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Abstract
Keywords
Findings
Author

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Abstract

Data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey (cycles 1 and 2) were analyzed to determine if higher fitness categories are associated with better health. Respondents' fitness was assessed in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness, grip strength, sit-and-reach and partial curl-ups, and also according to two composite measures (back fitness and musculoskeletal fitness). Fitness scores could range from "Needs improvement� to "Excellent.� Pairwise t-tests were used to compare health outcomes across fitness categories. The health outcomes were waist circumference, blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein, lung function, self-rated health, life satisfaction, and number of chronic conditions. All health outcomes except systolic blood pressure were significantly better among respondents whose cardiorespiratory fitness was "Excellent,� compared with "Needs improvement.� For grip strength and partial curl-ups, only glycated hemoglobin and self-rated health were better amon respondents in the "Excellent� category, compared with "Needs improvement.� Lung function was worse in those with better grip strength. No significant associations with health outcomes emerged for sit-and-reach.

Keywords

Cardiovascular disease, cardiorespiratory fitness, cholesterol, diabetes, lung function, obesity, quality of life

Findings

The link between fitness and disease and disability is well established. Accordingly, fitness assessments are used to estimate health risk in the general population. Although such assessments are typically less strenuous than those employed to ascertain performance-related fitness, the results allow for an individual's fitness level to be placed in categories such as poor, fair, good, very good or excellent. It is generally assumed that people in the highest fitness categories are the healthiest. [Full Text]

Author

Jonathon Fowles (1-902-585-1560; jonathon.fowles@acadiau.ca) is with Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Joel Roy (1-613-951-8398; joel.roy@statcan.gc.ca) and Janine Clarke (1-613-951-7598; janine.clark@statcan.gc.ca) are with the Health Statistics Division at Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0T6. Shilpa Dogra (1-905-721-8668, ext. 6240; shilpa.dogra@uoit.ca) is with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario.