Children's Effort Rating Table Research Articles

MEASURING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, HEART RATE, ENERGY EXPENDITURE AND PERCEIVED EXERTION OF SCHOOLCHILDREN DURING RECESS ACCORDING TO GENDER AND BODY FAT

The article compares the intensity of physical activity during recess in second and third grade schoolchildren according to gender and body fat percentage. Sixty-three second- and third-graders, classified with normal or high fat percentage, evaluated by bioelectric impedance (Inbody 720) participated in the study. During 27 periods of 30 minutes of recess, physical activity intensity and heart rate were evaluated with ActiGraph-GT9X accelerometers, the system for observing fitness instruction time (SOFIT) was used to measure the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity index and the energy expenditure, perceived exertion was determined using the Pictorial Children's Effort Rating Table (PCERT). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) 2x2 showed significant differences between measurements according to the percentage of normal fat compared to high, for moderate physical activity (boys: 0.003, girls: 0.005), caloric expenditure (boys: 0.005, girls: 0.005), METS (boys: 0.003, girls: 0.001), and heart rate (boys: 0.005, girls: 0.005). Due to the increased risk of diseases associated with a sedentary lifestyle, it is important to implement strategies during recess that involve more students with greater adiposity in physical activity.

Fatigue in Children with Pronated Feet After Aerobic Exercises.

Sports have a strong influence on current society. Foot posture has been postulated to be a risk factor for overuse injuries; however, the link between foot posture and injuries is unclear. This study aimed to determine whether children with pronated feet become more fatigued after participating in sports tests than those with normal feet. One hundred five children aged 10 to 12 years (mean ± SD age, 10.46 ± 0.78 years) participated in the sports tests, which were aerobic-type resistance exercises with six stations at which each child remained for 30 sec. The posture of the foot was evaluated via the Foot Posture Index and the plantar footprint via the arch index and the Clarke angle before and after aerobic-type resistance exercises. Perceived tiredness was evaluated with the Pictorial Children's Effort Rating Table (PCERT) and whether there was pain during or after physical activity. The variables used to measure foot posture and the plantar arch changed more in the pronated feet, suggesting that the feet undergo more pronation after physical exercise. The neutral feet obtained a mean ± SD PCERT score of 5.46 ± 1.89 and the pronated feet a score of 7.60 ± 1.92. Children with pronated feet showed more fatigue and foot pain during and/or after physical exercise than those with neutral feet. Foot type could be responsible for the lack of enthusiasm of children toward undertaking healthy activities, and this problem might be solved via appropriate orthopedic treatment.

Influencia de la orientación del espacio sobre el esfuerzo percibido en Educación Física: Juegos motores de cooperación-oposición

La Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS, 2010) establece una práctica física mínima de 60 minutos diarios en rango de intensidad moderada a vigorosa. Los participantes fueron 28 estudiantes de 6º de Educación Primaria. Se desarrollaron tres juegos motores de cooperación-oposición, variando la orientación del espacio. Los objetivos fueron conocer la adecuación del esfuerzo percibido en los tres juegos, relacionados con la intensidad, para lograr beneficios para la salud y comparar el esfuerzo percibido dependiendo de las diferentes orientaciones espaciales. Tras cada juego, se distribuyó la escala de esfuerzo percibido (PCERT). Los resultados muestran que el alumnado no alcanza una intensidad suficiente en los juegos para obtener beneficios para la salud. Se obtuvieron diferencias estadísticamente significativas para el esfuerzo percibido dependiendo de la orientación del espacio, siendo el juego con mayores valores el de espacio orientado con porterías pequeñas y el juego con menos valores el juego sin espacio orientado. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2010) stablishes a minimum physical practice of 60 minutes per day in a range of moderate to vigorous intensity. Participantes were 28 students of 6th Primary Education. Three cooperation-opposition motor games were developed, varying the space orientation. The objectives were to know the adequacy of perceived effort in the three games, in relation to intensity, to achieve health benefits and compare the perceived effort based on the different space orientations. After the completion of each game, the Pictorical Children's Effort Rating Table (PCERT) were distribuited. Results show students do not reach a sufficient intensity in motor games to obtain health benefits, as well as statistically significant differences for the perceived exertion depending on the space orientation, being the game with higher levels the one that presents oriented space with small goals and the game with lower levels is the non-oriented space game.

PERCEIVED EXERTION AND MODERATE TO VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ACCORDING TO THE PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS’ EXPERIENCE

The aim of the current study is to compare the perceived exertion and moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA) among first grade middle school students in physical education (PE) classes given by PE teachers with higher or lower experience than 16 years. Eighty-seven PE lessons conducted by PE teachers with ≥ 16 years of experience (n=35) and teachers with ˂ 16 years of experience (n=52) were evaluated by 348 middle school students (Mean age=12.2±0.5 years). To determine the perceived exertion, the pictorial children's effort rating table (PCERT) was completed, after PE. Children chose an option on an illustrated scale 1–10 perceived exertion. The moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was evaluated using the System for Observing Fitness and Instruction Time (SOFIT) assessing the intensity as the proportion of time that students spent engaged in walking and very active PA during PE. A cross-sectional design was used, the equality of variance was calculated using the Student t-test for independent samples resulting in MVPA (P-value=.659) and perceived exertion (P-value=.205) α≤ than 0.05. In both groups, the average value of perceived exertion was less than 5 points on the scale, which is insufficient to enhance physical fitness. The MVPA did not achieve international guidelines of engaging students in at least 50% of the lessons time in walking and very active PA. It is recommended for PE teachers to develop pedagogical strategies contributing from the school environment to guide students in educational contents for health through PA, as established by UNESCO and recommended by the World Health Organization.

Pictorial and verbal category‐ratio scales for effort estimation in children

Research on the diverse aspects of exercise performance in childhood in the past 20 years has included an increase in the study of perceived exertion. The aim of this study was to compare children's ratings of effort perception by means of the Borg Category-Ratio Perceived Exertion (CR-10) Scale and a pictorial version of the Children's Effort Rating Table (Pictorial-CERT) scale, and to assess the long-term repeatability of the two scales. Fifty healthy children (25 girls and 25 boys; initially aged 10.4 +/- 0.5 years) participated in three incremental treadmill tests until volitional exhaustion or a maximal gradient of 22% at 5.4 km/h was attained. The first two tests (T1 and T2) were at an interval of 1 month. The third test (T3) took place 3 years later and utilized exactly the same protocol. Perceived exertion correlated significantly with measures of exercise intensity - minute ventilation, heart rate and oxygen uptake for the whole group. The range of correlations for all tests was significantly higher for the Pictorial-CERT (r = 0.62-0.88 and r = 0.59-0.71 for the Pictorial-CERT and CR-10 respectively). Intraclass correlation coefficients between T1 and T2 were significantly higher for the Pictorial-CERT in comparison with the CR-10 (0.77 vs. 0.54, respectively; z = -2.07; P = 0.038). The Pictorial-CERT is more appropriate for use with children of this age range and appears to be more reproducible than the Borg CR-10 Scale. Concurrent and construct validity evidence promotes the use of the Pictorial-CERT by junior children.

Validity of PCERT and OMNI Walk/Run Ratings of Perceived Exertion

This study was conducted to test the validity of the Pictorial Children's Effort Rating Table (PCERT) and OMNI walk/run scales. Children (26 boys age 11.2 yr +/- 1.6 and 25 girls age 11.1 yr +/- 1.4) performed a five-stage incremental exertion treadmill test. The undifferentiated perceived exertion from the PCERT and OMNI scales was assessed for construct validity using Pearson correlations with VO(2) and heart rate as criteria and concurrent validity by correlating PCERT and OMNI scores. Increases in PCERT and OMNI scale scores were correlated with increases in VO(2) (r = 0.90 and 0.92) and heart rate (r = 0.89 and 0.92). No difference was found in slope of the PCERT and OMNI scores when regressed against heart rate or VO(2) and the slopes were invariant across sexes. To test concurrent validity of the PCERT and OMNI scales, subject scores at each stage were converted to a percentage of the maximal scale. No effect of sex was noted on perceived exertion (P = 0.32), and the percentage of the maximal PCERT and OMNI scales was almost identical at each stage (P = 0.73). Validity of both the PCERT and OMNI scales was established for submaximal exercise. PCERT and OMNI scores are not interchangeable because they have different scales, but at a given exercise intensity youth assign similar percentages of the maximal scores.

Perception of effort at low and moderate intensity exercise in survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

The study examined the degree to which male and female survivors of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) perceive effort at low and moderate intensity exercise in association with related physiological variables. Participants were 67 children. Thirty-five (14 boys and 21 girls) were long-time survivors of ALL and 32 (18 boys and 14 girls) were control subjects. The Children's Effort Rating Table (CERT) was used to measure whole-body perceived exertion at low and moderate intensity exercise. Peak oxygen uptake was measured using a motorized treadmill. CERT and physiological data were analysed using 2 x 2 mixed analyses of variance, appropriate t-tests and coefficients of correlation. In absolute terms, boys treated for ALL found perception of effort to be more strenuous at both low (3.9 vs. 3.5 units) and moderate (6.1 vs. 5.3 units) intensity exercise than control subjects, although differences were not significant (p > 0.05); girls treated for ALL found perception of effort to be the same as controls at low intensity exercise (3.1 vs. 3.1 units) but slightly higher than controls at moderate intensity exercise (5.6 vs. 5.2 units); neither of these differences were significant (p > 0.05). When CERT values were adjusted for (.-)VO(2) peak (%) and heart rate (HR) peak (%) differences remained non-significant. There were no significant interactions (Intensity x Group) in males, but the interaction for (.-)VO(2) peak (%) was significant in females (p < 0.05). The main effect for Intensity (low and moderate) was significant for all variables in boys and girls (p < 0.0001). The main effect for Group (ALL and controls) identified significantly greater absolute (b.p.m.) and relative (%) HR values in ALL boys at low and moderate intensity exercise. In female ALL and control subjects the interaction (Intensity x Group) distinguished between (.-)VO(2) peak (%) at moderate intensity exercise and HR peak (%) at low and moderate intensity exercise. Coefficients of correlation between perceived effort and (.-)VO(2) peak (%) in boys and girls were low to high (0.28-0.76), and between absolute and relative HR were also low to high (0.33-0.73). There were low correlations between time 'off therapy' and perceived effort, (.-)VO(2) peak (%) and HR peak (%) (-0.003 to -0.49). It was concluded that perception of effort in survivors of ALL at low and moderate intensity exercise was the same as that of control subjects. Correlations between perceived effort and physiological variables at moderate exercise were low to high, while those between perceived effort and time from treatment were generally weak.

Modalities of Submaximal Exercises on Ratings of Perceived Exertion by Young Girls: A Pilot Study

This pilot study compared the rating of perceived exertion scores (RPE) in young girls for two modalities of exercises (running vs cycling) performed at the same absolute heart rate. 23 girls, ages 8 to 11 years, from a gymnastic club performed graded, intermittent, and submaximal running and cycling exercises at a similar absolute heart rate (+/-5 bpm). These exercises consisted of three stages of 3 min. duration separated by 1-min. recovery intervals. RPE was estimated using the Children's Effort Rating Table scale at the end of each stage of each exercise. Mean ratings were only significantly different during cycling, compared to running for the Stage 3 (cycling 5.3+/-2.7 and running 7.0+/-1.9, p < .05). During low exercise intensity, measured as heart rate, the modality of exercise does not seem to affect RPE. In contrast, with high heart rates, RPE are higher during cycling than running, so it is necessary to take account of the type of exercise.

The effect of experiential anchoring on the reproducibility of exercise regulation in adolescent children

In this study, we examined whether a preparatory perceptual ‘anchoring’ technique would enhance the reproducibility (test–retest reliability) of adolescent children in their ability to self-regulate their exercise output on the basis of their effort perceptions. Forty-one adolescents aged 12.6±0.7 years (mean±s), randomly assigned to either an anchor or non-anchor group, undertook two identical production trials (three 3-min cycle ergometer bouts at levels 3, 6 and 8 of the Children's Effort Rating Table) over 8 days. Before each trial, the anchor group received an experiential (exercise) trial intended to provide a frame of reference for their perceived exertions. The test–retest reproducibility of the heart rates and power outputs produced during the production trials was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and 95% limits of agreement analysis. For the anchor group, the intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.68 to 0.81 for heart rate and from 0.39 to 0.86 for power output. For the non-anchor group, they were generally higher: 0.86 to 0.93 and 0.81 to 0.95 for heart rate and power output, respectively. The 95% limits of agreement indicated no marked differences between the two groups in the amount of bias and within-subject error. The results suggest that among these adolescents, the implementation of an experiential anchoring protocol had no positive effect on the reproducibility of their exercise regulation during prescribed cycling.

Effort perception in children.

Studies addressing children's perceptions of exercise effort have appeared steadily in the scientific literature over the last 20 years, though they have been relatively sparse in number. With little or no regard for their suitability, researchers initially applied to children the methods and applications of the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) notion established amongst adults. Whilst some success was claimed, findings were inconclusive, possibly because of the use of an inappropriate measurement scale. More recently, the development of the child-specific Children's Effort Rating Table (CERT) has advanced research in this domain and helped to focus attention on the numerous problems of applying this psychophysical concept to such immature subjects. Accordingly, the scope for further research in this discipline is now far broader than ever before.

Cert: A Perceived Exertion Scale for Young Children

This paper describes the rationale for the Children's Effort Rating Table (CERT) designed for assessing perceived exertion by children aged 6 to 9 years. This device is similar to Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) which is internationally recognized and currently used in conjunction with standard metabolic measures in a wide range of settings where exercise is prescribed and the intensity of various forms of physical activity is regulated by adults. We devised CERT for use in our research on the development of perception of effort by younger children. Some validation research on CERT has been completed.

Validity of a perceived exertion scale for children: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of a recently developed rating scale of perceived exertion, the Children's Effort Rating Table (CERT), for controlling exercise intensity in young children. 16 children (M age = 9.9 yr., SD = 1.2) performed three separate exercise tests on a mechanically braked cycle ergometer. Stage I (response protocol) consisted of a graded test with heart rate and perceived effort rating recorded in response to specified steady-state work outputs. Stage II (production protocol) examined subjects' ability to produce work outputs corresponding to levels 5, 7, and 9 of the CERT. This protocol was repeated on a further occasion (Stage III) to assess the reliability of the findings. Pearson correlations between ratings and heart rate (0.76) and ratings and work output (0.75) highlight the potential of the scale as a valid measure of exercise intensity. Also, the work rates produced by subjects in Stage II correlated 0.89 with those predicted from Stage I; however, analysis of variance showed that work output was significantly lower in Stage II than predicted. Finally, an intraclass correlation of 0.91 between Stages II and III suggests that the scale gave a reliable estimate of exercise intensity of children. The findings from this pilot study suggest that children's perceptions of effort might be used to guide intensity of exercise during structured activity classes.