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Int J Sports Med 2018; 39(06): 419-425
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-102128
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Association Between Self-Rated Fitness and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adults

Karina Gregersen Jensen
1   Centre for Clinical Research and Prevention, Frederiksberg-Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
,
Susanne Rosthøj
2   Section of Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
,
Allan Linneberg
1   Centre for Clinical Research and Prevention, Frederiksberg-Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
3   Department of Clinical Experimental Research, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
4   Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
,
Mette Aadahl
1   Centre for Clinical Research and Prevention, Frederiksberg-Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
5   Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History



accepted 25 January 2018

Publication Date:
17 April 2018 (online)

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Abstract

To assess criterion validity of a single item question on self-rated physical fitness against objectively measured cardiorespiratory fitness. From the Health2008 study 749 men and women between 30 and 60 years of age rated their fitness as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. Cardiorespiratory fitness was estimated with the watt-max test. Agreement between self-rated and objectively measured physical fitness was assessed by Cohen’s weighted kappa coefficient. Correlation was determined by Goodman & Kruskal’s gamma correlation coefficient. All analyses were stratified according to gender. Data from 323 men and 426 women were analysed. There was a slight agreement between self-rated and objectively measured fitness in men (weighted kappa: 0.18, [95%CI: 0.13;0.23]) and a fair agreement in women (weighted kappa: 0.27, [95%CI: 0.22;0.32]). In both genders, self-rated fitness was positively correlated with objectively measured fitness (moderate correlation; gamma correlation coefficient for men: 0.63 [95%CI: 0.54;0.72] and women: 0.67 [95%CI: 0.59;0.75]). There was a slight to fair agreement and moderate, positive correlations between self-rated physical fitness and watt-max estimated cardiorespiratory fitness. Hence, a single-item question on physical fitness may be a cost-effective method of assessing fitness in large population studies, but is not valid for individual assessments.

Key words

Physical fitness - exercise testing - watt-max - self-report - single-item question - criterion validity

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