The Relationship Between Perceived and Actual Physical Fitness: A Meta-Analysis

The purpose of our study was to meta-analytically estimate the relationship between actual and perceived fitness, and variables that may moderate this relationship (i.e., gender, age, and perceived fitness measure). Computer, hand, and journal literature searches identified 53 potential studies. On review, 28 of these studies met the inclusion criteria of having a perceived and actual (i.e., objective) measure of physical fitness. Using random effects modeling procedures, we found a medium mean effect size of .38 (N = 33 independent effect sizes, p < .001, Fail-Safe N = 4,654). Moderator analyses revealed that younger people had more accurate estimates of their fitness, and standardized perceived fitness measures had significantly larger effect sizes than unstandardized perceived fitness measures. In summary, men and women of all ages accurately perceived their fitness level, with larger effects evidenced for younger people and for studies that used standardized perceived fitness measures. Unfortunately, because most Americans are either low active or sedentary, their perceptions reveal that they are not fit. Research limitations and future directions are discussed.