JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH, VOL. 58, NO. 2 The Progression and Characteristics of Conceptually Based Fitness/Wellness Courses at American Universities and Colleges Pamela Hodges Kulinna, PhD; William W. Warfield, MPE; Sean Jonaitis, MPE; Mary Dean, MPE; Charles Corbin, PhD Abstract. Objective: To describe the availability, progression, and characteristics of conceptually based Fitness/Wellness (CBFW) courses in American colleges and universities. Participants: Sur- veys were completed by 161 faculty members about the availability and characteristics of CBFW courses at their particular institutions. Methods: The CBFW course instrument was used to obtain de- scriptive data on courses, institutions, and availability. Results: Ninety percent of the 161 responding institutions indicated offering a CBFW course, 44% indicated the course was required. This marks a significant increase in CBFW course availability when compared to earlier studies. The availability of CBFW courses has varied ac- cording to the type and size of the institution. Conclusions: There has been a meaningful increase in offered and required CBFW courses in American colleges and universities. Keywords: conceptual physical education, fitness and wellness instruction, general education requirements F or a variety of reasons, including the perceived need to get men fit for war, most universities required 2 to 4 semesters of physical education in the post World War II/Korean War years. 1 By the early 1960s, a variety of factors resulted in changes in all requirements at American universities and colleges, including those in physical education. 1 Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to describe all factors precipitating change, some of the more prominent factors included student demand for more choice in curricula, less perceived need for fitness Dr Hodges Kulinna is an associate professor at Arizona State University in Mesa, Arizona. Mr Warfield is a graduate student at Arizona State University in Mesa, Arizona. Mr Jonaitis is a teacher with Randolph Public Schools in Randolph, Massachusetts. Ms Dean is a teacher with the Kyrene School District in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr Corbin is an emeritus professor at Arizona State Uni- versity in Mesa, Arizona. Copyright © 2009 Heldref Publications for war, and a large influx of students that made required courses more difficult to administer. These factors, combined with the emerging movement to make physical education more “academic,” led pioneers to offer conceptually based Fitness/Wellness CBFW courses (also referred to as lecture-laboratory) in physical education as an alternative to traditional skills based physical education courses. CBFW courses are typically set up with a lecture and a laboratory. 2 The lecture portion of the class is designed to promote learn- ing of conceptual information related to fitness and wellness and health behavior change theory as well as learning of self-management skills that result in real world application. 3 CBFW courses were first implemented in the 1960s at schools such as the University of Illinois and Texas A&M University using textbooks designed especially for these courses. 4 The use of a text was in itself an innovation because classes typically had been restricted to physical activity set- tings. The literature indicates that the movement toward uni- versal implementation of CBFW classes was slow. However, in the late 1970s and early 1980s the movement grew. 5 A new body of epidemiological evidence supporting the health ben- efits of physical activity led to the publication of the United States Surgeon General Report on Physical Activity and Health that provided support for the CBFW movement. The report highlighted the health benefits of moderate physical activity, in particular, in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer. 6 Recently, it has been shown that lifestyle modifications in youth preventing the development of initial atherosclerotic lesions and further progression to advanced lesions led to the prevention or delay of coronary heart disease. 7 Health organi- zations have come together in national campaigns to increase physical activity behaviors and understanding of physical activity and healthy behavior concepts for individuals of all ages. 8 127