A Cluster Analysis and Validation of Health-Related Fitness Tests in College Students

Abstract

Because health-related fitness consists of several domains, understanding clustering of scores from a testing battery can help practitioners derive exercise programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the clustering of health-related fitness test scores in college students and to validate the solution against criterion measures. Participants were college students (Mean age = 19.2 0.6 years; N = 523; 342 females, 181 males) recruited from a university in the southwestern U.S. The health-related fitness assessments consisted of BMI, estimated VO2 Peak from the Astrand-Ryhming cycle ergometer test, and a standard push-up test. Criterion measures consisted of DXA-assessed percent body fat (%BF), measured VO2 Peak from a maximal treadmill test, and a 1-Repetition Maximum (1-RM) bench press score. A hierarchical cluster analysis was performed to derive groupings. One-way ANOVA tests were used to explore the differences among the derived cluster groups on each criterion measure. Six cluster groups were formed representing various fitness “phenotypes” (Pseudo-F = 179.7). The cluster groups differed in %BF (F(5, 517) = 44.6, p 2 Peak (F(5, 517) = 49.7, p p cluster groups were formed from a health-related fitness test battery in college students that were validated against criterion measures of health-related fitness. The cluster groups can be used to inform current fitness status and for derivation of exercise programs.