An Assessment of the Nature and Extent of Community and Employee Fitness Programs and Levels of Participation. Final Report. Report No. 9.

This report presents an assessment and comparison of the nature and extent of general population, employee, and school fitness programs. Chapter I provides an overview of the research effort and the research questions developed as a framework for delineating issues to be examined. Chapter II identifies the generic approach used to examine the various data on physical fitness, leisure time activities, sports, and exercise in the general population, employees, and schools. This chapter also describes the data collection search process and provides a methodological review of the identified data sources and surveys. The focus of chapter III is the description and analysis of leisure time physical activity information from general population surveys. Chapter IV examines the available data concerning fitness programs sponsored by employers. Chapter V focuses on student physical activity patterns and school exercise and physical education programs. Conclusions and recommendations are presented in the final chapter. Information is given in the appendices on: the sources contacted for this study, Canadian surveys, state surveys, and survey instruments which will provide future information on physical fitness topics. (JD)