Energy expenditure estimated by accelerometry and doubly labeled water: do they agree?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare energy expenditure derived from regression equations determined from accelerometry with energy expenditure obtained from the doubly labeled water method (DLW).

Methods: Thirteen subjects participated in a 7-d protocol during which total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) was measured with DLW. Simultaneously, during the 7 d, subjects wore a Tritrac-R3D and an Actigraph (ACT).

Physical activity in physical education: teacher or technology effects.

This study assessed if wearing a heart rate monitor influenced student activity levels in elementary physical education. Data were analyzed for 4 students using an alternating treatment design to assess differential effects between accelerometer activity counts obtained from students when wearing the heart rate monitor and when they were not wearing the monitor. Results show that (a) there was no difference in activity counts between the 2 conditions, (b) boys had higher means than girls, and (c) the variance between more and less active boys was greater than the variance among the girls.

Content analysis of prime-time television coverage of physical activity, 1970-2001.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine how major nightly television networks reported on the health benefits of physical activity.

Methods: A retrospective content analysis of physical activity coverage on four major nightly television networks from 1970 to 2001 was performed. The Vanderbilt Television News Archives were searched for keywords "physical activity," "physical fitness," and "exercise.

Evaluation of a step-counter during treadmill walking in 7-12 year old African-American children.

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Digiwalker step-counter in recording the number of steps by African-American children during level treadmill walking and the accuracy of the Digiwalker when placed inside a pouch at midline rather than when placed at midline of the thigh. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the number of steps and physiological response to walking. Study subjects were a sub-set of thirty-one children recruited from a larger study evaluating the effects of an after school program on cardiovascular risk factors in this population.