NCJ Number
72189
Journal
FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Volume: 49 Issue: 9 Dated: (September 1980) Pages: 10-15
Date Published
1980
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Current fitness levels of 671 male and female police officers in the Washington, D.C., area were evaluated to answer the question of whether the aging process automatically results in declining physical fitness.
Abstract
Each officer underwent a laboratory evaluation designed to determine such fitness attributes as aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and percentage of body fat. The average body fat figure for police officers was 19.8 percent or approximately the same value as that of normal sedentary Americans of similar ages. The mean result of the hip flexibility test of 12.54 inches indicated that the average officer was able to reach 1/2 inch beyond the toes; further, about one-half of the officers could not touch their toes. Other findings showed that as age increases, performance decreases on all tests except strength. In addition, as percent of fat increases, performance decreases. An analysis of covariance was used to answer the initial question of whether aging automatically results in decreased performance and to investigate the degree of interaction between age and body fat on declining performance. It is concluded that age cutoff standards, when used as a job selection criterion, may be discriminatory and unreliable and that many of the physically fit, older officers tested showed much better health and fitness profiles than the out-of-shape younger officers. Tabular data and photographs are included.