Are North County Rich Kids Really More Athletic?

A reader sent this link asking if wealth corresponds to athletic prowess?

Physical Fitness Testing (PFT)

The physical fitness test (PFT) for students in California schools is the FITNESSGRAM®. The main goal of the test is to help students in starting life-long habits of regular physical activity. Students in grades five, seven, and nine take the fitness test. Over 1.3 million California students statewide took the fitness test, which measures their health in six categories:

• aerobic capacity
• body composition
• abdominal strength
• trunk strength
• upper body strength
• flexibility

KPBS reports  Among county fifth-graders tested during the 2015-16 school year, 28.6 percent fulfilled all six fitness criteria, along with 37.8 percent of seventh- graders and 44.5 percent of ninth-graders, according to the California Department of Education. During testing the previous year, 28.1 percent of fifth-graders met all six fitness criteria, as did 37.8 percent of seventh-graders and 45.2 percent of ninth-graders.

Are North County Rich Kids Really More Athletic?

If you look at the charts below, it appears that ‘wealthier’ communities had children that scored more favorably than ‘less wealthy’ communities.

Students In “Healthy Fitness Zone,” 2015-16