Pedometer-assessed Physical Activity Research Articles

Parent–child dyads and nuclear family association in pedometer-assessed physical activity: A cross-sectional study of 4-to-16-year-old Czech children

The main aim of this study is to examine familial aggregation in pedometer-assessed physical activity (PA) and proxy-reported screen time (ST) with estimating which of the parents’ lifestyle indicators help their offspring achieve step count (SC) recommendations under daily life conditions. The analysis included 773 parent–child dyads (591 mother–child, 182 father–child) and 511 nuclear family triads (mother-father–child) with data ambulatory PA monitored with a Yamax pedometer during a regular school/working week during the spring and autumn between 2013 and 2019. Based on Logistic regression analysis, an achievement of 10,000 steps a day by the mothers significantly (p < 0.001) increases the odds ratio of their children reaching the recommended daily SC in the parent–child dyads. Obesity/overweight of mothers (fathers) significantly (p < 0.05) increases (reduces) the chance of their children reaching the recommended daily SC in the analysis of the nuclear family triads. For both overweight/obese and non-overweight children, the odds of reaching the recommended daily SC are significantly (p < 0.05) increased by their regular participation (≥ twice per week) in organised leisure-time PA (analysis of the nuclear family triads) and non-excessive entertainment ST (≤2 h per day) in the mother–child and nuclear family triads. Despite the different mother-/father–child behavioural associations, SC of parents are positively associated with SC of their children (Linear regression analysis). The involvement of children in regular participation in organised leisure activities (at least twice a week) and limiting their excessive entertainment ST might be important factors contributing to the achievement of the recommended daily SC by children.

Altering Visual Feedback Conditions Impacts Postural Sway Performance in Children After Controlling for Body Mass Index and Habitual Physical Activity

This study examined postural sway in children in eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions, controlling for body mass index (BMI) and physical activity (PA). Sixty two children (aged 8–11years) underwent sway assessment using computerized posturography from which 95% ellipse sway area, anterior/posterior (AP) sway, medial/lateral (ML) sway displacement and sway velocity were assessed. Six trials were performed alternatively in EO and EC. BMI (kg/m2) was determined from height and mass. PA was determined using sealed pedometry. AP amplitude (p = .038), ML amplitude (p = .001), 95% ellipse (p = .0001), and sway velocity (p = .012) were higher in EC compared with EO conditions. BMI and PA were not significant as covariates. None of the sway variables were significantly related to PA. However, sway velocity during EO (p = .0001) and EC (p = .0001) was significantly related to BMI. These results indicate that sway is poorer when vision is removed, that BMI influences sway velocity, but that pedometer-assessed PA was not associated with postural sway.

Parent-Child Relationship of Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity and Proxy-Reported Screen Time in Czech Families with Preschoolers.

This study focuses on determining the relationship between parents’ step count (SC) and screen time (ST) and children’s SC and ST on weekdays and at weekends. The participants (278 parents aged 30–45 and their 194 children aged 4–7) were recruited from 10 randomly selected Czech kindergartens. The participants recorded SC and ST duration over a week-long monitoring (≥8 h/day) during September–October 2014 and April–May 2015. The associations between parents’ SC and ST and children’s SC and ST were estimated using general linear regression for weekdays and weekends. Each 2500 SC increase in mothers’/fathers’ daily SC at weekdays (weekends) was associated with an extra 1143/903 (928/753) daily SC in children. Each 60 min of ST increase in mothers’/fathers’ ST at weekdays (weekends) was associated with an extra 7.6/7.6 (16.8/13.0) min of child daily ST. An increase of 2500 mothers’ daily SC was associated with reduction of 2.5 (7.5) min of ST in children at weekdays (weekends). This study reveals a significant relationship between parent-child SC/day, parent-child ST/day, and mothers’ ST and children’s SC at weekends. Weekend days seem to provide a suitable space for the promotion of joint physical activity in parents and their pre-schoolers.

Abstract 260: Pedometer-assessed Workplace Walking Program Improves Cardio-Metabolic Profile Among the University’s Workforce

Introduction- The cost of physical inactivity in the workplace setting is significant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between pedometer-assessed physical activity with cardio-metabolic outcomes such as, body weight, blood glucose levels, lipid profile among the University’s academic faculty and staff. Methods- Twenty nine (9M/20F, 50±6yrs; BMI 28.4±4.2 kg/m 2 ) apparently healthy participants who were sedentary, non-smoking, non-diabetic, free of cardiovascular disease, not on antihypertensive or cholesterol medications were recruited from the University workforce. Fasting blood glucose and lipid profile were analyzed using Cholestech LDX analyzer, before and after intervention. Pedometer settings were personalized and participants were instructed to maintain their regular diet during the study period. Participants completed a pedometer-based walking intervention (step-goal: 10,000-steps/day, 5-days/week, 4-weeks). Results- Baseline vs. post-intervention (Mean±SD) for total cholesterol (202.2±40.1 vs. 193.1±42.1 mg/dl; p≤0.05), blood glucose (101.2±8.7 vs. 97.8±8.9; g/dl; p=0.032), systolic blood pressure (BP; 120.7±11.1 vs. 115.1±11.1 mmHg; p=0.003) and diastolic BP (78.6±6.6 vs. 73.8±5.5 mmHg; p&lt;0.0001) were statistically significant. Step-counts significantly increased from baseline to post-intervention (9057.7±3588.9 vs.10319.2±3177; p=0.021). Change in step-count (wk 1 to wk 4) were associated with changes in blood glucose (r=-0.39; p=0.048); diastolic BP (r=-0.43; p=0.029) and BMI (r=-0.45; p=0.022). Conclusion- Our preliminary study modestly increased workday walking by ~12% over four weeks, and significantly improved the cardio-metabolic outcomes among the University workforce. This suggests that, workplace physical activity programs could contribute to the achievement of 10,000 steps/day, which might maximize physical activity participation.

Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity in Children and Young Adults with CKD

Data on physical activity are limited in children with CKD. The objectives of this study were to measure the level and correlates of physical activity in children and young adults with CKD and to determine the association of physical activity with physical performance and physical functioning. Physical activity was measured for 7 days using pedometers; physical performance was measured by the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) and physical functioning with the PedsQL 4.0. Study participants were 44 patients 7-20 years of age who had CKD stage 1-4 (n=12), had ESRD and were undergoing dialysis (n=7), or had undergone kidney transplantation (n=25). Participants were very sedentary; they walked 6218 (interquartile range, 3637, 9829) steps per day, considerably less than recommended. Physical activity did not differ among participants in the CKD stage 1-4, ESRD, and transplant groups. Females were less active than males (P<0.01), and physical activity was 44% lower among young adults (18-20 years) than younger participants (P<0.05). Physical activity was associated positively with maternal education and hemoglobin concentration and inversely with body mass index. Respective 6MWD in males and females was 2 and approximately 4 SDs below expected. Low levels of physical activity were associated with poor physical performance and physical functioning, after adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index. In most participants with CKD, physical activity was considerably below recommended levels. Future studies are needed to determine whether increasing physical activity can improve physical performance and physical functioning.

Using Pedometers to Promote Physical Activity Among Clinical Populations

Using Pedometers to Promote Physical Activity Among Clinical Populations

Parent-offspring correlations in pedometer-assessed physical activity.

BackgroundPhysical activity is a major component of a healthy lifestyle in youth and adults. To identify determinants of this complex behavior is an important research objective in the process of designing interventions to promote physical activity at population level. In addition to individual determinants, there is evidence documenting familial influences on physical activity. However, the few studies that have addressed this issue with objective measures did not provide data on parent-offspring physical activity relationships throughout childhood and adolescence. The purpose of this study was to assess familial correlations in pedometer-assessed physical activity.MethodsWe measured ambulatory activity in 286 French nuclear families (283 mothers, 237 fathers, and 631 children aged 8–18 years) by pedometer recordings (Yamax Digiwalker DW 450) over a week. Correlations were computed with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for spouse pairs, siblings, mother-offspring, and father-offspring. Data were expressed as steps per day and computed both for the full recording period and separately for weekdays and weekends.ResultsThe correlations were the highest between siblings (r = 0.28, 95%CI: 0.17–0.38). Parent–offspring correlations were significant in mothers (r = 0.21, 95%CI: 0.12–0.30), especially between mothers and daughters (r = 0.24, 95%CI: 0.12–0.36 vs. r = 0.18, 95%CI: 0.05–0.31 for sons), but were almost nonexistent in fathers. Correlations were generally higher on weekend days compared to weekdays. Mother-offspring correlations did not decrease with increasing age of children (r = 0.17, 95%CI: 0.00–0.34 in 8–11-year-olds, r = 0.20, 95%CI: 0.07–0.33 in 12–15-year-olds, and r = 0.25, 95%CI: 0.07–0.39 in ≥16-year-olds). Finally, between-spouse correlations were significant only during weekend days (r = 0.14, 95%CI: 0.01–0.27).ConclusionAmbulatory activity correlated within families, with a possible mother effect. Mother-offspring correlations remained significant through the transition from childhood to adolescence. Further studies are required to better understand the respective influences of shared activities, parental modeling and support as well as genetic factors on the familial aggregation of physical activity.

BMI-Referenced Cut-Points for Recommended Daily Pedometer-Determined Steps in Australian Children and Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to establish sex-specific criterion-referenced standards for pedometer-determined physical activity related to body mass index (BMI)-defined weight status among youth. We analyzed data from 7-16-year-old boys (n = 338) and girls (n = 337) and used pedometer-assessed physical activity and anthropometric data to derive average steps/day and BMI. Sex-specific criterion-referenced standards for steps/day relating to healthy weight and overweight/obese were determined using the contrasting groups method. Healthy weight children took more steps/day than overweight or obese (boys: 14,413 vs. 12,088, and girls: 12,562 vs. 10,114, respectively; p < .001). The optimal BMI-referenced cut-point emerging from our sample was 16,000 steps/day for both boys and girls. Our results and those reported elsewhere suggest that youth take insufficient pedometer-determined steps/day to avoid becoming overweight.

Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity and Health Status of Inpatient Nursing Staff

Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity and Health Status of Inpatient Nursing Staff

Pedometer-assessed physical activity of Singaporean youths

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the pedometer-assessed physical activity of Singaporean youths using an objective measurement of physical activity. Methods and results Pedometer step count was monitored over the entire week in 877 participants aged 9–18 years in three schooling cohorts [primary (age, 9–12 years; n = 150 males; 156 females), secondary (age, 13–16 years; n = 137 males; 138 females) and junior college (age, 17–18 years; n = 140 males; 156 females)] in Singapore during July to September 2009. Analyses identified significant main effects for step count taken outside of school compared to within school (mean (SD): 5568 (4796) vs. 3881 (3149), p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found for steps accumulated within or outside school in boys and girls across the schooling levels (steps × sex × level interaction, p > 0.05). Step counts were not significantly different between weekdays or weekends (9719 (6063) vs. 9483 (8056), p > 0.05), across schooling levels and between male and female participants (sex × level and steps × level × sex interactions, all p > 0.05). Conclusion Step count decline is drastic for male adolescents after primary school but remains low across the schooling levels for female participants. Aggregated daily step count fell short by up to 35% of the 16,000 and 13,000 steps recommended respectively for male and female youths.

Day-dependent step-count patterns and their persistence over 3 years in 8–10-year-old children: The LOOK project

Background: Physical activity in children is known to be generally lower at weekends but whether systematic day-to-day differences exist throughout the week is unclear.Aim: To determine if weekly patterns of pedometer-assessed physical activity (PPA) exist in elementary school-aged Australian boys and girls and whether they persist over 3 years.Subjects and methods: Seven-day pedometer measurements were recorded from 389 boys and 387 girls of initial age 8.0 (SD 0.3) in three successive years during spring. General linear mixed modelling was used to investigate patterns and the persistence of PPA.Results: A pattern did emerge, significant differences in PPA occurring between certain days of the week (p<0.001). This pattern was similar in each year, PPA increasing from Monday through to Friday, decreasing on Saturday and again on Sunday. PPA was greater in boys (p<0.001), but less so on weekends. Significant day-to-day and year-to-year intra-class correlations of PPA (0.14 and 0.29, respectively, both p<0.001)) within individuals provided evidence of tracking on a daily basis, and to a lesser extent yearly.Conclusions: A well-defined week-long pattern of steps/day emerged in these 8–10-year-old children, the pattern being similar in three consecutive years.

Contrasting longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships between insulin resistance and percentage of body fat, fitness, and physical activity in children—the LOOK study

Knowledge of individual changes in insulin resistance (IR) and longitudinal relationships of IR with lifestyle-associated factors are of important practical significance, but little longitudinal data exist in asymptomatic children. We aimed to determine (a) changes in the homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) over a 2-yr period and (b) comparisons of longitudinal and cross-sectional relationships between HOMA-IR and lifestyle-related risk factors. Our subjects, 241 boys and 257 girls, were assessed at age 8.1 yr (SD 0.35) and again 2 yr later for fasting blood glucose and insulin, dual X-ray absorptiometry-assessed percentage of body fat (%BF), pedometer-assessed physical activity (PA), and cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) by multistage running test. HOMA-IR was initially 9% greater in girls than boys and 27% greater 2 yr later. There was no evidence of longitudinal relationships between HOMA-IR and %BF in boys or girls, despite significant cross-sectional relationships (p < 0.001). In boys, there was evidence of a longitudinal relationship between HOMA-IR and both PA (p < 0.001) and CRF (p = 0.05). In girls, we found a cross-sectional relationship between HOMA-IR and CRF (p < 0.001). HOMA-IR increases between 8 and 10 yr of age and to a greater extent in girls. Longitudinal, unlike cross-sectional, relationships do not support the premise that body fat has any impact on HOMA-IR during this period or that PA or CRF changes affect HOMA-IR in girls. These data draw attention to difficulties in interpreting observational studies in young children.

Do children take the same number of steps every day?

The purpose of this study was to examine the day-to-day variability in pedometer-assessed physical activity (steps/day). A total of 1,443 children aged 6-12 years from the United States (195 boys, 254 girls), Sweden (257 boys, 252 girls), and Australia (229 boys, 256 girls) wore a pedometer for 4 consecutive weekdays. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to examine daily differences in steps/day and the coefficient of variation (CV) was calculated for each individual to describe the day-to-day variability. Overall, mean steps/day were higher among boys (14,698 +/- 3,373 steps/day) than girls (12,086 +/- 2,929 steps/day). Significant differences were found between the 4 monitoring days for the entire sample; however, the absolute mean differences were small (55-958 steps) with an overall effect size of 0.01. This trend was apparent regardless of age, gender, and country. Individual CVs ranged from approximately 2 to 88% and the overall mean CV approximated 22%. An age-related increase in the mean CV was observed between 6- and 12-year-old children. The age x gender x country interaction was not significant (P > 0.05). These findings have implications toward the proper design, analysis, and interpretation of studies regarding physical activity among children. Beyond this aspect, our results lend insight into potential age-related biological mechanisms that may also influence daily levels and patterns of physical activity.

Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity in Young Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physical activity (PA) patterns of children. Forty-four 7th-grade students (19 boys, 25 girls) recorded pedometer data for 2 consecutive weeks. Separate 2 × 3 repeated measures analyses of variance were used to examine differences in total steps/day between boys and girls and between after-school activity participants and nonparticipants. The relative contribution of physical education (PE) and after-school activity (ASA) to weekday steps/day was evaluated as a proportion, for example (steps taken in PE class/total daily steps taken on a PE class day)*100. The total sample mean was 11,392 steps/day, SD = 4,112; for boys, M = 12,490 steps/day, SD = 3,910, versus girls, M = 10,557 steps/day, SD = 4,142; F = (1, 42) 4.365, p = .043. The sample population averaged 2,046 steps, SD = 945, during PE class; boys = 2,379 steps, SD = 1,115, versus girls = 1,782, SD =703; t (42) = 2.15, p = .038, d = .65, which represented 18% of the total steps/day on PE days. In comparison, the participants accumulated an average of 5,366 steps, SD = 2,590; ASA for boys = 5,897 steps/day, SD = 2,738, versus girls = 4,963 steps/day, SD = 2,450; t (42) = 1.190, p = .241, d = .36), representing 46% of the steps/day on all weekdays and 47% of the total on PE days. Expressed as a rate, the sample population took 45.5 steps/min (SD = 21) during PE class and 13.1 steps/min (SD = 4.7) in ASA on all weekdays. The relative stability of day-to-day behavior in youth is a preliminary finding but noteworthy. Although the absolute contribution of PE class to daily PA was less than ASA (i.e., 18 vs. 47%, respectively), the importance of the condensed contribution in class was evident when these two activities were expressed as rates (i.e., steps/min). These data indicate that youth involved in ASA accumulated a greater number of steps on all days, weekend days, and health education days when compared to youth not involved in ASA.

Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity in Young Adolescents

Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity in Young Adolescents

Correlates of Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity in Cypriot Elementary School Children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between pedometer-assessed physical activity and a number of individual, social, and environmental correlates among Cypriot elementary school children. School children in grades 5 and 6 (N = 104) and their parents (N = 70) wore pedometers for five consecutive weekdays and completed questionnaires assessing potential correlates of steps/d. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that gender, weekly frequency of sports club attendance, and hours playing outside accounted for 32% of the variance in steps/d. In addition, children with a body-mass index (BMI) above the 85th percentile (based on age and gender) scored significantly lower steps/d than children with a BMI below the 85th percentile. This study suggested that correlates of steps/d in children are similar to the findings of other studies using different measures of physical activity behavior.

Effects Of A Pedometer Intervention On Older Adults?? Physical Activity And Mobility

PURPOSE : To investigate the effects of a 12-week pedometer-based lifestyle physical activity intervention on physical activity and functional mobility of older adults. METHODS Subjects were 155 adults (122 females, 33 males), with ages ranging from 55 to 94 years of age (mean = 72.75±8.79), who volunteered to participate in the study. Fifty-eight subjects resided in the Portland, Maine area and 97 subjects resided in the Port Charlotte, Florida region. Subjects were randomly assigned to the intervention (n=83) or control group (n=72). The intervention consisted of wearing a pedometer, goal-setting, self-monitoring and attending monthly group meetings. Physical activity measures included 7-day pedometer-assessed physical activity and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). Mobility measures included the Physical Performance Battery (PPB) and the Mobility-Related Self-Efficacy Scale (MRSES). A repeated measures ANOVA was used to determine significant differences between pre- and post-intervention measures. RESULTS The intervention group was significantly older (p=.012) than the control group at baseline: 74.4±9.0 versus 70.8±8.2 years. Controlling for age, a significant interaction [F(1,151)=15.059, p=.000] was found for average daily steps. A simple effects test revealed that the intervention group significantly increased (p=.010) their steps from pre- (4655±2841) to post-intervention (5428±3033), while the control group had a non-significant (p=.060) decline in steps from pre- (5164±2455) to postintervention (4709±2774). There were no significant differences among the groups in PASE, PPB OR MRSES scores. CONCLUSIONS This study indicates that the pedometer-based physical activity intervention was effective in increasing the daily physical activity of participants, as indicated by pedometer measures.

A Preliminary Evaluation of a Pedometer-Assessed Physical Activity Self-Monitoring Survey

This study is the preliminary evaluation of acceptability and feasibility of physical activity self-monitoring survey by pedometer. The authors recruited 375 people from a possible 1,200 who completed a randomized, population-based telephone survey administered in 2001 to individuals living in Sumter Co3unty, South Carolina. Mailed kits included pedometer, instructions, a recording calendar, and a postage-paid return envelope. Participants wore the pedometer during waking hours and recorded day-end steps taken for seven days. Up to three telephone prompts were made to get participants to return data. Despite the limitations of initial recruitment, this study provides preliminary information on the acceptability and feasibility of a pedometer-assessed physical activity self-monitoring survey.

Utility of pedometers for assessing physical activity: construct validity.

Valid assessment of physical activity is necessary to fully understand this important health-related behaviour for research, surveillance, intervention and evaluation purposes. This article is the second in a companion set exploring the validity of pedometer-assessed physical activity. The previous article published in Sports Medicine dealt with convergent validity (i.e. the extent to which an instrument's output is associated with that of other instruments intended to measure the same exposure of interest). The present focus is on construct validity. Construct validity is the extent to which the measurement corresponds with other measures of theoretically-related parameters. Construct validity is typically evaluated by correlational analysis, that is, the magnitude of concordance between two measures (e.g. pedometer-determined steps/day and a theoretically-related parameter such as age, anthropometric measures and fitness). A systematic literature review produced 29 articles published since > or =1980 directly relevant to construct validity of pedometers in relation to age, anthropometric measures and fitness. Reported correlations were combined and a median r-value was computed. Overall, there was a weak inverse relationship (median r = -0.21) between age and pedometer-determined physical activity. A weak inverse relationship was also apparent with both body mass index and percentage overweight (median r = -0.27 and r = -0.22, respectively). Positive relationships regarding indicators of fitness ranged from weak to moderate depending on the fitness measure utilised: 6-minute walk test (median r = 0.69), timed treadmill test (median r = 0.41) and estimated maximum oxygen uptake (median r = 0.22). Studies are warranted to assess the relationship of pedometer-determined physical activity with other important health-related outcomes including blood pressure and physiological parameters such as blood glucose and lipid profiles. The aggregated evidence of convergent validity (presented in the previous companion article) and construct validity herein provides support for considering simple and inexpensive pedometers in both research and practice.