29.7%) met the HFZ standard on all five tests. The odds of being above reading (OR=1.34; 95% CI: 1.24-1.45), math (OR=1.45; 95% CI: 1.35-1.57) and science (OR=1.42; 95% CI: 1.26-1.61) performance standards were significantly higher among students who met the HFZ standard for all five fitness tests as compared to those who did not. These associations remained statistically significant even after controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, grade level and weight status.
CONCLUSIONS: Year 2 K-FIT results mirror year 1 results and continue to highlight the importance of physical education and physical activity to the academic mission of schools.