Reliability of Field Based Health Related Physical Fitness Tests in Sri Lankan School Settings

Health-related fitness is demonstrated by being able to perform daily activities with vigor and by traits and capacities associated with a low risk for the development of chronic diseases and premature death. Physical fitness testing in the field simple tests to evaluate different components of fitness. Objective of this study was to determine reliability if the BMI test, waist circumference, one mile walk test,4x10m shuttle run test, sit and reach test, standing long jump test and push-ups test in Sri Lankan Schools settings. A quantitative approach was used in this study. Physical fitness assessments were implemented to measure health related physical fitness of 114 which was randomly selected sample in the Kandy District. In this study used three statistical methods to determine the reliability of tests, Inter-Trials agreement of the Bland –Altman Plot diagrams, One –way ANOVA for repeated measures and Cronbach’s Alpha co-efficient values. Bland-Altman plots graphically shows the reliability patterns, in terms of systematic error (bias or mean inter trial differences) and random error (95 % limits of agreement), the heteroscedasticity analysis showed no positive association between inter-trial differences and inter-trial mean all the elements of the tests. Findings of this study relating to the reliability suggest that the health-related fitness tests, which included the one Mile walk, 4x10 m shuttle run, push- ups and standing long jump tests, sit and reach test and measures of weight, stature, and waist circumference administered by PE teachers in the Kandy district in Sri Lankan school setting can be considered as a reliable test. According to the George and Mallery scale, alpha value for the whole sample of 0.709 indicates that internal consistency co-efficient of this study is “Good”. However, as depicted above in Table 3 alpha values, for waist measurement and sit and reach test recorded less than 0.7. But it is also at the “acceptable” level. Therefore, reliability of field-based health related physical fitness tests in Sri Lankan School Settings is depicted at significantly acceptable level.