Io,5sf9~1

A NORMATIVE STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL FITNESS OF FOURTEEN-,

FIFTEEN-, AND SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS USING

THE AAHPER YOUTH FITNESS TEST

THESIS

Presented to the Graduate Council of the

North Texas State University in Partial

Fulfillment of the Requirements

For the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE

By

Patricia A. Beckford, B. S.

Denton, Texas

August, 1976

Beckford, Patricia A., A Normative Study of the

Physical Fitness of Fourteen-, Fifteen-, and Sixteen-

Year-Old Navajo Girls Using the AAHPER Youth Fitness

Test. Master of Science (Health, Physical Education

and Recreation), August, 1976, 112 pp., 37 tables,

bibliography, 28 titles.

The purpose of this study is to measure the physical

fitness levels of Navajo girls fourteen to sixteen years

of age using the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test and to estab-

lish norms based upon scores determined from test results

from seven schools. These norms are also compared to

national norms found in the manual accompanying the AAHPER

Youth Fitness Test.

The results of this study give an indication of the

overall fitness level of fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-

year-old Navajo girls. Of the seven test items, the

Navajo norms were below the national norm on five items

and above on the softball throw and 600 yard run-walk.oef'

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF TABLES ,.0.1.0..0-*- . - .-0- - -.-.- V

Chapter

I. INTRODUCTION.................... 9.*.le-a-0-*

Statement of the ProblemPurposeDelimitations and LimitationsDefinition of Terms

II, REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . -0- . . . .. --0-010

History and Culture of the Navajo People

Ethnic and Cultural Group ComparisonsRacialNationality ComparisonsGeographic ComparisonSocioeconomic Comparison

Normative Studies

III, PROCEDURE 0 ,a 0 0, 0 0 , ... .....-.--..- .29

IntroductionSubjectsTest InstrumentProcedureData Analysis

IV. TEST RESULTS AND COMPARISONS . . . . . . . 34

Bent Knee Sit-UpsStanding Broad JumpFlexed Arm HangShuttle RunSoftball Throw50-Yard Dash600-Yard Run-WalkSummary of Findings

iii

Chapter Page

V, SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 89

ConclusionsRecommendations

APPENDIX . . . .. . . . . . . . , . . . , . . .96

BIBLIOGRAPHY . .* ......--- 110

iv

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

I. Representation of Students by School . . . , 35

II. Sit-Ups - An Age Group Comparison for

Navajo Girls . . . . . . . . 36

III. Fourteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls Sit-Ups . . 37

IV, Fifteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - Sit-Ups . . 38

V. Sixteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - Sit-Ups . . 39

VI, Sit-Ups - A Comparison of Navajo Normswith National Norms. . . . . . . . .40

VII. Standing Broad Jump - An Age Group

Comparison for Navajo Girls . . . . . . 42

VIII. Fourteen-Year Old Navajo Girls - StandingBroad Jump ............. ...... ... 43

IX. Fifteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - StandingBroad Jump ..... ................ 44

X. Sixteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - StandingBroad Jump... . ....... 46

XI. Standing Broad Jump - A Comparison of

Navajo Norms with National Norms . . . 48

XII. Flexed Arm Hang An Age Group Comparisonfor Navajo Girls , . . , . . . . . . . 49

XIII. Fourteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls FlexedArm Hang . . , . , , . . . . , . . .0 50

XIV, Fifteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - FlexedArm Hang . . ... . . .... .. . 51

XV. Sixteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - FlexedArm Hang .. . . 9.. . .. ... 52

v

Ta

X

X

Xx

le

XVI, Flexed Arm Hang - A Comparison of

Navajo Nornms with National Norms .

XVII. Shuttle Run - An Age Group Comparisonfor Navajo Girls . . . . . . . .

III. Fourteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - ShuttleRun . . . . . . . . . . . . .

XIX. Fifteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls ShuttleRun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P

XX. Sixteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - ShuttleRun . . . . . . . . . . . . . -. ..

XXI. Shuttle Run - A Comparison of Navajo Normswith National Norms . . . . . . . .

XXII. Softball Throw - An Age Group Comparisonfor Navajo Girls . . . . . . . . . .

XIII. Fourteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - SoftballThrow . . . . . . . . . . - . -. -..

XXIV. Fifteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - SoftballThrow . . . . . . . . ....-.-....

XXV. Sixteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - SoftballThrow . . . . . . . . . -. - - - -

XXVI. Softball Throw - A Comparison of NavajoNorms with National Norms . . . . .

XVII. 50-Yard Dash - An Age Group Comparisonfor Navajo Girls . . . . . . . . . .

VIII. Fourteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - 50-YardDash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

XXIX. Fifteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - 50-YardDash . .. . . . . . . . . . .

XXX. Sixteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - 50-YardDash . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . .

XXXI. 50-Yard Dash - A Comparison of NavajoNorms with National Norms . . .

vi

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Page

53

55

56

57

59

61

63

64

65

67

69

71

72

73

75

77

Table Page

XXXII, 600-Yard Run-Walk - An Age GroupComparison for Navajo Girls . . . . 78

XXXIII. Fourteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - 600-YardRun-Walk .. . ... , fl. .p , 79

XXXIV, Fifteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - 600-YardRun-Walk . ....... 80

XXXV. Sixteen-Year-Old Navajo Girls - 600-YardRun-Walk .a.. ... *...... 82

XXXVI. 600-Yard Run-Walk - A Comparison of NavajoNorms with National Norms . . . . . . . 84

XXXVII. Mean Score Comparisons by School . . . . . 108

vii

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

The physical fitness of youth has been of much concern

to the American population since the Revolutionary War.

This topic is still of great interest. Questions about the

relationships between physical fitness and socioeconomic

status, and physical fitness and race have been studied and

are still being studied. However, there has been one group

of Americans who has been almost totally ignored in regard

to these questions. The reservation Indian can add a great

deal to the study of the relationships between physical fit-

ness and race, and physical fitness and socioeconomic status.

The Navajo Indians have lived on a reservation, their

culture intact, for the past one hundred years (2). The

children growing up on the reservation today represent a

culture basically different from that of the average middle-

class white child. The differences in the levels of

physical fitness between the Navajo child and the Anglo

child can be studied in this environment.

Tests to measure motor ability, cardiovascular fitness,

and general physical fitness have been devised. The Kraus-

Weber Minimum Muscular Fitness Test was originally developed

1

2

in an effort to measure minimum muscular fitness. The

weakness in this test was that failing one of the six test

items indicated failure of the test and a tendency for the

person to have orthopedic and emotional difficulties (10).

The Harvard-Step Test measures cardiovascular fitness. The

AAHPER Youth Fitness Test was devised to measure general

motor fitness (7). There are many other tests available to

measure different facets of physical fitness. Much time,

effort, and money has been spent devising these tests and

establishing norms for them.

These tests have also been used to compare the fitness

of different groups of children. In 1953, Hans Kraus and

Ruth Hirschland reported the results of comparison testing

which shocked the people of the United States. The Kraus-

Weber Test was given to 4,264 American and European school

children. The failure rate for the American children was

57.9 percent, while European children given the same test

had only an 8.7 percent rate of failure (11).

As the results of this test and the reliability of the

instrument were being studied, researchers began to ask

many questions regarding fitness and American youth (3, 6,

8, 12, 15). Comparisons of socioeconomic status and physi-

cal fitness have been explored (13). Geographical location

and differing life styles and their relationship to physical

fitness have also been studied (9, 10, 11, 14). As these

3

relationships were studied, our understanding of the term

"physical fitness" has increased. Through these studies,

there has also been a growing awareness that the norms

developed for these tests were not always applicable to

special populations.

The North American Indian has virtually been ignored

by the people conducting these studies. Many tribes of

Indians have remained quite homogeneous. The Navajo, for

example, live on a large reservation (sixteen million acres)

in the northeastern part of Arizona and that overlaps into

southeastern Utah and northwestern New Mexico. Their cus-

toms, clothing, and life style have only recently begun

changing (4). There exists a need to measure the physical

fitness of a group of people whose life style bears little

resemblance to that of the white middle-class population of

the United States.

Statement of the Problem

The problem of this study is to determine the physical

fitness levels of Navajo girls fourteen to sixteen years

old, and to establish norms for this particular age group.

The AAHPER Youth Fitness Test will be used to measure the

physical fitness of the subjects. The norms for this age

group were established by giving the AAHPER test to girls

of this age in seven schools on the Navajo Reservation

4

and performing the necessary raw score conversion to norma-

tive scales.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to:

(I) measure the physical fitness levels of Navajo

girls fourteen to sixteen years of age using the AAHPER

Youth Fitness Test; and

(2) establish norms based upon scores determined from

test results from seven schools.

The testing instrument for the measurement of physical

fitness levels was the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test. Accord-

ing to other studies, there are differences in the physical

fitness of different racial groups (3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13,

15). There have also been studies which compared the fit-

ness of children in different geographical areas.

Differences were found and norms for those particular areas

were established. Norms were established that should be

useful to physical education instructors on the Navajo

Reservation, and the determination of these norms will pro-

vide the fitness of the aforementioned Navajo girls in

comparison to the national norms that have been established

for the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test.

5

Delimitations and Limitations

The delimitations of this study were that

(1) the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test was used;

(2) fourteen-,, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo

girls were used;

(3) students from both the public and boarding schools

were used; and

(4) all of the fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-

old female volunteer physical education students at Red Mesa

High School, Chinle High School, Window Rock High School,

Ganada, Monument Valley, Tuba City, and Many Farms (Board-

ing) High School were tested.

The limitations of this study are that

(1) more than one examiner administered the test;

and

(2) the subjects were those students enrolled in

physical education or health classes.

Definition of Terms

The following terms pertinent to this study may be

defined as follows.

AAHPER--initials used throughout this study as an

abbreviation for the American Association for Health,

Physical Education, and Recreation,

6

AAHPER Youth Fitness Test--a battery of seven test

items designed to give a measure of physical fitness for

both boys and girls in grades five through twelve. It is

designed to give an overall picture of the young person's

general fitness. It is the only fitness test for which

national norms have been determined (1).

Frequency distribution--scores set up in ranking order;

the scores are grouped in small intervals; and the number of

scores which appear in each interval are tallied (1, 3).

Mean--the arithmetic average of a group of scores.

Motor fitness--the capacity to move the body effi-

ciently with force over a reasonable length of time. It

may also be defined as a readiness or preparedness for

performance with special regard for big muscle activity

without undue fatigue (1).

Norms--values considered to be representative of a

specific population (1, 3).

Normative study--a study by which data are collected

and norms are established (3).

Percentile--a percentile score shows what proportion

of a group scored above and below a given individual. For

example, a percentile rank of 70 means that 70 percent of

the people taking that particular test had lower scores and

30 percent had higher scores (1, 3).

7

Physical fitness--a measure of one's ability to

function effectively in everyday life. In this study,

physical fitness levels are measured by the AAHPER Youth

Fitness Test (1).

Standard deviation--a measure of variability. It

reflects the magnitude of the deviations of the scores from

their mean. Approximately 68 percent of the population has

a score which falls plus and minus one standard deviation

away from the mean (1, 3) .

Standard error of the mean--reflects how far away the

mean of the sample falls from the mean of the total popula-

tion (3).

CHAPTER BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Barrow, Harold M. and Rosemary McGee, A PracticalApproach to Measurement in Physical Education,Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger, 1966.

2. Berger, Richard A. and Robert L. Paradis, "Scores ofWhite and Black Boys of Similar SocioeconomicLevels on the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test," ResearchQuarterly, 40 (December, 1969) , 668.

3. Clarke, David H. and H. Harrison Clarke, ResearchProcesses in Physical Education, Recreation, andHealth, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970.

4, Downs, James F.,, The Navajo, New York, Holt, Rinehart,and Winston, 1972.

5. Drew, A. Gwendolyn, "An Historical Study of the Concernof the Federal Government for the Physical Fitnessof Non-Age Youth With Reference to the Schools,1790-1941," Research Quarterly, 16 (October, 1945),196.

6. Espenschade, Anna, "Fitness of Fourth Grade Children,"Research Quarterly, 29 (October, 1958), 274.

7. Hunsicker, Paul A. and Guy G. Reiff, "A Survey andComparison of Youth Fitness 1958-1965," Journal ofHealth, Physical Education, and Recreation, 37(January, 1966), 23.

8. Huntinger, Paul W., "Differences in Speed BetweenAmerican Negro and White Children in Performanceof the 35-yd. Dash," Research Quarterly, 30(October, 1959), 366.

9. Kirschner, Glen and Don Giles, "Comparative Analysis ofEugene, Oregon Elementary School Children Usingthe Kraus-Weber Test of Minimum Muscular Fitness,"Research Quarterly, 28 (March, 1957), 16.

10. Knutten, Howard G., "Comparison of Fitness of Danishand American School Children," Research Quarterly,32 (May, 1961), 190.

8

9

11. Kraus, Hans and Ruth P. Hirschland, "Minimum MuscularFitness Tests in School Children," ResearchQuarterly, 25 (May, 1954), 178.

12. Noguchi, Yoshiyuki, "Fitness Testing of JapaneseChildren," Journal of Health, Physical Education,and Recreation, 27 (October, 1956), 20.

13. Ponthieux, N. A. and D. G. Barker, "The RelationshipBetween Race and Physical Fitness," ResearchQuarterlyl,36 (December, 1965), 468.

14. Stasky, Paul J.,, "Computer Scoring of AAHPER YouthFitness Tests," Journal of Health, Physical Educa-tion, and Recreation, 41 (September, 1970), 63.

15. Verduci, Frank, "Racial-Ethnic Comparisons on SelectedMotor Performance Tests," Research Quarterly, 45(1974)f, 324.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

History and Culture of the Navajo People

Three thousand years ago a group of Asians separated

from their kinsmen and crossed the Bering Straits into North

America. These ancestors of the Navajo drifted southward

from western Canada, and came to settle in the area they now

inhabit on the Colorado Plateau. They are not akin to any

of the other Indians who live in the southwestern United

States except for the Apache. Both the Navajo and the

Apache speak an Athapaskan language that is closely related

to Indian languages of Alaska, Canada, and the Pacific

Northwest (2, 4, 15, 21).

The nomadic Navajo learned and adopted many customs and

crafts from the other Indian tribes they encountered in

their wanderings. From the Pueblo Indians they learned

about farming and began to establish more permanent

residences. They learned rug weaving and pottery making

from these people and the Plains Indians. The Spanish

taught the Navajo silversmithing and the importance of

domestic livestock. After the acquisition of these skills,

the Navajo began to establish permanent homes (3, 4).

10

11

In the southwestern region of the United States Navajos

lived in relative peace until after the Civil War. With the

withdrawal and defeat of the Confederacy, Union soldiers

mounted a series of campaigns against the Navajos and the

Apaches. During the Civil War the presence of what were

considered hostile Indians by both sides had been a threat

that could not be reckoned. Now, with troops released from

the east, a different, second civil war began in the west.

The legendary Kit Carson led one of the most successful and

long remembered of the campaigns against the Navajo. Moving

into the heart of Navajoland, the Canyon de Chelly, he

destroyed the homes, livestock, farms, and orchards of these

people. In short, he destroyed everything necessary for the

Navajo people to live and resist the military forces (4).

In 1863, the Din (People, as the Navajo called them-

selves) who had surrendered were sent on the "Long Walk"--

a 350-mile march from Fort Defiance, Arizona, to a camp near

Fort Sumner, New Mexico. There they endured four years of

starvation and disease before being allowed to return to

their homeland. It was there at Fort Sumner that the women

began to wear the bright velveteen blouses and long skirts

that they still wear today. These were copied from the

white officers' wives a century ago (4, 15, 21).

In 1868, the United States government set aside approxi-

mately one million acres centered around the Canyon de

Chelly as a reservation for the Navajo. Since the treaty

12

which established the "Navajo Nation," the reservation has

grown from its original one million acres to the approxi-

mately sixteen million acres that it now encompasses. The

Navajo Nation today exercises a great deal of self-determina-

tion and sovereignty as a result of their treaty with the

United States. Except for traffic laws, state law does not

apply to the Indians while they are on the reservation. The

federal government retains jurisdiction only over the four-

teen major crimes. The tribe has its own government headed

by a tribal "Chairman" and tribal "Council"--all of which

are elected positions (4, 15, 21).

As mentioned before, "Din" is the term used by the

Navajo to refer to themselves, and it means "The People,"

as contrasted with all other peoples who are, in all candor,

looked upon as of less status (4). The Navajo believe that

they hold a somewhat special place in the universe, and they

constantly strive to live in harmony with the universe.

Navajo society is matriarchal, and the importance of

the female, as family relationships are traced, is constantly

reinforced. To this the Navajo adopted the clan system from

the Pueblos. The Navajo man owns very little property, and

the woman will retain ownership of the sheep, hogan,

jewelry, and other family possessions. Children are born

into the mother's clan. When girls marry, they set up the

home with a hogan near their mother's. Also, in Navajo

mythology, the most important people are women (4).

13

Despite the importance of groupness and family ties,

the Navajo remain a highly individualistic people, They

believe strongly that no person has the right to speak for

or direct the actions of another. They are unwilling to

make a statement that might be considered a commitment of

another person. The right of an individual to do as he or

she wishes and to make up his or her mind sometimes appears

to be a lack of concern. These are people who generally

refrain from making arrangements that would bind another

person to a definite place at a definite time. If an

appointment is made, either party can fail to keep the

appointment without much regret or concern. But although

this type of individualism is important, group ties are

also important and the group often makes major adjustments

to fit the behavior of the individual (4).

The Navajo religion is perhaps the most studied aspect

of Navajo life. This religion concerns itself with life on

earth, not life after death. It teaches that disease and

other evils result when a person is out of harmony with

nature. Every Navajo knows generally how to behave from

time to time and from situation to situation in order to

keep himself or herself in line and in balance with the

universe and therefore the universe in balance and harmony.

A Navajo putting on his shoes on the wrong feet, for example,

will bring about his death--not because putting on shoes

the wrong way is a sin, but because the order of the world

14

has been shaken for an instant. The role of the medicine

man is very important to this way of thinking and to the

Navajo's life. He has the rituals which will counter the

afflictions caused by not living in harmony with nature (5,

15).

The Navajo face many health problems. Because of a

lack of sanitation facilities and proper nutrition, they are

particularly vulnerable to diseases. Tuberculosis, trachoma,

venereal disease, anemia, and diseases related to malnutri-

tion are common. The infant death rate per 1,000 live births

is 42.3--twice the national average. The life expectancy is

63.2 years, as compared with 70.5 years for the United

States population as a whole (15).

The Navajo have not escaped many of the social problems

that plague other ethnic groups suffering from a high unem-

ployment rate, and forced adjustment to different cultural

patterns (3, 14, 15). Alcoholism, for example, is a major

problem. Mental health has also emerged as a major health

problem. It has been estimated that as many as 25 percent of

the American Indian population may be afflicted by some type

of mental health problem, ranging from major psychosis to

personality disorders. Possible causes for these problems

include poverty, poor level of education, disturbing child-

hood experiences, and conflicts between Indian culture and

American society. In addition, removal of Indian children

15

from their families to government boarding schools for their

education is probably a contributing factor (15, 22).

Traditionalists among the Navajo and romantics among

the non-Navajo mourn the passing of the "old days." Yet,

despite all of the superficial changes and a number of seem-

ingly basic changes of structure that have occurred, the

"People" remain as the name implies--the highly homogeneous

group of Indians which we call the Navajo, with their

language, customs, and religion much intact. This group is

notable for its historical ability to adapt and adjust to

new situations. They benefit from contact on one hand with-

out losing their identity on the other. In recent times

they have become nationalistic and isolationist. This has

been a defensive measure. They have retained more of their

integrity as a people than many of the other more accultur-

ated Indians (2, 4) .

Most Navajos realize that the future will bring many

more changes to their lives. The discovery of oil, uranium,

natural gas, coal, and other mineral resources brings with

it modern economic institutions that come into direct con-

tact with the people who, until recently, only saw the local

trader. Many Navajos realize that they must learn to sur-

vive in the white man's world if they are to survive at all.

Even with the full development of tribal resources and in-

dustry, the extremely rapid population increase will make it

necessary for a growing segment of the Navajos to spill over

16

into the Anglo society. The reservation simply cannot pro-

vide the space or resources to handle the natural increase.

Ethnic and Cultural Group Comparisons

Racial

Differences between races as determined by physical

fitness tests have been the subject of several studies.

Comparisons between Caucasians and Negroes have been the

most common.

Berger and Paradis (1) compared the fitness scores of

white and black seventh-grade boys of similar socioeconomic

levels. In previous studies, the differences between per-

formances of black and white children were thought to be

affected by socioeconomic status. In this study, the entire

enrollment of 115 boys in the seventh grade at one junior

high school were tested for physical fitness. The Index of

Status Characteristics was used to obtain the sixty most

closely matched subjects in terms of socioeconomic levels.

There were thirty black and thirty white boys in the group.

The AAHPER Youth Physical Fitness Test was used to determine

levels of physical fitness.

The results showed that the black students exceeded the

white students significantly in the shuttle run, 50-yard

dash, 600-yard run, and on the composite fitness score.

They concluded that black male students when compared to

17

white male students of similar socioeconomic levels have a

higher level of physical fitness.

Anna Espenschade (5) conducted a study of the fitness

of fourth-grade children. She compared the performances of

fourth-grade children on the Kraus-Weber test to those on

the California Physical Performance Test. The results

showed that children who failed one strength item on the

Kraus-Weber test made lower scores on the California

Physical Performance Test. She also investigated race and

sex differences on the Kraus-Weber test. The percentage of

Negro boys passing all items on the Kraus-Weber test was

significantly greater than that of the white boys. The

same was true for both Negro and Caucasian girls in compari-

son with the white boys. However, if the flexibility item

was omitted, there were no significant racial or sexual

differences in performance.

An investigation of the differences in speed between

American Negro and white children was conducted by Paul

Hutinger (8). The subjects were 792 fourth-, fifth-, and

sixth-grade boys and girls. The test given the subjects

was the 35-yard dash. The differences in the mean scores

of the 402 Negro children and the 390 white children indi-

cated that the Negro children were superior in speed to the

white children at all three grade levels.

18

Pontieux and Barker (17) identified statistically

significant relationships between race and the measures of

physical fitness included in the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test.

They used the entire population of fifth- and sixth-grade

pupils in a central Texas county. The total number was 633.

There were 123 Negro children and 510 white children.

Racial differences in physical fitness generally favored

Negro children, especially among the boys. The Negro boys

exceeded the white boys significantly on the standing broad

jump, 50-yard dash, softball throw, pull-ups, and the 600-

yard run-walk. There were insignificant differences in the

results on the 40-yard shuttle run and sit-ups. The Negro

girls surpassed the white girls significantly on the 600-

yard run-walk, softball throw, 50-yard dash, and the 40-yard

shuttle run. The white girls surpassed the Negro girls in

modified pull-ups, and sit-ups. The results showed no sig-

nificant differences between races on the standing broad

jump.

Frank Verduci (22) compared black, Oriental, Spanish-

American, and white men in a nineteen- to twenty-three-year-

old age group. These 624 males were applicants for positions

in a large metropolitan fire department. The fire depart-

ment administered a test containing the following items:

fire hose coupling, bent knee sit-ups, handgrip strength,

sandbag dodge/run, bend-twist-touch, chin-ups, and 500-yard

19

shuttle run. Verduci found that there was no significant

difference in achievement scores between racial and ethnic

groups on these items.

Nationality Comparisons

Comparisons between different nationalities and overall

physical fitness have been of great interest, particularly

since 1953 when Hans Kraus and Ruth Hirschland (13) compared

the muscular fitness of American children with Austrian,

Italian, and Swiss children. Six test items composed of

special movements appraising strength and flexibility of

trunk and leg muscles were given to 4,264 American, 678

Austrian, 1,036 Italian, and 1,156 Swiss children. The

results were that 57.9 percent of the Americans failed the

test, while only 8.7 percent of the Europeans failed. The

poor American showing was explained by the high degree of

automation which lessens the need for much physical activity.

They concluded that insufficient exercise may cause the

dropping of muscular fitness levels below the minimum

necessary for daily living.

M. S. Kelliher (10) used the Kraus-Weber test in East

Pakistan. A total of 2,325 Pakistani male and female

school children were subjects. The results were compared

with reports of the original tests in the United States and

Europe. The results revealed that Pakistani children were

less able than European children in passing the six test

20

items. They were, however, more successful than the

Americans including those in the original report of the

Kraus-Weber test.

A comparison of fitness of Danish and American school

children was made by Howard Knuttgen (12). The AAHPER

Youth Fitness Test was given to 319 male and 134 female

Danish school children. It was found that approximately

70 percent of the boys' scores and 86 percent of the girls'

scores exceeded the various American mean scores. The

possible causes for these differences is activity in the

daily routines of the Danish children as opposed to the

American children.

Namiko Ikeda (9) used the Iowa Test of Motor Fitness

and anthropometric measurements to compare the physical

fitness of children in Iowa and Tokyo. He noted that

anthropometric differences among races might affect the

results of physical fitness tests. The findings of this

study indicated to some degree that certain anthropometric

measurements influenced the motor performances of the

children studied. However, the taller, bigger children

were not necessarily better performers than the shorter,

smaller ones. The results of the study showed a signifi-

cant difference between the Iowa and Tokyo samples in motor

performance. With the exception of sit-ups and the

21

grasshopper, the Japanese exceeded the Iowa children in the

test results.

The relationship between anthropometric measurement and

performance on the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test of American

Negro and Caucasian females was studied by Ruth Terrell

(21). She recommended that the norms for the 50-yard dash

and the softball throw be re-evaluated in terms of their

suitability for children of the same age but of different

races. She based this recommendation on the results

obtained during the testing and comparing of the two groups

of girls (21).

Geographic Comparison

Glen Kirschner and Don Giles (11) used the Kraus-Weber

Test of Minimum Muscular Fitness to compare the physical

fitness of elementary school children in Eugene, Oregon, to

that of other geographic areas. In this study, 1,195

elementary school children were tested and compared with

other geographical surveys. The Eugene,-Oregon, group had

a 38.1 percent test failure rate. These results were

superior to other published American studies.

Socioeconomic Comparison

The relationship between socioeconomic status and

physical fitness was investigated by Pontieux and Barker

(18). This study used 304 boys and 329 girls from various

22

socioeconomic levels. The results showed significant

relationships, but they did not favor one status group in

all the components of fitness. Lower status girls were

faster, better coordinated, and had more endurance. Upper

status girls were stronger in arm and shoulder girdle

strength, in abdomen and hip flexor muscles, and in muscular

explosiveness. Lower status boys were faster and better

coordinated. Upper status boys were better in combined

agility and speed and in strength of abdominal and hip

flexor muscles.

Normative Studies

The AAHPER Youth Fitness Test was the first ever

developed by the physical education profession for which

national norms were developed. The results of the first

testing in 1957 showed that the young people of this country

were not as physically fit as they should be. The original

test battery was developed in 1957 by a special committee

of the AAHPER Research Council. Creation of this test was

the direct result of a national conference called in 1956

by then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower to discuss the fit-

ness of American youth. President Eisenhower first became

aware of the poor physical status of our youth through the

research studies of Hans Kraus and his associates (7).

23

The special research council selected seven test items:

pull-ups (modified for girls), sit-ups, shuttle run, stand-

ing broad jump, 50-yard dash, softball throw for distance,

and the 600-yard run-walk. The criteria that they used for

selecting the test items were the following: tests which

require little or no equipment, tests which were reasonably

familiar, tests which could be given to both boys and girls,

tests which could be given to an entire range of grades, and

tests which measured the different aspects of fitness. The

correlations among the seven test items are low. If they

were high, the number of test items could be reduced.

Along with AAHPER's decision to create a test battery

which would accurately measure physical fitness, came a

decision to develop national norms for the fitness test.

Paul A. Hunsicker of the University of Michigan was given

the job of coordinating this effort.

The job of selecting a nationwide sampling of American

youth was given to the Survey Research Center of the Univer-

sity of Michigan. All boys and girls, grades five through

twelve, would be eligible for selection. The sampling was

based on homeroom units so that those taking physical

education and those not taking physical education would be

included.

The tests were given by qualified professional people,

making certain the tests would be given under standard

24

conditions. Test data were returned to the University of

Michigan where all the information was recorded on IBM

cards. The percentile score tables were then determined

for each of the tests. One set of percentile tables was

based on the Neilson-Cozens Classification Index. The test

results were computed for 8,500 boys and girls in grades

five through twelve.

Since the national norms were first published in 1958,

the test has been widely used. Physical education teachers

as well as youth service agencies have used the test. It

has also been used in foreign countries. It was estimated

that between 1958 and 1965, over a million boys and girls in

this country had taken the test.

In 1964, Hunsicker decided to update the norms on the

test. The test had been in use for five years and with the

increase in emphasis on physical fitness, AAHPER felt the

need for new norms. The test was given again in a manner

similar to the first testing. The only change in the test

battery was the substitution of the flexed arm hang for the

modified pull-up for the girls (6, 7).

The results showed that the youth in 1965 were gener-

ally more fit than those in 1958. The new norms were

higher in every age group for every test except the

seventeen-year-old girls' softball throw. It was an encour-

aging sign that our youth were becoming more physically fit.

25

The AAHPER Youth Fitness Test has also been used to

establish norms within specific school districts (19). The

Muscatine-Scott County School System established fitness

norms for their school district by gathering the test

results from their entire school district. A computer was

used to establish the norms.

Yoshiyuki Noguchi felt that there was a need to estab-

lish norms for each race of people on physical fitness tests

(16). He felt that "the fundamental motor ability of the

races of the world obviously differ according to differences

in their body constitution, in their school curriculum, in

their physical education, in their way of living, etc . . . ."

(16, p. 20). He gave the Kraus-Weber Minimum Muscular

Fitness Test to 6,549 school children in Japan. The results

convinced him that the six test items were greatly affected

positively or negatively by the index of the leg length/

height. Therefore, he believed it was very difficult to

compare the test results of different races.

In summary, the Navajo is very definitely a different

cultural group and has a very different cultural background

from that of most Americans. The children are of a differ-

ent race and lifestyle. Comparisons have been made and

socioeconomic as well as racial determinations made in terms

of the physical fitness of school children. The results

show that there are differences in fitness levels. That

26

there seem to be differences which are related to race and

socioeconomic backgrounds points out the need for the

establishment of norms for specific populations. The

establishment of physical fitness norms for the Navajo

youth would also be helpful in determining the general

health and fitness levels for this population.

CHAPTER BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Berger, Richard A. and Robert L. Paradis, "Comparisonof Physical Fitness Scores of White and BlackSeventh Grade Boys of Similar Socioeconomic Level,"Research Quarte 40 (December, 1969)., 666-669.

2. Christian, Jane M., The Navajo: A People in TransitionII No. 4, El Paso, Texas Western College Press,1965.

3. Dobyns, Henry F. and Robert C. Euler, The Navajo People,Phoenix, Arizona, Indian Tribal Services, 1972.

4. Downs, James F.,, The Navajo, New York, Holt, Rinehart,and WinstonT972.

5. Espenschade, Anna, "Fitness of Fourth Grade Children,"Research Quartr, 29 (October, 1958), 274-278.

6. Hunsicker, Paul A., AAHPER Youth Fitness Test Manual,Washington, D.C., American As tion for Health,Physical Education, and Recreation, 1966.

7. and Guy G. Reiff, "A Survey andComparison of Youth Fitness 1958-1965," Journal ofHealth, Physical Education, and Recreation,January, 1966) , 23-25.

8. Hutinger, Paul W., "Differences in Speed Between Ameri-can Negro and White Children in Performance of the35-Yard Dash," Research Quarterly, 30 (October,1959), 366-368.

9. Ikeda, Namiko, "A Comparison of Physical Fitness ofChildren in Iowa, U.S.A. and Tokyo, Japan,"Research Quart ry 33 (1962) , 541-552.

10. Kelliher, M. S., "A Report on the Kraus-Weber Test inEast Pakistan," Research Quarterly, 31 (March,1960) , 34-42.

11. Kirshner, Glen and Don Giles, "Comparative Analysis ofEugene, Oregon Elementary School Children Usingthe Kraus-Weber Test of Minimum Muscular Fitness,"Research Quartery 28 (March, 1957), 16.

27

28

12. Knuttgen, Howard G., "Comparison of Fitness of Danishand American School Children," Research Quarterly,32 (May, 1961) , 190-196.

13. Kraus, Hans and Ruth Hirschland, "Minimum Muscular Fit-ness Tests in School Children," Research Qua25 (May, 1954) , 178-188.

14. Littman, Gerald, "Alcoholism, Illness, and SocialPathology Among American Indians in Transition,"American Journal of Public Health, 60 (September,1970) , 1769-1787.

15. Looney, Ralph, "The Navajos," National Geographic, 142(December, 1972), 740-781.

16. Noguchi, Yoshiyuki, "Fitness Testing of Japanese Chil-dren," Journal of Health, Physical Education, andRecreation, 27 TOctober, 1956) ,20.

17. Pontieux, N. A. and D. G. Barker, "Relationships BetweenRace and Physical Fitness," Research Quarter 36(December, 1965) , 468-472.

18. _, "Relationship Between

Socioeconomic Status and Physical Fitness Measures,"Research Quart 36 (December, 1965), 63.

19. Stasky, Paul J., "Computer Scoring of AAHPER Youth Fit-ness Tests," Journal of Health, Physical Education,and Recreation, 41 TSeptember, 1970) , 63.

20. Terrel, Upton John, The Navajos, New York, Harper andRow, 1972.

21. Terrell, Ruth, "Relation of Pre- and Post-PubertyAnthropometric Measurements and Performance ofAmerican Negro and Caucasian Females on the AAHPERPhysical Fitness Battery," unpublished master'sthesis, Department of Health, Physical Education,and Recreation, North Texas State University,Denton, Texas, 1967.

22. Verduci, Frank, "Racial Ethnic Comparisons on SelectedMotor Performance Tests," Research Quarterly, 45(1974) , 324-328.

23. Wallace, H. M.,, "The Health of American Indian Children,"American Journal of Diseases of Childhood, 125(March, 1973), 449-454.

CHAPTER III

PROCEDURE

Introduction

Tests with norms can be a very valuable tool. They

provide information for the student and for the teacher

that permits interpretation of raw scores in light of scores

received by others in the same population. One should be

careful, however, when using norms to interpret performance.

Norms should not be used to evaluate performance when the

norms are developed from a different population. Also, the

geographical distribution that norms represent should be

taken into account when interpreting scores. Considerable

difference in performance is often found among students in

different geographical locations (4). Generally, local

norms are of more value to the teacher than are national

norms, and that is the purpose of this study, to establish

local norms in a confined population of subjects.

Subjects

The subjects involved in this study were sampled from

seven of the high schools located on the Navajo Reservation.

Standardized forms for collecting the scores were given to

each of the seven instructors who gave the AAHPER Youth

29

30

Fitness Test. These completed forms were collected after

the completion of the fitness testing (see Appendix A).

The sample consisted generally of girls who were

enrolled in physical education classes. One year of physi-

cal education in high school is required for graduation from

any Arizona high school. Generally, every ninth-grade girl

is enrolled in a physical education class. After that year,

physical education is chosen as an elective only. The

scores received from fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-

olds were used. All of the scores received for these age

groups were used in computing percentiles.

Test Instrument

The AAHPER Youth Fitness Test was the instrument used

in collecting the data. The precise instructions on how to

administer the test items can be found within the test

manual (3). The equipment used in the testing was stand-

ardized as much as possible.

The AAHPER test consists of seven items: sit-ups,

shuttle run, standing broad jump, 50-yard dash, the softball

throw, the 600-yard run-walk and the flexed arm hang. The

flexed arm hang tests arm strength; bent knee sit-ups

measures strength of the abdominal and hip flexor muscles;

the shuttle run measures agility and speed; the standing

broad jump measures muscular explosiveness or power and leg

strength; the 50-yard dash measures speed; the softball

31

throw measures coordination; and the 600-yard run-walk

measures cardiovascular respiratory efficiency (5).

Procedure

The test was administered to physical education classes

during the second semester in the months of March, April,

and May. A personal visit was made to each school to

inspect the facilities and to be certain that the test items

would all be given in a uniform manner. The test was admin-

istered at the student's own school and by the physical

education instructor of that school. The physical education

instructor at each participating school received a copy of

the AAHPER test instructions and standardized data sheets.

(see Appendix A and B.) Each of the testers was also given

a home and school telephone number should any questions or

unusual circumstances occur during the testing. A specific

order was established for giving the tests. One test was

given per day. There were seven test items, therefore the

testing should have been completed in seven days. The

order for giving the tests was as follows: (1) flexed arm

hang, (2) sit-ups, (3) shuttle run, (4) standing broad jump,

(5) 50-yard dash, (6) softball throw for distance, (7) 600-

yard run-walk.

The results were recorded by the instructor. It was

asked that the physical education instructor do the measur-

ing and timing, with the exception of the sit-ups. In this

32

case, assistants may have been used to count and verify the

number performed. She may also have used an assistant to

record the scores on the data sheets. If a student was

absent for one or more of the test items, they may have

been made up on a designated "make-up" day.

Data Analysis

The data were collected and recorded in terms of age

group and school. It was then key punched onto cards and

put into the NTSU IBM 360 computer using a program designed

to compute percentiles. Percentiles were determined by age

for each of the test items, by school for each of the test

items, by school and age for each of the test items, and

for all test items disregarding age or school.

Following the determination of the percentiles for

each age group, tables were developed to serve as a guide

to interpretation. Percentiles by age for each of the test

items were compared to those percentile tables accompanying

the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test Manual.

CHAPTER BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Barrow, Harold M. and Rosemary McGee, A Practical

Approach to Measurement in Physical Education,Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger, 1966.

2. Clarke, David H. and H. Harrison Clark, ResearchProcesses in Physical Education, Recreation, andHealth, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970,

3. Hunsicker, Paul, AAHPER Youth Fitness Test Manual,Washington, D.C., American Association for Health,Physical Education, and Recreation, 1966.

4. Johnson, Barry L. and Jack K. Nelson, Practical Measure-ments for Evaluation in Physical Education,Minnesota, Burgess Publishing Co.,, 1974.

5, Landiss, Carl W. and N. A. Pontieux, "An Opinionnaireof the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test," Texas Associ-ation of Health, Physical Education, andRecreation Journal, 31 (May, 1963), 7, 20.

33

CHAPTER IV

TEST RESULTS AND COMPARISONS

The results of the study of the physical fitness of

fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls is

presented in this chapter. Comparisons will also be made

with the national norms of the AAHPER Youth Fitness

Test.

Data sheets were completed on girls at each of the

seven reservation high schools. The total number of usable

responses was 432. There were 73 fourteen-year olds, 174

fifteen-year olds, and 185 sixteen-year olds who had com-

pleted data sheets. The students from each school were

represented in the age groups shown in Table I.

The data collected was put into the IBM 360 computer

at the North Texas State University Computer Center. The

results are represented in the tables that follow. The

AAHPER test consists of seven items. Each item is

presented separately. The results for the three age

groups and the national norms will be represented in the

tables.

34

35

TABLE I

REPRESENTATION OF STUDEN-TS BY SCHOOL

School 14 Years. 15 Years 16 Years Total

Chinle 5 17 23 45

Tuba City 23 60 34 117

Window Rock 10 10 14 34

Ganado 16 16 0 32

Many Farms 1 3 44 48

Red Mesa 12 29 35 76

Monument Valley 6 39 35 80

Totals 73 174 185 432

Bent Knee Sit-Ups

The following table gives the average scores for the

group of 73 fourteen-year olds, 174 fifteen-year olds, and

185 sixteen-year olds who participated in this study. The

average number of sit-ups, the standard deviations, and the

minimum and maximum number of sit-ups done by each age

group are given in this table. Specific instructions for

this test item are given in Appendix B. The bent knee sit-

ups measure strength of the abdominal and hip flexor

muscles (2)J.

36

TABLE II

SIT-UPS - AN AGE GROUP COMPARISON FOR NAVAJO GIRLS

StandardAge Mean Deviation . Minimum Maximum

14 43.0 39.69 6 210

15 40.9 40.83 0 298

16 29.0 31.05 0 205

The average number of sit-ups for fourteen- and

fifteen-year-old Navajo girls are very similar. The aver-

age number of sit-ups for the sixteen-year-old group drops

appreciably. As shown in Table II, the average number of

sit-ups for fourteen-year olds is 43, for fifteen-year olds

it is 41, and for sixteen-year olds it drops to 29. Norms

by age groupings are presented in Tables III, IV, and V.

In comparison to the national norms as shown in

Table VI, the fourteen-year-old Navajo girls are very close

to the national norms. The number of sit-ups done by the

girls in the 50th percentile on the national tables is very

nearly the same number done by fourteen-year-old Navajo

girls who place in the 50th percentile on the Navajo-only

tables. To place in the 50th percentile on the national

tables, the fifteen-year-old girl must do twenty-six sit-

thups. To place in the 50 percentile on the Navajo-only

tables, the fifteen-year-old girl must do twenty-nine

37

TABLE III

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS - SIT-UPS

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage_ _ _ank Score

7.5411.4915.43

19.3723.3127.26

31.2035.1439.08

43.0246.9750.91

54.8658.7962.74

78.5182.4590.34

94.2898.22

121.88

169.19200.73208.62.

358

875

542

144

32

221

1

1

111

4.116.85

10.96

10.969.596.85

6.85

2.74

1.375.485.48

1.374.112.74

2.742.741.37

1.371.371.37

1.371.371.37

4.1110.9621.92

32.8842.4749.32

56.1661.6464,38

65.7571.2376.71

78.0882.1984.93

87.6790.4191.78

93.1594.5295.89

97.2698.63

100.00

28

16

273846

535963

656874

778084

868991

929495

979899

414243

444546

474849

505152

535455

596062

636470

829092

38

TABLE IV

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS - SIT-UPS

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

0.21 3 1.72 1.72 1 404.28 12 6.90 8.62 5 418.35 9 5.17 13.79 11 42

12.42 9 5.17 18.97 16 4316.49 17 9.77 28.74 24 4420.57 20 11.49 40.23 34 45

24.64 10 5.75 45.98 43 4628.71 13 7.47 53.45 50 4732.78 9 5.17 58.62 56 48

36.85 5 2.87 61.49 60 4940.93 9 5.17 66.67 64 5044.97 9 5.17 71.84 69 51

49.07 11 6.32 78.16 75 5253.14 4 2.30 80.46 79 5357.21 2 1.15 81.61 81 54

61.28 4 2.30 83.91 83 5565.36 2 1.15 85.06 84 5673.49 4 2.30 87.36 86 58

81.64 3 1.72 89.08 88 6085.71 2 1.15 90.23 90 6189.79 1 0.57 90.80 91 62

93.86 2 1.15 91.95 91 63102.00 3 1.72 93.68 93 65110.15 1 0.57 94.25 94 67

114.22 1 0.57 94.83 95 68126.43 1 0.57 95.40 95 71130.50 2 1.15 96.55 96 72

134.58 1 0.57 97.13 97 73159.01 1 0.57 97.70 97 79183.44 1 0.57 98.28 98 85

191.58 1 0.57 98.85 99 87199.72 1 0.57 99.43 99 89240.44 1 0.57 100.00 99 89

39

TABLE V

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS - SIT-UPS

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw ScoreFrequency Percentagej Percentage . Rank Score

1.274,377.47

10.5613.6616.76

19.8622.9526.05

29.1532.2435.34

38.4441.5344.63.

47,7350.8253.92

60.1263.2169.41

75.60100.38103.47

109.67122.06125.15

137.54149. 93180,.90,

137

12

201220

187

10

1164

182

311

1

513

111

111

112

7.033.786.49

10.816.49

10.81

9.733.785.41

5.953.242.16

0.544.321. 08

1.625.950.54

2.700.541.62

0.540.540.54

0.540.540.54

0.540. 541. 08

7.0310.8117.30

28.1134.5945.41

55.1458.9264.32

70.2773.5175.68

76.2280.5481.62

83.2489.1989.73

92.4392.9794.59

95.1495.6896.22

96.7697.3097.84

98.3898. 92

100.00

49

14

233140

505762

677275

767881

828689

919394

959596

969798

989999

414243

444546

474849

505152

535455

565758

606163

657374

768081

858999

40

TABLE VI

SIT-UPS - A COMPARISON OF NAVAJO NORMS

WITH NATIONAL NORMS (1)

14-Year Olds 15-Year Olds 16-Year OldsPercentile National Navajo National Navajo.{National Navajo

100th95th90 th

8 5 th8 0 th75th

7 0 th6 5 th60th

5 5th

5 0th

4 5th

4nth

3th30 th

25 th2 0th15thL

5 th.0 th0

505050

504942

373534

313027

252321

201816

1310

0

209121

86

715952

484336

333026

242220

181614

1290

505050

504239

353130

292625

242120

191614

1180

240114

86

6955.49

464237

322927

242219

171411

740

505050

504138

343130

282625

242220

181614

1170

1807657

504435

312825

222019

171513

1210

8

510

I ______________ I ____________ _______________ ____________ ___________

41

sit-ups. Sixteen-year-old girls need to do twenty-six

sit-ups to be in the 50th percentile on the national norms.

Sixteen-year-old Navajo girls must do only twenty-six sit-

ups to be in the 50th percentile of the Navajo-only norms.

The results of this test indicate that the fourteen-

year-old Navajo girls used in this study have about the

same strength of abdominal and hip flexor muscles as their

fourteen-year-old counterparts on a nation-wide scale. The

fifteen-year-old Navajo girls, however, appear to be supe-

rior to the national norms on this test item. Sixteen-year-

old Navajo girls' scores drop appreciably below the national

norms.

Standing Broad Jump

The following table gives the scores representing the

means, standard deviations, minimum, and maximum scores for

the three age groups for the standing broad jump. The

standing broad jump measures muscular explosiveness or power

and leg strength (2). Specific instructions for this test

are given in Appendix B.

The fourteen-year-old age group of Navajo girls has

the best average length for the broad jump at 60.8 inches.

The fifteen-year olds follow with an average jump of 56.9

inches and the sixteen-year-old age group is last with an

average jump of 54.2 inches.

42

TABLE VII

STANDING BROAD JUMP - AN AGE GROUP COMPARISONFOR NAVAJO GIRLS

StandardAge Mean Deviation Minimum Maximum

14 60.8" 7.42 41" 77"

15 56.9" 9.13 28" 79"

16 54.2" 8.73 33" 75"

In comparing the Navajo norms to the national norms as

shown in Table XI, the Navajo norms are lower than the

national norms in all three age groups. A jump of 63 inches

represents the 50th percentile for fourteen-year olds on

the national tables while a jump of 61 inches represents

ththe 50 percentile for the same group of Navajo girls.

The results for the fifteen-year-old Navajo girls show a

jump of 57-1/2 inches at the 50th percentile level as com-

pared to a jump of 64 inches for the same age girl at the

same percentile level on the national tables. A comparison

of the 50th percentile scores for sixteen-year-old girls

show a jump of 54 inches for Navajo girls and a 64-inch

jump on the national tables.

The results of this test indicate that the fourteen-

year-old Navajo girls used in this study have slightly less

43

TABLE VIII

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS -STANDING BROAD JUMP

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency PePercentag percentage ank Score_ _ _c__ _ageScore

41 1142"4611

48114911

5011

52"531"54 "

551156"57 "f

5811591160"

61"62"631"

641165116611

67"68"69"1

70"72"74"

77"

I11

I11

323

423

443

353

444

233

151

1

1.371.371.37

1.371.371.37

4.112.744.11

5.482.744.11

5.485.484.11

4.116.854.11

5.485.485.48

2.744.114.11

1,376.851.37

1.37

1. 37'2.744.11

5.486.858.22

12.3315.0719.18

24.6627.4031.51

36.9942.474 6 . 58

50.6857.5361.64

67.1272.6078.08

80.828 4 . 9389.04

90.4197.2698.63

100.00

123

568

101417

222629

344045

495460

647075

798387

909498

99

232430

333435

383941

424345

464849

505253

545657

586061

626568

72I I I I I

44

TABLE IX

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS -STANDING BROAD JUMP

Cumulative Percentile StandardPaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

28"30"31"

36"37"40"

41"42"43"

44"45"46"

47"48"49"

50"51"52"

53"54"55"

56"57"58"

59"60"61"

62"63"64"

I1

212

1

2

153

353

394

1065

1267

512

8

1086

0.570.570.57

1.150.571.15

0.571.150.57

0.572.871.72

1.722.871.72

1.725.172.30

5.753.452.87

6.903,454.02

2.876.904.60

5,754.603.45

0.571.151.72

2.873.454.60

5.176.326.90

7.4710.3412.07

13.7916.6718.39

20.1125.2927.59

33.3336.7839.66

46.5550.0054.02

56.9063.7968.39

74.1478.7482.18

111

234

567

79

11

131518

192326

303538

434852

556066

717680

182021

272831

323435

363738

394041

424345

464748

495051

525354

565758

TABLE IX - Continued

Cumulative Percentile StardardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

6511661167"

6811691170"

71117211731"

741176"77"

78117911

426

432

13

1

11

1

1

2.301.153.45

2.301.721.15

0.571,720.57

0.570.570.57

0.570.57

84.4885.63,89.08

91.3893.1094.25

94.8396.5597.13

97.7098.2898.85

99.43100.00

838587

909294

959697

979899

9999

596061

626364

656668

697172

7374

45

46

TABLE X

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLSSTANDING BROAD JUMP

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency.. Percentage Percentage Rank Score

33 ",34 "35"

36"37"381"

39"401"41"

42"431"45"

46"471"481"

49"1501"51"

52"531"541"

55"56"57"

58t"59"601"

61"62"63"

12

213

121

339

468

56

10

81012

811

5

549

1046

0.540.541.08

1.080.541.62

0.541.080.54

1.621.624.86

2.163.244.32

2.703.245.41

4.325.416.49

4.325.952.70

2.702.164.86

5 .412.163.24

0 . 541.082.16

3.243.785.41

5.957.037,57

9.1910.8115. 68

17.8421.0825. 41

28.1131.3536 .76

41.0846. 4952.97

57.3063.2465.95

68.6570.8175.68

81.0883.2486.49

112

345

667

81013

171923

273034

394450

556065

677073

788285

262728

293031

333435

363739

414243

444546

474950

515253

545557

585960

47

TABLE X-Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

64" 2 1.08 87.57 87 6165" 4 2.16 89.73 89 6266" 3 1.62 91,35 91 64

67" 4 2,16 93.51 92 6568" 1 0.54 94.05 94 6669" 2 1.08 95.14 95 67

70" 1 0.54 95.68 95 6871" 3 1.62 97.30 96 6973" 4 2.16 99,46 98 72

75" 1 0.54 100.00 99 74

48

TABLE XI

STANDING BROAD JUMP - A COMPARISON OF NAVAJONORMS WITH NATIONAL NORMS (1)

(test scores in inches)

14"-Year Olds 15-Year Olds 16-Year OldsPercentile National Navajo National Navajo National Navajo

100 th95 t9th

8 5th8 0 th7 5 th

th7 0 th65th6 0 th

5 5 th

5 0 th

4 5 th

th

3 5 th

3 0 th

5th2 5 th2 0 th1 5 th

1 0 th5 th0

88"76"7411

72"701169"

67"66"65"

64"63"61"

60"60"57"

56"54"51"

49"46"36"

77"73"70"

69"67"66"

65"64"63"

62"61"60"

59"58"57"

56"55"53"

52"48"41"

92"78"75"

73"72"70"

69"67"66"

65"64"63"

61"60"58"

56"55"54"

52"48"35"

79"71"68"

66"64"63"

62"61"60"

59"58"56"

55"54"54"

52"50"48"

46"41"28"

89"79"76"

74"72"70"

68"67"66"

65"64"63"

62"60"59"

58"56"54"

52"48"38"

7569"66"

63"62"60"

59"57"56"

55"54"53"

53"51"51"

49"47"46"

43"38"33"

49

leg strength and muscular power than fourteen-year-old

girls on a nation-wide scale, The fifteen-year-old Navajo

girls fell further behind the national norms on this test

item. The largest difference in norms was in the sixteen-

year-old group. This age group of Navajo girls seemed to

have significantly less leg strength and muscular power

than the sixteen-year-old girls on a nation-wide scale.

Flexed Arm Hang

The following table gives the mean scores, standard

deviations, minimum, and maximum scores for fourteen-,

fifteen-, and sixteen-year old Navajo girls on the flexed

arm hang. The flexed arm hang tests arm strength (2).

Specific instructions are given for this test in Appendix B.

TABLE XII

FLEXED ARM HANG - AN AGE GROUP COMPARISONFOR NAVAJO GIRLS

StandardAge.Mean Deviation Minimum Maximum

14 7.7 sec. 8,38 0 32

15 5.7 sec. 6.98 0 32

16 5.1 sec. 6,.79 0 39

Fourteen-year-old Navajo girls show the best results

on the flexed arm hang test. The average time for this

50

TABLE XIII

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS -FLEXED ARM HANG

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency- Percentage Percentage Rank Score

0 sec.12

345

678

91112

131516

172225

272830

32

1165

4115

331

431

511

111

122

1

15. 078.226.85

5.4815.076.85

4.114.111.37

5.484.111.37

6.851.371.37

1.371.371.37

1.372.742.74

1.37

15.0723.2930.14

35.6250.6857.53

61.6465.7567.12

72.6076.7178.08

84.9386.3087.67

89.0490.4191.78

93.1595.8998.63

100.00

81927

334354

606466

707577

828687

889091

929597

991-L

414243

444647

484950

525455

565960

616771

737477

79

51

TABLE XIV

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS -FLEXED ARM HANG

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

o sec.12

345

678

91011

121314

151617

181920

212324

252730

32

392912

1579

937

562

513

441

113

111

111

2

22.4116.67

6.90

8.624.025.17

5.171.724.02

2.873,451.15

2.870.571.72

2.302.300.57

0.570.571.72

0.570.570.57

0.570.570.57

1.15

22.4139.0845.98

54.6058.6263.79

68.9770.6974.71

77.5981.0382.18

85.0685.6387.36

89.6691.9592.53

93.1093.6895.40

95.9896.5597.13

97.7098.2898.85

100.00

113143

505761

667073

767982

848586

899192

939395

969697

979899

99

424345

464849

505253

555658

596062

636566

686971

727576

788185

88

52

TABLE XV

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLSFLEXED ARM HANG

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

0 sec.12

345

678

91011

121314

151619

202122

262730

3339

442815

101619

859

241

412

232

211

112

11

23.7815.148.11

5.418.65

10.27

4.322.704.86

1.082.160.54

2.160.541.08

1.081.621.08

1.080.540.54

0.540.541.08

0.540.54

23.7838.9247.03

52.4361.0871.35

75.6878.3883.24

84.3286.4987.03

89.1989.7390.81

91.8993.5194.59

95.6896.2296.76

97.3097.8498.92

99.46100.00

123143

505766

747781

848587

888990

919394

959696

979898

9999

424445

474850

515354

565759

606263

656671

727375

818287

9199

L 4 4 4 +

53

TABLE XVI

FLEXED ARM HANG A COMPARISON OF NAVAJONORMS WITH NATIONAL NORMS

(test scores in seconds)

14-Year Olds 15-Year Olds 16""Year OldsPercentile National-Navajo National Navajo National Navajo

1 0 0 th95

th

90 th

85 th80th75 th

th7 0 t6 5 th60

5th5 5 th5 0 th45

th40th35th30 t

25 th20th15

th10th50

603022

191613

1110

9

876

543

211

000

322822

141311

986

554

433

210

000

743322

181614

131110

886

643

210

000

322016

1310

9

765

432

211

100

000

743722

191614

1210

9

876

543

211

000

392014

1086

654

432

211

1

0

000

54

age group was 7.7 seconds. The fifteen- and sixteen-year-

old Navajo girls had averages that were somewhat lower:

5.7 seconds for the fifteen-year olds and 5,1 seconds for

the sixteen-year olds. Norms by age groupings are presented

in Tables XIII, XIV, AND XV.

A comparison of the Navajo norms to the national norms

shows the Navajo girls to be lower in all age groups. The

5 0 th percentile for fourteen-year-old Navajo girls is 4.7

seconds as compared to 7 seconds for girls the same age on

the national tables. There is more of a difference for the

fifteen-year olds. The 50th percentile for fifteen-year-

old Navajo girls is 3 seconds, while the 5 0 th percentile on

the national tables for the same age group is 8 seconds.

The score of 3 seconds falls in the 50th percentile for

sixteen-year-old Navajo girls while the score of 7 seconds

- this needed to be in the 50 percentile on the national norms.

The results of the test show a tendency for fourteen-,

fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls to have slightly

less arm strength than girls their own age on anation-wide

scale.

Shuttle Run

Table XVII gives the scores in seconds and tenths for

the mean scores, standard deviations, minimum, and maximum

scores on the shuttle run. The shuttle run measures agility

55

and speed (2). Specific instructions for this test are

given in Appendix B.

TABLE XVII

SHUTTLE RUN - AN AGE GROUP COMPARISONFOR NAVAJO GIRLS

StandardAge Mean Deviation Minimum Maximum

14 11.4 sec, 1.21 6,5 sec. 14.0 sec.

15 11.9 sec. 1.74 8.1 sec. 18.0 sec.

16 12.3 sec. 1.70 8.5 sec. 24.0 sec.

A comparison of the average scores of fourteen-,

fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls on the shuttle

run shows that the girls get slightly slower as they get

older. The fourteen-year olds have the fastest average

score with 11.4 seconds, the fifteen-year olds' average

score is 11.9 seconds, and the sixteen-year olds' average

score is 12.3 seconds. Norms by age groupings are presented

in Tables XVIII, XIX, and XX.

A comparison of the fourteen-year-old Navajo girls'

score of 11.3 seconds in the 50th percentile shows the

same score for that percentile on the national tables, The

national norms show 11.3 seconds in the 50th percentile for

fifteen-year olds while the norms for Navajo girls show

11.8 seconds for the same percentile. Instead of getting

56

TABLE XVIII

FOURTEEN-YEAR-POLD NAVAJO GIRLS SHUTTLE RUN

Cumulative Percentile StandardPaw Score Freqyency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

6.68.99.6

9. 910.010.2

10.310.410.5

10.610.810.9

11.011.111.2

11.411. 511.6

11.711.812.0

12.112.212.3

12.412.913.0

13.213.413.5

13.814.0

sec. 111

123

153

614

23,3

224

242

321

422

112

11

1.371.371.37

1.372.744.11

1.376.854.11

8.221.375.48

2.744.114.11

2.742.745.48

2.745.482.74

4.112.741.37

5.482.742.74

1.371.372.74

1.371.37

1.372.744.11

5.488.22

12.33

13.7020.5524.66

32.8834.2539.73

42.4746.5850.68

53.4256.1661.64

64.3869.8672.60

76.7179.4580.82

86.3089.0491.78

93.1594.5297.26

98.63100.00

999897

959390

878377

716663

595551

484541

373329

252220

161210

864

21

103035

383940

414243

444546

474849

505152

535455

565758

596364

656768

7072

I -_ .

57

TABLE XIX

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS SHUTTLE RUN

Raw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

8.1 sec.8.58.7

8.89.09,5

9.910.110.2

10.410.610.7

10.911.111.3

11. 411.611.8

12.012,112.3

12.512.712.8

13.013.213.4

13.513.914.0

212

511

475

283

1049

1286

1062

783

555

925

1.150.571.15

2.870.570.57

2.304.022.87

1.154.601.72

5.752.305.17

6.904.603,45

5.753,451.15

4,024.601.72

2.872.872,87

5.171.152.87

1.151.722.87

5,756.326.90

9,2013.2216.09

17.2421.8423.56

29.3131.6136.78

43.6848.2851.72

57.4760.9262.07

66.0970.6972.41

75.2978.1681.03

86.2187.3690.23

999998

969493

928985

838077

747066

605450

454139

363228

262320

161311

283031

323336

383940

414243

444546

474849

505152

535455

565758

596162

58

TABLE XIX - Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

14.2 sec. 4 2.30 92o53 9 6314.4 2 1.15 93.68 7 6414.6 1 0.57 94.25 6 65

14.9 2 1.15 95.40 5 6715.3 3 1.72 97.13 4 6915,6 1 0.57 97.70 3 71

15.8 1 0.57 98.28 2 7216.8 1 0,57 98.85 1 7817.9 1 0.57 99.43 1 84

18.0 1 0.57 100.00 1 85

59

TABLE XX

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS SHUTTLE RUN

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score_ .Frequency.j Percentage Percentage Rank Score

8.4 sec.8.99.6

10. 010.110,3

10.510.610.8

11.011.211.3

11.511.711,8

12.012.212.3

12.512.712.9

13. 013.213.4

13.513,713.9

14.014.214.4

131

952

513

646

4107

12188

967

1346

732

521

0.541.620,54

4.862.701.08

2.700.541.62

3.242.163.24

2.165.413.78

6.499.734.32

4.863.243.78

7. 032.163.24

3.781.62,1.08

2.701. 080,54

0.542.162.70

7.5710.2711.35

14. 0514.5916.22

19.4621.6224.86

27.0332.4336.22

42.7052.4356.76

61.6264.8668.65

75.6877.8481.08

84.8686.4987.57

90.2791.3591.89

999998

959189

878685

827977

747066

615245

413733

282321

171413

1198

273034

363738

394041

424344

454647

484950

515253

545556

575859

606162

60

TABLE XX - Continued

Cumulative Percentile Standard

Raw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Pank Score

14.6 sec. 2 1.08 92.97 8 6314.7 1 0.54 93.51 7 6415.1 6 3.24 96.76 5 66

15.2 1 0,54 97.30 3 6715.6 2 1.08 98.38 2 6917.0 1 0.54 98.92 1 77

17.6 1 0,54 99.46 1 81

20.7 1 0.54 100.00 1 99

61

TABLE XXI

SHUTTLE RUN A COMPARISON OF NAVAJONORMS WITH NATIONAL NORMS (1)

(test scores in seconds and tenths)

14-Year Olds 15-Year Olds j 16-Year OldsPercentile Nationalf NavajojNational NavajojNational Navajo

th100 th95th90

85 th80th75t

th

70th65 th60 th

55 th

50th

45 th

40 th

35th

30 th

25 th2 0th15 th

1 th5 th0

9.010.010.3

10.410.510.6

10.810.911.0

11.111.311.4

11.511.712.0

12.012.312.6

13.113,917.6

6.59.9

10.1

10.310.510.5

10.610.811.0

11.111.211.5

11.611.812.0

12.112.312.5

13.0-13.514.0

8.010.010.3

10.510.710.9

11. 011.011.1

11.211.311.5

11.611.811.9

12.012.312.5

13.013.516.0

8.18.9

10.0

10.210.610.9

11.011.311.4

11.611.812.0

12.212.512.8

13.013.413.6

14.115.0,18.0

8.310.010.2

10.410.6.10.8-

10.911.011.0

11.211.211.4

11.5,11.812.0

12. 012.212.5-

13.013.917.6

8.410.010.2

10.811.211.5

11.711.812.0

12.212.212.3

12.512.813.0

13.113.313.6

14.115.120.7

62

faster as they do on the national tables, the sixteen-year-

old Navajo girls continue to slow down to 12.2 seconds for

the 50th percentile score.

There is a tendency on this test item for the Navajo

norms to be higher (slower) than the national norms in the

fifteen- and sixteen-year-old groups. The fourteen-year-

old Navajo norms, however, are very similar to the national

norms. The Navajo girls tend to get slower and less agile

as they get older while the national norms show a tendency

for sixteen-year-old girls to have more speed and to be

more agile than the fourteen- and fifteen-year olds.

Softball Throw

Table XXII represents some results of the softball

throw for fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo

girls. The mean scores, standard deviations, minimum and

maximum scores for each age group are presented in such a

way that comparisons among age groups can easily be made.

The softball throw measures coordination (2). Specific

instructions for this test are given in Appendix B.

A comparison of the mean scores for fourteen-,

fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls show the

fourteen-year-olds with the best average at 97.6 feet, the

fifteen-year olds next with 95.0 feet, and the sixteen-

year olds last with 91.8 feet. Though there seems to be a

63

tendency toward decreasing distances as they get older, the

differences between ages are relatively small. Norms by

age groupings are presented in Tables XXIII, XXIV, and XXV.

TABLE XXII

SOFTBALL THROW - AN AGE GROUP COMPARISONFOR NAVAJO GIRLS

StandardAge Mean Deviation Minimum Maximum

14 97.6 feet 22.64 49 feet 156 feet

15 95.0 19.93 56 156

16 91.8 23.04 44 160

A comparison of the Navajo norms with the national

norms finds the Navajo girls scoring considerably higher on

this test item. On the national norms, a throw of 75 feet

will put a fourteen-year-old girl in the 50th percentile.

To be in the same percentile on the Navajo norms, a throw

of 97 feet is needed. Fifteen-year-old girls need a throw

of 78 feet to score in the 50th percentile on the national

tables, but to score in the same percentile on the Navajo

norms, a throw of slightly over 91 feet is needed. The

same trend is found in the sixteen-year-old group. A throw

of 75 feet places a girl in the 50th percentile on the

64

TABLE XXIII

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS, SOFTBALL THROW

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Freqcency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

48.1 feet52.654.8

66.170.672.8

75.177.379.6

81.884.186.3

90.893.195.3

97.699.8

102.1

104.3106.6108.8

111.1115.5120. 0

122.3124.5126.8

131.3153.8156.0

211

132

121

355

423

325

223

416

I12

221

2.741.371.37

1.374.112o74

1.372.741.37

4o116.856.85

5.482.744.11

4.112.746.85

2.742.744.11

5.481.378.22

1.371.372.74

2.742.741.37

2.744.115.48

6.8510.9613.70

15.0717.8119.18

23.2930.1436.99

42.4745.2149.32

53.4256.1663.01

65.7568.4972.60

78.0879.4587.67

89.0490.4193.15

95.8998.63

100.00

135

69

12

141618

212734

404447

515560

646771

757984

889092

959799

283031

363839

404142

434445

474849

505152

535455

565860

616263

657576

65

TABLE XXIV

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS - SOFTBALL THROW

Cumulative Percentile StandardIPaw Score Frquency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

55,3 feet57.359.3

63.365.367.2

69.271.273.2

75.277.279.2

81.283.185.1

87.189.191.1

93.195.197.1

99.0101.0103.0

105,0107.0109.0

111.0113.0117.0

111

2I3

843

775

55

11

1185

789

464

125

43.6

0.570.570.57

1.150.571.72

4.602.301.72

4.024.022.87

2.872.876.32

6.324.602.87

4.024.605.17

2.303,452.30

0.571.152.87

2.301.723,45

0.571.151.72

2,873,455.17

9.7712.0713.79

17.8221.8424.71

27.5930.4636.78

43.1047.7050.57

54.6059.2064.37

66.6770.1172.41

72.9974.1477.01

79.3181,0384.48

111

234

71113

162023

262934

404549

535762

666871

737476

788083

303132

343536

373839

404142

434445

464748

495051

525354

555657

585961

66

TABLE XXIV - Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score jFrequency jPercentage. Percentage Rank Score

119. 0 feet120.9122.9

124,9126.9128,9

130.8136.8138.8

140.8142.8152.7

156.7

427

121

I31

121

I

2.301.154.02

0.571.150.57

0.571.720.57

0.571.150.57

0.57

86.7887.9391.95

92.5393.6894.25

94.8396.5597 .13

97.7098.8599.43

100.00

868790

929394

959697

979899

99

626364

656667

687172

737479

81A a I - A I

67

TABLE XXV

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS SOFTBALL THROW

Cumulative Percentile Standard1aw Score .Frequency Percentage -Percentage Rank Score

43.5feet 1 0.54 0,54 1 2945.8 1 0.54 1.08 1 3048.1 1 0.54 1.62 1 31

50.4 1 0.54 2.16 2 3252.7 2 1.08 3.24 3 3355.0 2 1.08 4.32 4 34

57.3 2 1.08 5.41 5 3559.6 2 1.08 6.49 6 3661.9 3 1.62 8.11 7 37

64.2 7 3.78 11.89 10 3866.5 2 1.08 12.97 12 3968.8 4 2.16 15.14 14 40

71.1 9 4.86 20.00 18 4173,4 7 3.78 23.78 22 4275.7 2 1.08 24.86 24 43

78.0 14 7.57 32.43 29 4480.3 7 3.78 36.22 34 4582.6 6 3.24 39.46 38 46

84.9 8 4.32 43.78 42 4787.2 6 3.24 47.03 45 4889.5 6 3.24 50.27 49 49

91.8 7 3.78 54.05 52 5094.1 14 7.57 61.62 58 5196.4 7 3.78 65.41 64 52

98.7 6 3.24 68.65 67 53101.0 9 4.86 73.51 71 54103.3 4 2.16 75.68 75 55

105.6 3 1.62 77.30 76 56107.9 5 2.70 80.00 79 57110.2 .3 1.62 81.62 81 58

68

TABLE XXV - Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

4

112,5 feet114.8119.4

121.7124.0126.3

128.6130.9133.2

135.5147.0151. 5

156.1160.7

323

553

231

111

3I

1.621.081.62

2.702.701,62

1.081.620.54

0,540.540.54

1.620.54

83.2484.3285.95

88.6591.3592.97

94.0595.6896.22

96.7697.3097.84

99.46100.00

828485

879092

949596

969798

9999

596062

636465

666768

697476

7880

69

TABLE XXVI

SOFTBALL THROW - A COMPARISON OF NAVAJONORMS WITH NATIONAL NORMS

(test scores in feet)

(1)

14'Year Old 15-Year Old 16-Year OldPercentile National Navajo National Nvao National NavaoPercentile -avajoa a0onaNNavajo

156'114'103'

100'95'90'

87'84'80'

78'75'72'

70'68'65'

61'59'54'

50'45'25'

156'131'125'

121'117'111'

108'105'102'

100'99'94'

91'87'85'

83'81'76'

72'55'48'

165'120'110'

105'100'95'

90'87'84'

82'78'75'

73'69'66'

64'60'58'

51'45'12'

156'131'123'

118'113'108 '

102'99'96'

94'91'89'

87'85'83'

80'77'74'

71'68'55'

175'123'113'

104'98'92'

89'85'81'

78'75'74'

71'69'66'

63'60'55'

50'45'8'

161'131'124'

119'109'103 '

100'97'95'

93'89'87'

84'81'78'

77'72'70'

64'57'44'

100 th95th

90 th

85th80th75

th

th7 0th65th60 th

55 th

5 0th

45 th

40 th

35th

30 th

25 th

15 th

10 t50

70

national tables, but a throw of 90 feet is needed to place

in the same percentile on the Navajo tables.

According to the study done by Landiss and Pontieux (2),

the softball throw measures coordination. The Navajo girls

appear to have significantly better coordination than the

fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old girls in the

national population. There was no other data collected in

this study which would account for this significant differ-

ence. Therefore, there will be no speculation as to what

causes this difference.

50-Yard Dash

Table XXVII gives the mean scores, standard deviations,

minimum, and maximum scores for fourteen-, fifteen-, and

sixteen-year-old Navajo girls on the 50-yard dash. The

scores are expressed in seconds and tenths. The 50-yard

dash measures speed (2). Specific instructions for this

test are given in Appendix B.

The average times for the 50-yard dash are all very

close. The mean score for the fourteen-year-old Navajo

girls was 8.6 seconds, for fifteen-year-old Navajo girls it

was 9.0 seconds, and for sixteen-year-old Navajo girls it

was 9.4 seconds. While the times do get slower as the

girls get older, the difference is small. Norms by age

groupings are presented in Tables XXVIII, XXIX, and XXX.

71

TABLE XXVII

50-YARD DASH - AN AGE GROUP COMPARISONFOR NAVAJO GIRLS

StandardAge Mean Deviation Minimum Maximum

14 8.6 sec. 1.17 6.9 sec. 12.8 sec.

15 9.0 sec. 1.19 6.8 sec. 14.0 sec.

16 9,4 sec. 1.42 6.9 sec. 19.0 sec.

In comparing the times for the 50th percentile for

both the national norms and the Navajo norms, it is found

that the Navajo norms are consistently higher (slower) than

the national norms. There is approximately a .4 differ-

-thence at the 50 percentile level for fourteen-year-olds.

The gap between the two norms widens to .7 at the fifteen-

year-old level. The sixteen-year-old Navajo girls at the

50th percentile level are almost 1 whole second slower than

the sixteen-year-old girls scoring at the 50th percentile

level on the national norms. On this test item, as the age

of the Navajo girl increases she falls further away from

the national norms for girls her own age.

On this test item which measures speed (2), the Navajo

girls are slower than the girls their own age in all age

groups. The national tables show times which are close at

each percentile level for the three age groups. However,

72

TABLE XXVIII

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS - 50-YARD DASH

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score ,Frequency ,Perct ercentae Rank Score,n__ge-_ Percentaq uuaiePecnieISadr

6.97.07.1

sec.

7,47.57.6

7.88.08.1

8.28.38.4

8.58.78 . 8

8.99.09.1

9.29.49.6

9.89.9

10.1

10.210.410.6

11.011.612.0

12.9 1

1. 372.745.48

1.376.851.37

5.485.486.85

5.484.118.22

2.744.112.74

1.374.114.11

5.481.371.37

1.374.112.74

1.371.371.37

1.371.371.37

1.37

1.374.119.59

10.9617.8119.18

24.6630.1436.99

42.4746.5854,79

57.5361.6464.38

65.7569.8673.97

79.4580.8282.19

83.5687.6790.41

91.7893.1594.52

95.8997.2698.63

100.00

999793

908682

787366

605549

444037

353228

232018

171411

986

532

1L _________________________ - 4,

353637

394041

434445

464748

495051

525354

555658

606162

636567

707578

86

73

TABLE XXIX

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS - 50-YARD DASH

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score ."Frequency 4,Percentage Percentage Rank Score

6.9 sec.7.17,3

7.57.67,7

7.87,98.0

8.28.38.4

8.58.68.8

8,99.09.1

9.29.49,5

9.69.79.8

10.010.110.2

10.310.410,5

212

471

37

15

974

314

6

1211

4

810

2

331

545

221

1.150.571.15

2.304.020.57

1.724.028.62

5.174.022.30

1.728.053.45

6.906.322.30

4.605.751.15

1.721.720.57

2.872.302.87

1.15l150.57

1.151.722.87

5.179.209,77

11.4915.5224.14

29.3133,3335.63

37.3645.4048.85

55.7562.0764.37

68.9774.7175.86

77.5979.3179.89

82.7685.0687.93

89,0890.2390.80

999998

969391

898680

736966

645953

484137

332825

232220

191614

1110

9

323436

373839

404142

434445

464748

495051

525354

555657

585960

616263

74

TABLE XXIX -Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Pank Score

10.8 sec. 1 0.57 91.38 9 6510.9 1 0957 91.95 8 6611.0 4 2.30 94.25 7 67

11.1 2 1.15 95,40 5 6811.9 2 1.15 96.55 4 7412.0 2 1.15 97.70 3 75

12.1 1 0.57 98.28 2 7612.6 1 0.57 98.85 1 8013.0 1 0.57 99.43 1 84

14.0 1 0.57 100.00 1 92

75

TABLE XXX

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS - 50-YARD DASH

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency JPercentage . Percentage Rank Score

6.9 sec.7.37.4

7.67.77,9

8.08.28.3

8.48.68.7

8. 99.09.2

9.39.49.6

9.79.9

10. 0

10.110.310.4

10.610.911.0

11, 111,411.6

124

271

1010

7

1198

1047

386

36

14

1117

116

818

0.5419082.16

1.083.780.54

5.415.413.78

5.954.864.32

5.412.163.78

1.624.323.24

1.623.247 .57

5.950.543.78

0.540.543.24

4.320.544.32

0.541.623.78

4.868.659.19

14.5920.0023.78

29.7334.5938.92

44.3246.4950.27

51.8956.2259.46

61.0864.3271.89

77.8478.3882.16

82.7083o2486.49

90.8191.3595.68

999997

969391

888378

736863

585552

494642

403732

252220

181715

1196

323536

373839

404142

434445

464748

495051

525354

555657

586061

626465

76

TABLE XXX -Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

11.7 sec. 1 0.54 96.22 4 6611.8 3 1.62 97.84 3 6712.0 1 0.54 98.38 2 68

12.1 1 0.54 98.92 1 6913.4 1 0.54 99,46 1 7816,4 1 0.54 100.00 1 99

77

TABLE XXXI

50-YARD DASH - A COMPARISON OF NAVAJO

NORMS WITH NATIONAL NORMS (1)

(test scores in seconds and tenths)

14--Year Old 15-Year Old 16-Year OldPercentile National Navajo National Navajo National Navajo

100th

95th90th

8 5 th8 0 th75th

70th65th

6 0 th

th55th50th4 5

th

40th35th30th

2 5 th2 0 th15th

10th5th0

6.07.07.2

7.47.57.6

7.77.87.9

8.08.08.2

8.38.58.6

8.99-. 09.2

9.510.416.0

6,97.17.4

7.57.77,9

8.08.18.2

8.38.4,8.5

8.78.99.1

9.29.49.9

10.211.012. 9

6.47.17.3

7.57.67.7

7.87.98.0

8.08.18.2

8.38.48.6

8.89.0.9.0

9.510.018.0

6.97.57.8,

7.98,08.2

8.38.58.6

8.78.98.9

9.09.29.3

9.59.8

10.2

10.411.114.0.

6.0,7.07.3

7.5'7,57.7

7.98.08.0

8.18.38.4

8.58.68.6

9.09.09.2

9.910.517.0

6.97.67.9

8.18.38.4

8.58.78.8

9.09.39.5

9.79.9

10.1

10.110.411.0

10.311.716.4

D I

78

the fourteen-year-old girls tend to have faster scores

than the fifteen- and sixteen-year-old groups. The Navajo

girls on the other hand, have a definite tendency to slow

down as the age increases. The fifteen-year-old Navajo

girls generally have slower scores than the fourteen-year

olds and the sixteen-year olds generally have slower scores

than the fifteen-year olds at all percentile levels.

600-Yard Run-Walk

Table XXXII gives the mean scores, standard deviations,

minimum, and maximum scores for fourteen-, fifteen-, and

sixteen-year-old Navajo girls on the 600-yard run-walk. The

scores are expressed in seconds. The 600-yard run-walk

measures cardio-vascular respiratory efficiency (2).

Specific instructions are given for this test in Appen-

dix B.

TABLE XXXII

600-YARD RUN-WALK - AN AGE GROUP COMPARISONFOR NAVAJO GIRLS

Standard

Age Mean Deviation Minimum Maximum

14 150 sec. 30.38 76 sec. 277 sec.

15 157 sec. 33,89 74 sec. 369 sec,

16 195 sec. 31.43 91 sec. 270 sec.

79

TABLE XXXIII

FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS 600.-YARD RUN-WALK

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

75 sec.84

114

120123126

129132135

138141144

147150153

156159162

165168171

174177183

193211217

256277

111

323

354

733

344

343

411

212

11I

11

1.371.371.37

4.112.744,11

4.116.855.48

9.594.114.11

4.115.485.48

4.115.484.11

5.481,371.37

2.741.372.74

1.371.371.37

1.371.37

1.372.744.11

8.2210.9815.07

19.1826.0331.51

41.1045.2149.32

53.4258.9064.38

68.4973.9778.08

83.5684.9386.30

89.0490.4193.15

94.5295.8997 . 26

98.63100,00

999897

949087

837771

645753

494438

342924

191614

12-108

653

21

252838

404142

434445

464748

495051

525354

555657

585961

647072

8592

I

80

TABLE XXXIV

FIFTEEN-YEAR,-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS 600-YARD RUN-WALK

Cumulative Percentile Standard

Eaw Score Frequency Percentile PercentiLe Pank Score

73 sec,7983

106113117

120123127

130133137

140144147

150154.157

160164167

171174177

181

184191201

204211215

121

112

265

81110

9106

11118

1185

752

3

264

233

0,571.150.57

0.570.571.15

1.153.452.87

4.606.325.75

5.175.753.45

6.326.324.60

6.324.602.87

4.022.871.15

1,72

1.153.452.30

1.151.721.72

0.571,722.30

2,873.454.60

5,759.20

12.07

16.6722.9928.74

33.9139.6643.10

49.4355.7560.34

66.6771.2674.14

78.1681.0382.18

83.91

85.0688.5190,80

91.9593.6895.40

999998

979796

959389

868074

696359

544742

363127

242018

17

161310

975

252728

353738

3940

41

424344

454647

484950

515253

545556

57

586063

646667

81

TABIE XXXIV - Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardRaw Score Frequency Percentile Percentile Rank Score

224 sec. 2 1l.15 96.55 4 70235 3 1.72 98.28 3 73242 1 0.57 98.85 1 75

258 1 0.57 99.43 1 80323 1 0.57 100.00 1 99

82

TABLE XXXV

SIXTEEN,-YEAR'-OLD NAVAJO GIRLS 600-YARD RUN-WALK

Cumulative Percentile StandardPaw Score Frequ-ency percentage Percentage Rank Score

9096

sec.

110116119

122125128

131135138

141144147

150153157

160163166

169172175

179182185

191194197

2

113

212

811

3

1215

6

85

20

135

11

873

574

231

1.080e54

0.540,541.62

1.080.541.08

4.325,951.62

6.498.113.24

4.322.70

10.81

7.032.705.95

4.323.781. 62

2.703.782.16

1.081,620.54

1.081.62

2.162.704.32

5.415,957.03

11.3517.3018.92

25.4133.5136.76

41.0843.7854.59

61.6264.3270.27

74.5978,3880.00

82.7086.4988.65

89.7391o3591.83

9999

989896

959494

918682

787165

615851

423733

282421

191512

1198

2830

343637

383940

414243

444546

474849

505152

535455

565758

606162

83

TABLE XXXV - Continued

Cumulative Percentile StandardPaw Score Frequency Percentage Percentage Rank Score

200 1 0,54 92.43 8 63210 1 0,54 92.97 7 66213 1 0954 93.51 7 67

216 2 1.08 94.59 6 68219 2 1.08 95.68 5 69222 1 0.54 96.22 4 70

241 3 1.62 97o84 3 76263 2 1.08 98.92 2 83269 2 1.08 100.00 1 85

84

TABLE XXXVI

600-YARD RUN,-WALK - A COMPARISON OF NAVAJONORMS WITH NATIONAL NORMS (2)

(test scores in seconds)

14-Year Old 15-Year Old 16-Year OldPercentile National Navajo National Navajo National Navajo

100th95t90th

85th80th75

th

7 0th65th60th

55th50th45th

Ath40th35th30th

25th20th15th

10th5th0

105129138

142145150

154157161

164166171

175180186

192199210

228248350

75118123

128131133

136138140

143146149

152155159

162165170

177211277

100129138

143146148

154156160

163166169

172176180

185190198

208236310

73120126

131133136

139143147

149152155

158161164

171174188

201215323

110130137

143146151

156159162

165169173

176179181

187192199

210225352

______________________ I _______________ J I.

91122132

137140143

144147151

152156159

162165168

172177182

193219269

85

A comparison of the average fourteen-, fifteen-, and

sixteen-year-old Navajo girls shows that the times are very

close. The times get only slightly slower as the girls get

older, The average time for fourteen-year-olds is 150

seconds, for fifteen-year-olds it is 157 seconds, and for

sixteen-year-olds it is 159 seconds. Norms by age group-

ings are presented in Tables XXXIII, XXXIV, and XXXV.

A comparison of the times on the national norms with

the times on the Navajo norms finds the Navajo norm times

faster by several seconds in every age group. Fourteen-

year-old girls who can run-walk 600 yards in 166 seconds

thscore at the 50t percentile level on the national norms.

In order to score on the 50th percentile level on the

Navajo norms, a fourteen-year-old girl must run-walk the

distance in approximately 146 seconds. Fifteen-year-old

girls who can cover the distance in 166 seconds also score

on the 50th percentile level according to the national

norms. To score at the 50th percentile level on the Navajo

norms, a fifteen-year-old girl must run-walk the 600 yards

in 152 seconds. The time needed for sixteen-year-old girls

to score on the 50th percentile level on the national

tables is 169 seconds, To score at the same percentile on

the Navajo norms, a sixteen-year-old girl must have a time

of 156 seconds.

According to the study done by Landiss and Pontieux (2),

the 600-yard run-walk measures cardio-vascular respiratory

86

efficiency, The results of this test indicate a high

level of cardio-vascular efficiency among fourteen-,

fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls. There was no

data collected in this study which would explain the

superiority of the Navajo girls. However, Navajos of all

ages are encouraged to run long distances in the morning

before they begin their day and many Navajo children run or

walk long distances from their homes to the school bus stops.

They do not depend as much on motorized methods of transpor-

tation as the average white child does. These things might

contribute to their superior performance on this test item;

there was no data collected that would prove this to be

true.

Summary of Findings

When comparing Navajo norms to national norms on the

seven test items, it was found that the Navajo girls were

slightly below the national norms on five of the test items

and above the national norms on two of the test items. The

softball throw and the 600-yard run-walk were the two test

items where the Navajo girls were shown to have superior

scores to the national norms.

On the five test items where the Navajo norms were

below the national norms, the flexed arm hang was the test

item where the Navajo girls appeared to be the most inferior.

87

The results of the other four test items showed the

Navajo girls to be only slightly inferior to the national

norms,

Comparisons were also made by age by school (see

Appendix C), There were no schools which consistently

scored either above the overall averages or below the over-

all averages. The Ganado scores, however, tended to be in

the average or above average range for the fourteen- and

fifteen-year olds on most of the test items. There were no

sixteen-year olds among the thirty-two participants from this

school used in this study. Many Farms and Red Mesa, on the

other hand, had scores which generally fell in the average

or below average range on most of the test items in the

three age groups. Many Farms had a total of forty-eight

participants with only one fourteen-year-old included. Red

Mesa had seventy-six participants in this study. Table I

gives the number of participants from each school in the

different age groups.

CHAPTER BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Hunsicker, Paul, AAHPER Youth Fitness Test Manual,Washington, D.C., American Association for Health,Physical Education, and Recreation, 1966.

2. Landiss, Carl W. and N. A. Pontieux, "An Opinionnaireof the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test," Texas Associ-ation of Health, Physical Education, andRecreation Journal, 31 (May, 1963), 7, 20.

88

CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter presents a summary, conclusions, and

recommendations based upon the results of this study. Con-

siderable discussion has been reported in the literature

concerning the varying fitness levels of different groups

of children. There have been studies comparing racial

groups, nationality groups, geographic groups, and groups

of different socioeconomic levels. These studies have led

some people to believe that physical performance is affected

by race, nationality, geographic location or socioeconomic

level. This study was done to determine the physical

fitness level of high school age Navajo girls and to com-

pare their fitness norms to the norms of the AAHPER Fitness

Test.

Data for the Navajo fitness norms were collected from

the seven high schools on the reservation. Only full-

blooded Navajo girls were used in this study. The total

number of usable responses was 432. There were 73 fourteen-

year olds, 174 fifteen-year olds, and 185 sixteen-year olds.

Physical fitness scores were obtained by the adminis-

tration of the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test Battery which is

89

90

composed of the items of flexed arm hang, sit-ups, standing

broad jump, shuttle run, softball throw, 50-yard dash, and

600-yard run-walk. Procedures for giving the test battery

were determined and the specific instructions for each test

item were written and given to the physical education

instructor at each school (see Appendix). A personal visit

was made to each school to inspect the facilities and to be

certain that the test items would all be given in a uniform

manner. Each of the testers was also given a home and

school telephone number should any questions or unusual

circumstances occur during the testing.

The data collected were analyzed by the IBM 360 computer

at the North Texas Computer Center. The results of this

analysis provided percentiles by age for each of the seven

test items, percentiles for all test items disregarding age,

percentiles for school on each test item, and percentiles

for each school by age for each test item. The percentiles

by age for each of the test items were used for comparison

with the tables accompanying the AAHPER Youth Fitness Test

Manual.

Conclusions

The results would seem to warrant the following con-

clusions concerning the physical fitness levels of full-

blooded Navajo girls.

91

(1) The results of the sit-up test show the average

number of sit-ups done decreasing as the girls get older.

A comparison of the Navajo norms to the national norms

shows the Navajo girls to be very similar to the nation-wide

population except at the sixteen-year-old level. The

sixteen-year-old Navajo girls seem to be capable of fewer

sit-ups than the national sixteen-year-old population.

Therefore, it may be concluded that fourteen- and fifteen-

year-old Navajo girls have a fitness level similar to girls

of their same age on a national level on this fitness test.

Sixteen-year-old Navajo girls have a lower level of fitness

on this test item than sixteen-year-old girls on a nation-

wide level.

(2) The results of the standing broad jump test show

a consistent decline in the average score of the Navajo

girls from age fourteen to age sixteen. A comparison to the

national norms shows a tendency on the Navajo girl to be

lower in all age groups. The fourteen-year-old Navajo girls

are closer to the national norms than are the fifteen- and

sixteen-year olds. Therefore, it may be concluded that

fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls have

a lower level of fitness on this test item than girls their

same age on a national level.

(3) The results of the flexed arm hang test show the

fourteen-year-old girls to have the best average time. The

92

fifteen- and sixteen-year olds have similar average times.

A comparison with the national tables indicates a tendency

for fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls

to have slightly less arm strength than girls their own

age. Therefore, it may be concluded that fourteen-,

fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls have a lower

level of fitness on this test item than girls their same

age on a national level.

(4) The results of the shuttle run show the Navajo

girls getting slower as they get older. In a comparison

with the national norms, the fourteen-year-old Navajo girls

show similar scores to the national norms, the fifteen-

and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls appear to be slightly

slower. Therefore, it may be concluded that on this test

item, fourteen- and fifteen-year-old girls have a fitness

level which is similar to that of girls their same age on a

nation-wide scale. Sixteen-year-old Navajo girls have a

lower fitness level on this test than sixteen-year-old

girls on a nation-wide scale.

(5) The results of the softball throw indicate a

tendency toward decreasing distances as the Navajo girls

get older, though the decreases are relatively small. A

comparison with the national norms finds the Navajo girls

scoring considerably higher in every age group on this test

item. Therefore, it may be concluded that fourteen-,

93

fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls have a level

of fitness on this test item which is superior to that of

girls their same age on a nation-wide scale.

(6) The results of the 50-yard dash show the average

scores of all three age groups to be very close. However,

the average times do get slower as the girls get older. In

comparing the Navajo norms to the national norms, it is

found that the Navajo norms are higher (slower) in all

three age groups. On this test item, as the age of the

Navajo girl increases she departs from the national norms

for girls of her own age. Therefore, it may be concluded

that fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls

have a lower level of fitness on this test item than girls

their same age on a nation-wide scale.

(7) The results of the 600-yard run-walk show the

average times of the three age groups to be very close with

only small increases in time as the.age increases. A

comparison of the times on the Navajo norms with the times

on the national norms finds the Navajo norm times faster

in every age group. Therefore, it may be concluded that

fourteen-, fifteen-, and sixteen-year-old Navajo girls have

a level of fitness on this test item which is superior to

that of girls their same age on a nation-wide scale.

94

Recommendations

As a result of this study, the following recommenda-

tions for future studies are made.

(1) It would seem desirable to conduct a similar

study covering girls from age ten to seventeen years in

order to determine if the Navajo girl reaches her peak of

fitness at an earlier age than the average Caucasian girl.

(2) A study of the fitness level of Navajo boys

should be conducted and the results compared to national

norms.

(3) A study of anthropometric differences of the

Navajo and their effects on performance of physical fitness

tests should be done.

(4) A study of the Navajo diet and health practices

should be made to determine if these influence performance

on physical fitness tests.

(5) A study to determine whether the less acculturated,

more traditional child does better or worse on fitness tests

than his more acculturated, less traditional counterpart.

(6) A study of the fitness levels of some other type

of reservation indians should be done.

(7) A study of the physical fitness of full-blooded

Navajo children living off the reservation should be done

and compared to the physical fitness levels of those living

on the reservation all of their lives.

95

(8) A study should be done to determine if there are

differences in the physical fitness levels of the children

going to Bureau of Indian Affairs schools and living at

the boarding school and those children living at home and

going to public schools.

APPENDIX A

EXAMPLE DATA SHEET

96

APPENDIX A

EXAMPLE DATA SHEET

Name Date

Age (months)

Gender

School

Person giving test

Height Weight

Sit-ups

Broad jump_

Flexed arm hang.

Shuttle run_

Softball throw

Fifty-yard dash

600-yard run-walk_

(inches)

(seconds)

(seconds)

(feet, inches)

(seconds)

(minutes, seconds)

Type of surface for (check one):

50-yard dash: dirt gravel asphalt

600-yd. run-walk: dirt gravel asphalt

97

1.

2.

3o

4.

5.

6.

7,

APPENDIX B

PROCEDURES

98

PROCEDURES

1. Before you begin giving the test, please inform the

students that the results of the test will be used in

a study of the physical fitness of high school age

Navajo girls. If there is any student who objects to

their score being used for this purpose, please do not

record their scores for my use. Please stress that it

is extremely important that the scores be accurate.

2. A specific order has been established for giving the

tests. One test should be given per day. There are

seven test items, therefore, the testing should be

completed in seven days.

3. I am asking that the physical education instructors do

the actual timing and measuring in all the events but

one. The sit-ups may be counted by reliable assistants.

4. The following is the order in which the tests should be

given;

(1) flexed arm hang

(2) sit-ups

(3) shuttle run

(4) standing broad jump

(5) 50-yard dash

(6) softball throw for distance

99

100

Specific Instructions

1. Flexed Arm Hang

Facilities and equipment .--A metal or wooden bar

approximately 1-1/2 inches in diameter and placed at the

subject's height should be used. A stop watch is needed.

Procedure.--The height of the bar should be adjusted

to approximately the standing height of the subject. The

student should grasp the bar with an overhand grip. The

student then raises her body off the floor to a position

where the chin is above the bar. The elbows should be

flexed and the chin close to the bar. Two spotters, one in

front and one in back of the subject, are recommended for

assistance in getting to the hang position. The subject

holds the hang position as long as possible. The stop watch

is started as soon as the subject assumes the starting posi-

tion and is stopped as soon as the chin touches the bar,

falls below the bar, or when the subject's head is tilted

back to keep the chin above the bar.

Instructions,--You grasp the bar with palms facing

away from your body and you must pull yourself or be lifted

to a position with your chin just above the bar. You hang

on this position as long as possible. It is a violation

for your chin to touch the bar, fall below the bar, or for

101

you to tilt your head backward to keep your chin from

touching the bar.

Scoring.--The score is the elapsed time to the nearest

second that the subject maintained the proper hanging posi-

tion.

2. S-itUp

Facilities and equipment.--Use the bare gym floor.

Procedure.--The student lies flat on her back with her

knees up. Her fingers are interlocked and placed behind,

her neck. Her feet may be held by a partner. On the sig-

nal to start, the student sits up touching both elbows to

both knees, returns to the original starting position, and

sits up again. Each time both elbows touch both knees, one

point is scored.

Instructions.--Your fingers must remain interlocked and

in contact with the back of your neck at all times. You

must curl up and your elbows come in contact with your knees

in order for the sit-up to count. When you return to the

starting position, your head must touch the floor.

Scoring. --One point is scored for each sit-up,

102

3. Shuttle Run

Facilities and equipment.--Two lines parallel to each

other are placed on the floor 30 feet apart. Since the

student must overrun both of these lines, it is necessary

to have several feet more of floor space at either end.

Two blocks of wood 2 by 2 by 4 inches and a stop watch are

needed.

Procedure.--The student stands at one of the lines

with the two blocks at the other line. On the signal to

start, the student runs to the blocks, takes one and

returns to the starting line and places that block behind

that line. She then returns to the second block which she

carries across the starting line on her way back. Two

trials are permitted and the best time recorded. Sneakers

should be worn or the student may run barefooted.

Instructions.--On the signal to "Go" you must run as

fast as you can to the next line and pick up a block. You

should return the block over the second line where you place

it on the floor. Do not throw it. You return for the

second block and this time you may run across the starting

line as fast as you can without placing the block on the

floor.

103

Scoring.--The score is the elapsed time recorded in

seconds and tenths of seconds for the best of two trials.

4. Standing Broad Jump

Facilities and equipment.--Two pieces of masking tape

about 8 feet long, a space on the gym floor, and a yard-

stick. Place the tape on the floor parallel and about 4

feet apart. Mark the feet and inches on the tape. Place

a third piece of tape across the end of the parallel lines

to use as a starting line. Use the yardstick to help

determine where the heel of the foot closest to the start-

ing line touched.

Procedure.--The student stands behind a take-off line

with her feet several inches apart. Preliminary to jumping

the student dips her knees and swings her arms backwards.

She then jumps forward by simultaneously extending her

knees and swinging her arms forward. Three trials are per-

mitted. Measurement is from the closest heel mark to the

take-off line.

Instructions.--You must take off from both feet

simultaneously, jump as far forward as possible, and land

on both feet. Try not to fall backward after the landing.

You can jump farther by crouching before the jump and

swinging your arms.

104

Scoring.--The score is the distance between the take-

off line and the nearest point where any part of the

student's body touches the floor in feet and inches to the

nearest inch, Only the best trial is recorded.

5. 50-Yard Dash

Facilities and equipment.--An area on a track, foot-

ball field, or playground with a starting line a 50-yard

course, and a finish line. Two stop watches will also be

needed.

Procedure.--After a short warm-up period, the student

takes her position behind the starting line. Best results

are obtained when two students run at the same time for

competition. The starter uses the command "On your mark,

Get set, Go." As she says "Go," she sweeps her arm down-

ward as a signal to the timer. The students run across the

finish line. One trial is permitted.

Instructions.--You may take any position behind the

starting line you wish. On the command "Go," you are to

run as fast as you can across the finish line. Do not slow

up until you are across the finish line. Then you may

slow up gradually.

105

Scoring.--The score is the elapsed time to the nearest

tenth of a second between the starting signal and the

instant the student crosses the finish line.

6. Softball Throw for Distance

Facilities and equipment.--Three regulation size soft-

balls and a measuring tape are needed. Small metal or

wooden stakes may be used to mark the throws.

Procedures.--Two parallel lines 6 feet apart are

placed in the throwing area as restraining lines. The

throw must be made from within this area. The student

using an overhand throw, throws the ball down the throwing

area. Steps may be taken in making the throw provided that

the student remains in the 6-foot restraining area. Three

trials are permitted and taken in succession. Only the

farthest throw is marked by a stake.

Instructions.--You must make your throw from within

the space bounded by the two lines. You must throw the ball

overhand, and it will help your score to throw as straight

as possible.

Scoring,--The score is the best of three trials

measured to the nearest foot.

106

7. 600-Yard Run-Walk

Facilities and equipment.-A track or an area within

a football field. Stop watch.

Procedure.--Students should be paired into partners.

While one student runs, his partner will listen for the

timer to call out his partner's time when he crosses the

finish line and relay this to the scorer. The student may

intersperse her running with periods of walking and should

be encouraged to pace herself. When a group is running,

the timer can call out times as each student crosses the

finish line. Be sure to stress the importance of honesty

and accuracy in doing this.

Instructions.--You will run ___ times around this

course and finish at the line which is clearly marked. You

should run as far as you can and then you may have to walk

for a short period of time. Try to keep running. You must

pace yourself by not running too fast at the beginning but

keep going at a speed you think you can continue.

Scoring.--The score is the elapsed time in minutes

and seconds.

APPENDIX C

MEAN SCORE COMPARISONS BY SCHOOL

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books

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Christian, Jane M., The Navajo: A People in Transition IINo. 4_, El Paso, Texas Western College Press, 1965.

Clarke, David H. and H. Harrison Clark, Research Processesin Physical Education, Recreation, and Health, Engle-wood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1970.

Dobyns, Henry F. and Robert C. Euler, The Navajo People,Phoenix, Arizona, Indian Tribal Services, 1972.

Downs, James F., The Nav New York, Holt, Rinehart, andWinston, 1972.

Hunsicker, Paul, AAHPER Youth Fitness Test Manual, Washing-ton, D.C., American Association for Health, PhysicalEducation, and Recreation, 1966.

Johnson, Barry L. and Jack K. Nelson, Practical Measurementsfor Evaluation in Physical Education, Minnesota,Burgess Publishing Co., 1974.

Terrel, Upton John, The Navajos, New York, Harper and Row,1972.

Articles

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110

111

Espenschade, Anna, "Fitness of Fourth Grade Children,"Research Quarterly, 29 (October, 1958), 274.

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Knuttgen, Howard G., "Comparison of Fitness of Danish andAmerican School Children," Research Quarterly, 32 (May,1961), 190-196.

Kraus, Hans and Ruth Hirschland, "Minimum Muscular FitnessTests in School Children," Research Quarterly, 25 (May,1954) , 178-188.

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112

Pontieux, N. A. and D. G. Barker, "Relationship BetweenSocioeconomic Status and Physical Fitness Measures,"Research Quartey, 36 (December, 1965), 63.

Stasky, Paul J., "Computer Scoring of AAHPER Youth FitnessTests," Journal of Health, Physical Education, andRecreation (September, 1970) , 63.

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Unpublished Material

Terrell, Ruth, "Relation of Pre- and Post-Puberty Anthropo-metric Measurements and Performance of American Negroand Caucasian Females on the AAHPER Physical FitnessBattery," unpublished master's thesis, Department ofHealth, Physical Education, and Recreation, North TexasState University, Denton, Texas, 1967.