Comparisons of Health-Related Physical Fitness in Different Age Groups

Background and purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the health-related physical fitness parameters in different age groups in Taiwanese population. Methods: This is cross-sectional design study. One hundred and eighty-two volunteers (91 men and 91 women) aged from 20 to 93 years participated. Subjects of each gender were divided into three age groups 20-39, 40-59, and 60 and above. Physical fitness assessments included tests of sit-and-reach, grip strength, curl-up and modified push-up, percent of body fat, waist-hip ratio, and three-minute stepping test. One-way ANOVA was used to detect the differences among age groups in men and women respectively. Results: For both genders, the youngest group was taller and lower in body weight and the old age group had higher systolic blood pressure than the other two groups (p＜0.05). All the subjects in the young and middle-age groups were able to complete all tests, but not in the old age group. The flexibility and the physical efficiency index did not differ significantly among the three groups (p＞0.05),'but muscular performance parameters such as grip strength, curl-up and modified push-up declined with age group (p＜0.05). Percentage of body fat and waist-hip ratio were higher in both middle- and old age groups compared with the young age group. Waist-hip ratio was significantly different between the middle and the old age group only in male. Conclusions: A less fit trend with increasing age was noted. It suggests that not only the elderly but also the middle aged people should be aware of such problems and make an effort to maintain their physical fitness.