Table 2.
Priority themes identified by Panel 1
| Panel 1 ranking | Priority areas | Panel 1 rating, mean (SD)a | Panel 2 ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conduct longitudinal studies to assess changes in fitness and associations with health | 4.46 (0.81) | 7 |
| 2 | Use fitness surveillance to inform decision making | 4.35 (0.69) | 4 |
| 3 | Investigate interventions to improve fitness | 4.12 (1.03) | 9 |
| 4 | Assess the reliability and validity of fitness measures | 4.12 (1.07) | 16 |
| 5 | Develop a common/universal international field-based fitness test battery | 4.12 (1.07) | 3 |
| 6 | Investigate and reduce inequalities in fitness | 4.08 (0.76) | 14 |
| 7 | Implement regular and consistent international/national fitness surveys using common measures | 4.08 (1.13) | 1 |
| 8 | Develop an international fitness data repository | 4.04 (1.11) | 10 |
| 9 | Develop universal health-related fitness cut-points | 4.04 (1.11) | 15 |
| 10 | Increase fitness data in low- and middle-income countries | 3.96 (0.93) | 18 |
| 11 | Better understand how components of fitness impact health | 3.92 (1.02) | 2 |
| 12 | Identify the dose–response relationship between fitness and health | 3.92 (1.09) | 6 |
| 13 | Use fitness as a clinical vital sign to monitor for health screening in clinical settings | 3.88 (1.39) | 13 |
| 14 | Develop international/national normative-referenced centile values for fitness | 3.85 (1.08) | 8 |
| 15 | Untangle the health benefits of fitness vs physical activity | 3.77 (0.76) | 22 |
| 16 | Implement school-based fitness monitoring | 3.77 (1.24) | 5 |
| 17 | Use fitness as a primary outcome in research studies that intervene with physical activity | 3.69 (1.01) | 24 |
| 18 | Shift from a focus on obesity to a focus on fitness for health | 3.69 (1.12) | 26 |
| 19 | Study the link between fitness and mental/cognitive health | 3.69 (1.26) | 11 |
| 20 | Identify determinants and correlates to help improve fitness among children and youth | 3.68 (0.99) | 19 |
| 21 | Measure fitness to help understand physical activity levels in a population | 3.68 (1.11) | 31 |
| 22 | Overcome the stigma of fitness testing (i.e., fear of injury) | 3.65 (1.26) | 33 |
| 23 | Implement an international fitness survey for those with disabilities | 3.64 (0.95) | 21 |
| 24 | Identify the main construct measures of fitness among children and youth | 3.60 (1.12) | 25 |
| 25 | Improve international comparison of fitness trends | 3.58 (1.10) | 12 |
| 26 | Investigate the associations between motor fitness and health | 3.38 (1.17) | 30 |
| 27 | Investigate fitness as a mediator of obesity risk | 3.16 (0.94) | 35 |
| 28 | Assess trends in fitness while controlling for adiposity | 3.16 (1.25) | 20 |
| 29 | Determine the frequency that fitness should be measured in a population | 3.08 (1.26) | 32 |
| 30 | Assess the effect of COVID-19 restrictions on fitness levels | 3.08 (1.44) | 29 |
| 31 | Promote the benefits of resistance type training | 3.00 (1.22) | 17 |
| 32 | Investigate international trends in obesity | 2.96 (1.34) | 28 |
| 33 | Develop field tests that are independent of body size | 2.88 (1.36) | 27 |
| 34 | Investigate the role of genetics and the environment on fitness | 2.77 (1.24) | 23 |
| 35 | Identify backup fitness measures to use as a proxy when primary measures can't be used | 2.50 (1.14) | 34 |
| 36 | Use fitness testing for sport talent identification | 1.96 (1.12) | 36 |
Italicized priority areas were common between both panels
Priorities are ordered from the most important to least important by the Panel 1 mean ratings from Round 2. The Panel 2 rankings were obtained from Round 3 responses
aData are presented as the mean from a 5-point Likert scale
SD standard deviation