PHYSICAL FITNESS AND NUTRITION

To assess physical fitness, this indicator reports data from the California Physical Fitness Test on the percent of 5th grade students who are classified as having health risk due to their aerobic capacity.

For nutrition, this indicator reports the proportion of youth (ages two to 17) who drank one or more glasses of soda during the previous day and eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Both physical fitness and nutrition are essential to achieving and keeping a healthy weight.1 The habitual intake of too many calories, including from the consumption of sugary beverages, without enough physical fitness, can result in obesity. Those who eat a nutritious diet rich in fruits and vegetables and/or incorporate aerobic physical activity and cardio-respiratory fitness into a daily routine are less likely to develop many types of disease, including heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and oral disease.2,3 Additionally, these behaviors, when developed at a younger age, are associated with similar behaviors in adulthood.4

• During the 2015/16 school year, 6.3% (2,292) of 5th graders tested were classified “at health risk due to aerobic capacity,” up 8.6% since

2013/2014 (5.8% or 2,113), but slightly lower than California at 6.8% of 5th graders.

• The percentage of 5th graders at health risk due to aerobic capacity was highest among Pacific Islander 5th graders (10.1%), followed by American Indian (9.8%), Hispanic (9.5%), Black (6.6%), Filipino (5.1%), Multiracial (4.6%), White (3.2%) and Asian (2.6%) 5th graders.

• According to the 2015 California Health Interview Survey5:

– 22.9% of children (2 to 17 years old) reported drinking one or more glasses of soda during the previous day, a decrease of 33.0% from 34.2% in 2013.

– 25.1% of children (2 to 17 years old) reported eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, an increase of 26.8% from 19.8% in 2011.

California Physical Fitness Test uses the Cooper Institute’s FITNESSGRAM approach to classify 5th graders aerobic capacity at health risk when their V02max, a measure of maximum oxygen consumption, fell within certain limits after participation in structured aerobic exercises, such as the Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER), one-mile run, or walk test, which deemed them at likely risk for future health problems. The definition of aerobic capacity categories was recently modified to improve classification agreement between the PACER and one-mile run approaches. Because of these adjustments, California Physical Fitness Test data collected prior to the 2013/14 school year are not comparable to those collected under the current standards.

Note: Black, Filipino, American Indian and Pacific Islander 5th grade student enrollment is less than 2% of all 5th grade student enrollment. Percent at health risk due to aerobic capacity for these groups may be unstable and should be interpreted with caution.

Percent of Children Ages 2 to 17 Years Old who Consumed Soda the Previous

Percent of 5th Grade Students at Health Risk Due to Aerobic Capacity, by School District, 2015/16