Publication Date

1993

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Rimmer, James H.

Degree Name

M.S. Ed. (Master of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Physical Education

LCSH

Physical Education for mentally handicapped persons--Physiological aspects; Exercise--Physiological aspects; Walking--Physiological aspects

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if the generalized equations created by the original investigators of the Rockport Fitness Walking Test (RFWT) were a valid and reliable estimation of cardiorespiratory fitness for adults with mental retardation (MR). Subjects included 25 males and fenales (X̄ age = 33.3 ± 7.4 years) with mild to moderate mental retardation (MR) (X̄ IQ = 55.6 ± 9.7). Each subject performed 2-3 trials of the RFWT until two RFWT times were within 40-seconds of each other. Test-retest intraclass reliability for the two walks (R̲ =.97) and peak HRs (R̲ =.80) was high. A maximal treadmill (TM) test was administered to the subjects using a modified Balke protocol (X̄ VO[sub 2peak] = 29.5 ± 7.2 ml·kg^(-1)·min^(-1); 2.2 ± .62 L·min^(-1)). Subjects' age, weight, sex, walk time, and immediate post HR were used in the generalized equations for predicting VO[sub 2peak] (X̄ VO[sub 2peak] = 36.5 ± 7.6 ml·kg^(-1)·min^(-1) and 2.7 ± .66 L·min^(-1)). Significant correlations (p̲ < .01) were obtained between the measured and predicted peak VO[sub 2] levels (r̲ =.81 for ml·kg^(-1)·min^(-1); r̲ =.87 for L·min^(-1)). However, significant and consistent differences were also observed between the measured and predicted VO[sub 2] values (p̲ < .02). To evaluate these differences, the standard error of estimate (.30 L·min^(-1), 4.25 ml·kg^(-1)·min^(-1)) and Total Error (.65 L·min^(-1), 8.41 ml·kg^(-1)·min^(-1)) were calculated to describe the prediction error for the generalized equations. Only 28% (L·min^(-1)) and 36% (ml·kg^(-1)·min^(-1)) of the subjects' measured VO[sub 2] fell within the pre-specified value of the predicted VO[sub 2peak] thus the prediction equations overestimated the VO[sub 2peak] fitness levels of adults with MR.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [31]-34)

Extent

68 pages ; illustrations

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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