Aerobic Capacities of Early College High School Students

Abstract

The Early College High School Initiative (ECHSI) was introduced in 2002. Since 2002, limited data, especially student physical activity data, have been published pertaining to the ECHSI. The purpose of this study was to examine the aerobic capacities of early college students and compare them to state and national averages. Early college students (N = 294) enrolled in a 16-week, aerobically-based, physical activity college course at a medium-sized North Carolina community college from 2006 to 2012 completed the Rockport Fitness Walking Test during the 2nd and 14th week of their class as a course requirement. Between the two test administrations, students adhered to a week-long walk, jog, run exercise program based on their initial walking test score and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) exercise prescription guidelines (ACSM, 2010). Significant differences existed between male and female students’ aerobic capacities during the pretest (p = .03) and posttest (p = .04). The results are similar to 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) and 2011 In-school Prevention of Obesity and Disease (IsPOD) data. Findings suggest that early college students’ cardiorespiratory fitness scores are similar to nonearly college students of the same age and gender. Early colleges are presented with an opportunity to be local, state, and national leaders by requiring early college students to complete multiple credits of physical education/activity in a 4- to 5-year early college experience.