Larry D. Hensley

Current Status of Basic Instruction Programs in Physical Education at American Colleges and Universities

hysical education programs in American colleges and universities have a long and storied history. From the inception of such programs over 100 years ago, physical education courses for college students have been an enduring part of higher education. In the past century, we have seen the emergence of physical education, and more recently kinesiology and exercise science, as major fields of study. Yet the constant element in physical education programs throughout their history has been those courses offered for the general college student. These courses generally focus on the physical development and health needs of students, and they compose what have been called “activities programs,” “general education programs,” or “basic instruction programs,” among others. Although the name of such a program may vary from one institution to another, for the purposes of this article, the term “basic instruction program” (BIP) will be used. Arguably, the BIP is generally recognized by students and faculty as the most prominent part of the physical education program on most college campuses. The nature and status of BIPs in physical education have evolved considerably throughout the years, and these programs continue to be of prime importance to many physical educators, particularly those in higher education. This interest in BIPs has led to at least 11 national studies of such programs since the 1950s (Fornia, 1959; Greene, 1955; FIunsicker, 1954; Miller, Dowell, & ?ender, 1989; Oxendine, 1961, 1969, 1972; Oxendine & Roberts, 1978; rrimble & Hensley, 1984, 1990, 1993) i s well as numerous papers on various ispects of the subject. As part of a TOPERD feature focusing on BIPs in Jhysical education, Lumpkin and [enkins (1993) provided a brief history of, and traced the significant trends in, these programs, and Evaul and Hilsendager (1993) discussed the major issues facing BIPs. Although the Surgeon General’s report on physical activity and health (US . Department of Health and Human Services, 1996) has been viewed as a landmark document in promoting physical activity, health and physical education programs at all levels of education continue to struggle for their existence. As faculty and administrators strive to preserve and improve BIPs in physical education, information about contemporary practices and emerging trends is widely sought. In an effort to provide this needed information and to continue the periodic monitoring of physical education programs in higher education, this article will report the results of a 1998 survey that sought to determine the status and practices of BIPs in physical education at four-year colleges and universities in the United States.

Validation of the Rockport Fitness Walking Test in College Males and Females

The purposes of this study were (a) to validate the Rockport Fitness Walking Test (RFWT) in college students, and (b) to develop prediction equations on this college sample if the RFWT proved invalid. Subjects were administered a test to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) on a treadmill and the RFWT in a field testing environment. Comparisons were made between the measured VO2max and the VO2max predicted from the equations of Kline, Porcari, Hintermeister, et al. (1987). The Kline, Porcari, Hintermeister, et al. equations overpredicted VO2max by 16-18% in the males and by 22-23% in the females. The correlation coefficients between the measured and predicted VO2max values ranged from .39 to .59. Derivation of new prediction equations using the same variables as in the RFWT produced only one equation that had sufficient accuracy to recommend its use. It was concluded that the original RFWT overpredicts VO2max in college students and should not be used with this population.

Influence of fitness on susceptibility to noise-induced temporary threshold shift.

PURPOSE Two earlier reports indicated that cardiovascular fitness attenuates susceptibility to noise-induced temporary threshold shift (TTS) in hearing sensitivity; however, other parameters of fitness also may be related to this phenomenon. This study investigated the association of three different physical fitness indicators on TTS. METHODS Maximal aerobic power (VO2max), body composition. and recent activity history were determined in 33 normal-hearing females of various fitness levels. Audiometric thresholds were obtained at 2000, 3000, 4000, and 6000 Hz before and immediately after 10 min of exposure to 108-dB SPL narrow-band noise centered at 2000 Hz. RESULTS All postnoise measurements were significantly less than prenoise measurements (P < 0.0001) with the greatest TTS occurring at 3000 Hz. Similarly, the strongest Pearson-product correlations for VO2max, % fat, and recent activity history with TTS occurred at 3000 Hz (r = -0.68, 0.60, -0.59, respectively; P < 0.05). Canonical correlation analysis indicated a moderate correlation between physical fitness and TTS (Rc = 0.71: P < 0.01). Individually, VO2max, % fat, and recent activity history had correlations of -0.70, 0.62, and -0.63, respectively, to the TTS canonical variable. CONCLUSIONS From these results, we concluded that there is a moderate association of physical fitness and diminished temporary hearing loss experienced after noise exposure.

Body Fatness and Motor Performance during Preadolescence.

Abstract Performance differences between males and females have been attributed to both biological and cultural factors, although the relative significance of each has not been ascertained. Differences in body fatness between males and females has been frequently mentioned as one biological factor responsible for variations in physical performance. In children, it has been shown that boys exhibit slightly higher performance levels than girls until adolescence, when the differences favoring the boys become greater. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selected physical performance tests and body fatness in preadolescent boys and girls. Measures of age, height, weight, skinfold thicknesses at two sites, and performance scores on the vertical jump, standing broad jump, modified pullup, 40-yard dash, and 400-yard run were obtained on 563 elementary school children. The results of a one-way ANOVA indicated that there was a significant difference between boys and girls on all of...

A Comparison of Bielectric Impedance and Hydrodensitometry in Lean Males

The purpose of this study was to compare the old and new RJL bioelectric impedance equations for determining percent body fat (%BF) to hydrodensitometry in a sample of lean male athletes and non-athletes. Subjects were 10 track athletes, 10 bodybuilders and 10 non-athletes. All subjects were under 12 percent body fat as determined by hydrodensitometry. In addition to hydrodensitometry, %BF was determined using bielectric impedance and old (BIA-1) and new (BIA-2) equations used in the manufacturers software. Results indicated that the new RJL equations significantly overestimated %BF compared to hydrodensitometry by three units of %BF in all groups. Results also indicated that the amount of overestimation was no different for the athletes compared to the non-athletes. It was concluded that although the amount of overestimation of %BF has been reduced by the new RJL equations compared to the old RJL equaitons, the new equation still significantly overestimated %BF in lean males. Organizations and athletic teams that use bioelectric impedance to determine %BF should be aware of the potential for overestimation in lean individuals and use bioelectric impedance results with caution.