scholarly journals Comparison of Accelerometer-Based Cut-Points for Children’s Physical Activity: Counts vs. Steps

Children ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheryl Howe ◽  
Kimberly Clevenger ◽  
Ryann Leslie ◽  
Moira Ragan

Background: Accelerometers measure complex movements of children’s free play moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), including step and non-step movements. Current accelerometer technology has introduced algorithms to measure steps, along with counts. Precise interpretation of accelerometer-based cadence (steps/min) cut-points is necessary for accurately measuring and tracking children’s MVPA. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships and agreement between accelerometer-based cut-points (cadence and counts/min) to estimate children’s MVPA compared to measured values. Methods: Forty children (8–12 years; 25 boys) played 6–10 games while wearing a portable metabolic analyzer and GT3X+ to measure and estimate MVPA, respectively. Correlation, kappa, sensitivity, and specificity assessed the relationships and agreement between measured and estimated MVPA. Results: Games elicited, on average, 6.3 ± 1.6 METs, 64.5 ± 24.7 steps/min, and 3318 ± 1262 vertical (V) and 5350 ± 1547 vector-magnitude (VM) counts/min. The relationship between measured and estimated MVPA intensity was higher for cadence (r = 0.50) than V and VM counts/min (r = 0.38 for both). Agreement using V and VM counts/min for measuring PA intensity varied by cut-points (range: 6.8% (κ = −0.02) to 97.6% (κ = 0.49)), while agreement was low using cadence cut-points (range: 4.0% (κ = 0.0009) to 11.3% (κ = 0.001)). Conclusion: While measured and estimated values were well correlated, using cadence tended to misclassify children’s free-play MVPA.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mayara S. Bianchim

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a multisystemic condition that affects almost every organ in the body, but especially the lungs. Regular physical activity (PA) can significantly slow disease progression and has become a crucial part of CF care. Previous research evaluating PA in CF has been hindered by the use of cut-points developed for healthy populations and the investigation of collinear movement behaviours as independent entities, both of which are likely to have confounded their findings and any subsequent inferences regarding associated health outcomes. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis was to investigate the measurement and analysis of PA in those with CF. An initial systematic review provided recommendations for research calibrating accelerometry in paediatric clinical populations, highlighting that the pathophysiology of the condition must be accounted for and that the protocol should include a broad range of activities varying in intensity (Chapter 4). Subsequently, Chapter 5 developed and cross-validated raw acceleration CF-specific cut-points in youth which were then further assessed in Chapter 6, demonstrating that the CF-specific thresholds were associated with higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (SED) and lower levels of light PA compared to generic cut-points. Furthermore, lung function was associated with light PA when using condition-specific thresholds. Further investigation of the relationship between PA and health in Chapter 7 found that reallocating time from sedentary to any other behaviour was beneficial for lung function, with the greatest improvements observed when SED was reallocated to sleep or MVPA. Finally, Chapter 8 developed and validated machine learning algorithms that achieved excellent accuracy to classify PA types and intensities in youth with CF. In conclusion, these findings significantly advance the assessment of PA, enhancing our understanding of the relationship between PA and health in CF and informing future condition-specific PA guidelines, care strategies and interventions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 606-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer R. O’Neill ◽  
Karin A. Pfeiffer ◽  
Marsha Dowda ◽  
Russell R. Pate

Background:Little is known about the relationship between children’s physical activity (PA) in preschool (in-school) and outside of preschool (out-of-school). This study described this relationship.Methods:Participants were 341 children (4.6 ± 0.3 years) in 16 preschools. Accelerometers measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity (TPA) in-school and out-of-school. In the full sample, Pearson correlation was used to describe associations between in-school and out-of-school PA. In addition, children were categorized as meeting or not meeting a PA guideline during school. MVPA and TPA were compared between the 2 groups and in-school and out-of-school using 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance.Results:In the full sample, in-school and out-of-school PA were positively correlated for MVPA (r = .13, P = .02) and TPA (r = .15, P = .01). Children who met the guideline in-school remained comparably active out-of-school. However, those who did not meet the guideline were more active out-of-school than in-school. The groups were active at comparable levels while out-of-school. Identical patterns were seen for MVPA and TPA.Conclusions:Children’s in-school PA was positively associated with out-of-school PA. Children who did not meet the guideline in-school were more active out-of-school than in-school, suggesting preschool and classroom factors may reduce some children’s PA in-school.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 733
Author(s):  
Oda Malmo ◽  
Karin Kippe ◽  
Pål Lagestad

Previous research indicate that socioeconomic status positively corresponds with adults’ and adolescents’ physical activity levels. This study investigated the relationship between parents’ education and income, and preschool children’s physical activity level. A total of 244 Norwegian preschool children aged four to six and their parents were enrolled in the study. The children wore an Actigraph GT1M accelerometer for seven consecutive days to measure their physical activity level. Parents completed a questionnaire that provided information about their education level and income level. To examine the relationship between the parents’ education and income and their children’s physical activity level at leisure, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was conducted. The results revealed that neither mothers’ nor fathers’ education level or income, were associated with their children’s minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) at leisure. The preschool curriculum of Norway may be one explanation why socioeconomic status was not linked to physical activity in this study. Another possibility is that this study was limited to full-time students with two parents. More research is needed to determine whether parent income or education is linked to physical activity among more diverse or older children in Norway.


Author(s):  
Pulan Bai ◽  
Sarah Johnson ◽  
Stewart Trost ◽  
Leanne Lester ◽  
Andrea Nathan ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Limited research exists on the pathways through which physical activity influences cognitive development in the early years. This study examined the direct and indirect relationships between physical activity, self-regulation, and cognitive school readiness in preschool children. (2) Method: Participants (n = 56) aged 3–5 years were recruited from the PLAYCE study, Perth, Western Australia. Physical activity was measured using 7-day accelerometry. Self-regulation was measured using the Head Toes Knees and Shoulders task and cognitive school readiness was assessed using the Bracken School Readiness Assessment. Baron and Kenny’s method was used for mediation analysis. (3) Results: After adjustment for socio-demographic factors, total physical activity was positively and significantly associated with cognitive school readiness (B = 0.16, SE = 0.07, p ≤ 0.05). Moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was positively and significantly associated with self-regulation (B = 0.3, SE = 0.13, p ≤ 0.05) and cognitive school readiness score (B = 0.20, SE = 0.09, p ≤ 0.05). Self-regulation was found to be a partial mediator of the relationship between MVPA and cognitive school readiness. (4) Conclusion: These findings highlight the direct and indirect association between preschool children’s physical activity, self-regulation, and cognitive school readiness. Further research is needed to determine the causal relationships between young children’s physical activity and cognitive development, over time.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh M. Vanderloo ◽  
Natascja A. Di Cristofaro ◽  
Nicole A. Proudfoot ◽  
Patricia Tucker ◽  
Brian W. Timmons

Young children’s activity and sedentary time were simultaneously measured via the Actical method (i.e., Actical accelerometer and specific cut-points) and the ActiGraph method (i.e., ActiGraph accelerometer and specific cut-points) at both 15-s and 60-s epochs to explore possible differences between these 2 measurement approaches. For 7 consecutive days, participants (n = 23) wore both the Actical and ActiGraph side-by-side on an elastic neoprene belt. Device-specific cut-points were applied. Paired sample t tests were conducted to determine the differences in participants’ daily average activity levels and sedentary time (min/h) measured by the 2 devices at 15-s and 60-s time sampling intervals. Bland-Altman plots were used to examine agreement between Actical and ActiGraph accelerometers. Regardless of epoch length, Actical accelerometers reported significantly higher rates of sedentary time (15 s: 42.7 min/h vs 33.5 min/h; 60 s: 39.4 min/h vs 27.1 min/h). ActiGraph accelerometers captured significantly higher rates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (15 s: 9.2 min/h vs 2.6 min/h; 60 s: 8.0 min/h vs 1.27 min/h) and total physical activity (15 s: 31.7 min/h vs 22.3 min/h; 60 s: = 39.4 min/h vs 25.2 min/h) in comparison with Actical accelerometers. These results highlight the present accelerometry-related issues with interpretation of datasets derived from different monitors.


2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-429 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Huberty ◽  
Michael William Beets ◽  
Aaron Beighle ◽  
Thomas L. Mckenzie

Background:Children’s achievement of recommendations for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in afterschool programs (ASP) is complex. It is unclear what elements of the ASP environment influence children’s physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of staff behaviors and ASP features (eg, organized activity, recreational equipment) to MVPA participation in youth attending ASPs.Methods:Data were collected in 12 ASPs in the Midwest. Staff behavior and child PA was measured using the System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth. The percentage of children’s MVPA was examined in relation to staff behaviors and ASP features.Results:Increases in MVPA were observed when staff were directly engaged in PA, verbally promoted MVPA, and when PA was organized and equipment was present. When 3 or more of these characteristics were present, the proportion of children engaged in MVPA increased by 25%−30%. Conversely, MVPA levels decreased when these characteristics were absent and when staff were attending to other ASP duties or were supervising.Conclusion:This study provides evidence about the specific staff behaviors that may influence higher proportions of youth being active during ASP and implies specific skills that need to be incorporated into ASP staff training.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha McDonald ◽  
Marsha Dowda ◽  
Natalie Colabianchi ◽  
Dwayne Porter ◽  
Rod K. Dishman ◽  
...  

Previous research suggests the neighborhood environment may be an important influence on children’s physical activity (PA) behaviors; however, findings are inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to further understand the relationship between perceptions of the neighborhood environment and children’s afterschool moderate-to-vigorous PA. Utilizing a structural equation modeling technique, we tested a conceptual model linking parent and child perceptions of the neighborhood environment, parent support for PA, and child outdoor PA with children’s afterschool moderate-to vigorous PA. We found that child perception of the neighborhood environment and outdoor PA were positively associated with afterschool moderate-to-vigorous PA. In addition, parent support for PA positively influenced children’s outdoor PA. The neighborhood environment and outdoor activity appear to play an influential role on children’s afterschool PA behaviors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Q. Ong ◽  
John Bellettiere ◽  
Citlali Alvarado ◽  
Paul Chavez ◽  
Vincent Berardi

Abstract Background Prior research examining the relationship between cannabis use, sedentary behavior, and physical activity has generated conflicting findings, potentially due to biases in the self-reported measures used to assess physical activity. This study aimed to more precisely explore the relationship between cannabis use and sedentary behavior/physical activity using objective measures. Methods Data were obtained from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 2,092 participants (ages 20–59; 48.8% female) had accelerometer-measured sedentary behavior, light physical activity, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Participants were classified as light, moderate, frequent, or non-current cannabis users depending on how often they used cannabis in the previous 30 days. Multivariable linear regression estimated minutes in sedentary behavior/physical activity by cannabis use status. Logistic regression modeled self-reported moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in relation to current cannabis use. Results Fully adjusted regression models indicated that current cannabis users’ accelerometer-measured sedentary behavior did not significantly differ from non-current users. Frequent cannabis users engaged in more physical activity than non-current users. Light cannabis users had greater odds of self-reporting physical activity compared to non-current users. Conclusions This study is the first to evaluate the relationship between cannabis use and accelerometer-measured sedentary behavior and physical activity. Such objective measures should be used in other cohorts to replicate our findings that cannabis use is associated with greater physical activity and not associated with sedentary behavior in order to fully assess the potential public health impact of increases in cannabis use.


Author(s):  
Annie M. Constable ◽  
Josie E. Porter ◽  
Danielle Benger ◽  
Dimitris Vlachopoulos ◽  
Alan R. Barker ◽  
...  

Purpose: Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) positively influences bone mineral content (BMC) in prepubertal children, but it is unknown whether this relationship is partially mediated by free leptin index. The aim of this study was to examine whether the relationship between MVPA and total body less head (TBLH) BMC is mediated or moderated by free leptin index in prepubertal children. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 401 children (194 girls) from baseline examinations of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Childhood Study. We applied the four-way decomposition mediation analysis method to assess whether free leptin index, measured from fasted blood samples, mediated the relationship between accelerometer-measured MVPA and TBLH BMC measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results: MVPA had a positive controlled direct effect on TBLH BMC in girls and boys (β = 0.010 to 0.011, p < 0.05). There was no mediation or interaction between MVPA, free leptin index and TBLH BMC in girls or boys (β = −0.000 to 0.001, p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our study indicates that MVPA positively influences TBLH BMC through pathways not related to free leptin index in predominantly normal-weight prepubertal children, likely primarily through mechanical loading. The relationships between MVPA, free leptin index and TBLH BMC may be influenced by other factors such as pubertal status and adiposity, so it is unknown whether these observations extend to overweight and obese children at different stages of puberty.


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