Investing in college students: the role of the fitness tracker.

Fitness trackers are becoming a popular way to encourage physical activity and impact health behaviors. Although many college students may own and use fitness trackers, they remain a high-risk group in terms of rates of obesity and lack of physical activity. In this study, college students were provided with fitness trackers to self-monitor step count.

Mediated Effects of Perceived Competence on Youth Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior.

Purpose: This study evaluates whether physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) are influenced by a common mediating relationship.

Method: A total of 1,552 participants in 3rd to 12th grade completed an online survey that included assessments of PA at school (PAS), PA at home (PAH), and SB as well as a battery of psychosocial variables (i.e.

Measurement and invariance characteristics of psychosocial correlates of youth physical activity.

Objectives: Physical inactivity needs to be strategically addressed from and throughout childhood and adolescence. The youth physical activity promotion model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and promoting physical activity in youth. This study examined psychometric characteristics of the children's attraction to physical activity scale and the perceived physical competence scale, two frequently utilized instruments to measure the underlying predisposing factors emphasized in the youth physical activity promotion model.

Calibration of the biotrainer pro activity monitor in children.

The unique physical and movement characteristics of children necessitate the development of accelerometer equations and cut points that are population specific. The purpose of this study is to develop an ecologically valid cut point for the Biotrainer Pro monitor that reflects a threshold for moderate-intensity physical activity in elementary school children. A sample of 30 children (ages 8-12) wore a Biotrainer monitor while completing a series of 7 movement tasks (calibration phase) and while participating in an organized group activity (cross-validation phase).

Reliability of accelerometry-based activity monitors: a generalizability study.

Introduction: Numerous studies have examined the validity of accelerometry-based activity monitors but few studies have systematically studied the reliability of different accelerometer units for assessing a standardized bout of physical activity. Improving understanding of error in these devices is an important research objective because they are increasingly being used in large surveillance studies and intervention trials that require the use of multiple units over time.

Methods: Four samples of college-aged participants were recruited to collect reliability data on four different accelerometer types (CSA/MTI, Biotrainer Pro, Tritrac-R3D, and Actical).