Comparison of Selected Measures Of Physical Fitness in Women Subjects from Various Ethnic Groups and National Backgrounds

This study compared fitness components in 317 women of different ethnicity from BYU-Hawaii. Data was analyzed using SPSS, ANOVA, t-tests, and Tukey’s HSD Post-Hoc Test. Results showed American Caucasians were faster and leaner than Pacific Islanders and Hawaiians. American Caucasians, Pacific Islanders and Hawaiians were stronger than Asians. American Caucasians did more sit-ups than Pacific Islanders and Asians and more back extensions than Pacific Islanders. Asians were leaner than Pacific Islanders and Hawaiians, and faster than Pacific Islanders. Whether these differences resulted from genetics or socio-cultural factors is unclear. Differences may be remedied by ethnic norms as developed in this study.