About the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey

In 2012, the NHANES National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS) was conducted in conjunction with the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in response to the need for data on physical activity and fitness levels in children and teens. The NNYFS collected data on physical activity and fitness levels of U.S. children and teens, ages 3 to 15, through interviews and fitness tests conducted in state-of-the-art mobile examination centers. The fitness tests included standardized measurements of core upper and lower body muscle strength, as well as a measurement of cardiovascular fitness by walking and running on a treadmill.

The information gathered in this survey will help public health officials, legislators, and researchers develop sound health policies, direct and design health programs and services, and expand the health knowledge for the nation. Over the past 50 years, landmark findings from NHANES have profiled the physical growth of children through pediatric growth charts used worldwide, and provided the data to direct the national programs to prevent high cholesterol and hypertension. The addition of the NNYFS data will provide information with which to evaluate the physical activity and fitness of our nation’s children.

For more information on the NNYFS survey design, implementation, and data analysis, see NNYFS Analytic Guidelines. For more information on NHANES, visit the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey page.