Developing Criterion-Referenced Standards for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Among Canadian Adults Aged 18-69 Years

Abstract

PURPOSE: Cardiorespiratory fitness levels among adults are an important indication of general health. The aim of this project was to develop criterion-referenced standards for estimates of cardiorespiratory fitness in Canadian adults aged 18-69 years using a nationally representative sample, and body mass index (BMI) as the criterion measure. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were obtained from cycles 1 (2007-09) and 2 (2009-11) of the Canadian Health Measures Survey. The modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (mCAFT) was used to predict cardiorespiratory fitness (as VO2max). Measured height and weight were used to calculate BMI. Obesity was classified as having a BMI greater than 30 kg•m-2. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify cardiorespiratory fitness standards that optimized both sensitivity and 1-specificity (Youden’s J) for males and females, separately, across five age groups (i.e., 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60-69 years). RESULTS: A total of 4,967 participants (53% female, Mage=41.0±13.8 years) were retained for the present analyses. The area under the curve ranged from 0.79-0.86 in males, and 0.85-0.92 in females. The optimal standards for cardiorespiratory fitness using BMI as the criterion measure ranged from 13.1-31.7 mL•kg-1•min-1 for males, and 16.9-32.6 mL•kg-1•min-1 for females. The cardiorespiratory fitness standards were slightly higher for females in comparison with males when matched for age. CONCLUSIONS: These cardiorespiratory fitness standards may be useful in public health settings, particularly in Canada. Future research should further investigate other criterion measures, and research should validate these cut-points to see if they adequately discriminate individuals with chronic diseases.