Pedometry methods for assessing free-living youth.

The purpose of this review is to integrate and summarize specific measurement topics (instrument and metric choice, validity, reliability, how many and what types of days, reactivity, and data treatment) appropriate to the study of youth physical activity. Research quality pedometers are necessary to aid interpretation of steps per day collected in a range ofyoung populations under a variety of circumstances. Steps per day is the most appropriate metric choice, but steps per minute can be used to interpret time-in-intensity in specifically delimited time periods (e.

Expected values for pedometer-determined physical activity in youth.

This review assembles pedometry literature focused on youth, with particular attention to expected values for habitual, school day, physical education class, recess, lunch break, out-of-school, weekend, and vacation activity. From 31 studies published since 1999, we constructed a youth habitual activity step-curve that indicates: (a) from ages 6 to 18 years, boys typically take more steps per day than girls; (b) for both sexes the youngest age groups appear to take fewer steps per day than those immediately older; and (c) from a young age, boys decline more in steps per day to become more consistent with girls at older ages. Additional studies revealed that boys take approximately 42-49% of daily steps during the school day; girls take 41-47%.

The First Step First Bite Program: guidance to increase physical activity and daily intake of low-glycemic index foods.

Practical lifestyle interventions are needed to help people with type 2 diabetes increase their physical activity and follow nutrition therapy guidelines. This study examined whether combining instructions to walk more and to eat more low-glycemic index (GI) foods (First Step First Bite Program) improved hemoglobin A1c and anthropometric and cardiovascular health outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes vs the First Step Program (instruction only on walking). Subjects were randomly assigned to the First Step Program or First Step First Bite Program (n=22 in each group) and attended four weekly group meetings with minimal follow-up during weeks 5 to 16.

Linking the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) and the Compendium of Physical Activities: methods and rationale.

Background: The 2003 Bureau of Labor Statistics American Time Use Survey (ATUS) contains 438 distinct primary activity variables that can be analyzed with regard to how time is spent by Americans. The Compendium of Physical Activities is used to code physical activities derived from various surveys, logs, diaries, etc to facilitate comparison of coded intensity levels across studies.

Methods: This article describes the methods, challenges, and rationale for linking Compendium estimates of physical activity intensity (METs, metabolic equivalents) with all activities reported in the 2003 ATUS.

Accelerometer-determined steps per day in US adults.

Introduction: The 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) released, for the first time, the ActiGraph AM-7164 accelerometer-defined step data in addition to time in intensity (defined by activity counts). This accelerometer is known to have a lower sensitivity threshold than accepted pedometers, leading to relatively higher step estimates.

Purpose: The purpose of this analysis is to provide the population- and sex-specific epidemiology of accelerometer-determined steps per day with and without censoring steps detected at the lowest end of the activity spectrum (i.

Expected values for steps/day in special populations.

Objective: To assemble expected values for free-living steps/day in special populations living with chronic illnesses and disabilities.

Method: Studies identified since 2000 were categorized into similar illnesses and disabilities, capturing the original reference, sample descriptions, descriptions of instruments used (i.e.

Translating physical activity recommendations into a pedometer-based step goal: 3000 steps in 30 minutes.

Background: It is a public health recommendation to accumulate at least 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity physical activity. Although pedometers are widely used as a physical activity-monitoring tool, they are unable to measure activity intensity. Translating current physical activity recommendations into a pedometer-based guideline could increase the public health impact of physical activity interventions.

A systematic review of studies using pedometers to promote physical activity among youth.

Background: While pedometers have an important role to play in the promotion of lifestyle activity among adults, less known is regarding their impact on behavior among youth (i.e. children and adolescents).

Participation by US adults in sports, exercise, and recreational physical activities.

Background: Given the evidence that regular physical activity produces substantial health benefits, participation in sports, exercise, and recreation is widely encouraged. The objective of this study was to describe participation in sports, exercise, and recreational physical activities among US adults.

Methods: Data from 2 national surveys of respondents age 18 years and older were analyzed.

Objective monitoring of physical activity in children: considerations for instrument selection.

There has been a rapid recent increase in both the number and type of objective physical activity (PA) assessment instruments which are commercially available to researchers, practitioners, and consumers. Although this has provided improved capacity for PA assessment, it also presents a somewhat bewildering range of options related to instrument selection for users of these technologies. The purpose of this review is to provide a primer to guide selection of instruments for the objective monitoring of children's PA.

Leisure-time physical activity and occupational sitting: Associations with steps/day and BMI in 54-59 year old Australian women.

Objective: To assess whether combinations of leisure-time physical activity (PA) and occupational sitting were associated with steps/day and objectively measured body mass index (BMI) in women aged 54-59 years.

Methods: In 2005, 158 women (age=56.4+/-1.

Epoch length and accelerometer outputs in children: comparison to direct observation.

Purpose: To determine the effects of epoch length and activity count cutpoints on ActiGraph (AG; ActiGraph Health Services, Pensacola, FL) accelerometer estimates of time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in fifth-grade children monitored during physical education (PE) compared with a direct observation (DO) criterion standard.

Methods: A sample of 32 fifth-grade males and females (mean age = 10.3 +/- 0.

Real-world evaluation of a community-based pedometer intervention.

Background: We evaluated a pedometer-based community intervention under real-world conditions.

Methods: Participants (n=559) provided demographic and health information using surveys and steps/d at baseline and during the last week the participants were in the program. A 1-year follow-up was conducted, but in keeping with real-world conditions, no incentives were offered to participate.

Walking behaviors reported in the American Time Use Survey 2003-2005.

Background: We report walking for shopping, exercise, transportation, and walking the dog, among other sources captured in the 2003 to 2005 American Time Use Survey (ATUS).

Methods: We extracted and analyzed 8 walking behaviors (by sex, age, education level, and race/ethnicity) from 24 hours of activities recalled by telephone interview for 15,175 males and 19,518 females age<15 years.

Results: On any given day in 2003 to 2005, 45.

Participant experiences in a workplace pedometer-based physical activity program.

Background: Limited process evaluation of pedometer-based interventions has been reported.

Methods: Feedback via focus groups (n=38) and exit questionnaires (n=68) was used to examine participants' experiences in a group-based, pedometer-based physical activity (PA) program delivered in the workplace.

Results: The pedometer was described as a useful tool for increasing awareness of PA, providing motivation and visual feedback, and encouraging conversation and support among participants and others such as family and friends.

Tracking of pedometer-determined physical activity in adults who relocate: results from RESIDE.

Background: This secondary analysis investigated the extent and pattern of one-year tracking of pedometer-determined physical activity in people who relocated within the same metropolitan area (T1: baseline and T2: post-relocation). Specifically, data were derived from the RESIDential Environment Project (RESIDE), a natural experiment of people moving into new housing developments.

Methods: 1,175 participants (491 males, age = 42.

Revisiting "how many steps are enough?".

With continued widespread acceptance of pedometers by both researchers and practitioners, evidence-based steps/day indices are needed to facilitate measurement and motivation applications of physical activity (PA) in public health. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to reprise, update, and extend the current understanding of dose-response relationships in terms of pedometer-determined PA. Any pedometer-based PA guideline presumes an accurate and standardized measure of steps; at this time, industry standards establishing quality control of instrumentation is limited to Japan where public health pedometer applications and the 10,000 steps.

Physical activity is associated with risk factors for chronic disease across adult women's life cycle.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of age (young, midlife, and older) and activity level (active and sedentary), determined by a pedometer, with risk factors of chronic disease, including body composition, dietary intake, serum lipids, insulin, leptin, C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma glucose, and resting metabolic rate (RMR) in women across the adult life cycle.

Methods: Young (aged 20 to 30 years) (n=49), midlife (aged 40 to 50 years) (n=62), and older (aged 60 years and older) (n=47) women were recruited for this cross-sectional study. For 7 days, participants completed weighed food records and wore a pedometer.

Patterns of physical activity and overweight among 7-13-year-old Russian children: a 7-year nationally representative monitoring study.

This is a repeated cross-sectional study of overweight and physical activity (PA) and inactivity patterns of successive samples of 7-13-year-old Russian children who were surveyed six times between 1995 and 2002 as part of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey. This analysis focused on moderate/vigorous (MOD/VIG) PA (e.g.

BMI-referenced cut points for pedometer-determined steps per day in adults.

Background: The goal of this study was to establish preliminary criterion-referenced cut points for adult pedometer-determined physical activity (PA) related to weight status defined by body mass index (BMI).

Methods: Researchers contributed directly measured BMI and pedometer data that had been collected (1) using a Yamax-manufactured pedometer, (2) for a minimum of 3 days, (3) on ostensibly healthy adults. The contrasting groups method was used to identify age- and gender-specific cut points for steps/d related to BMI cut points for normal weight and overweight/obesity (defined as BMI <25 and >or=25 kg/m2, respectively).

Campus walkability, pedometer-determined steps, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity: a comparison of 2 university campuses.

Objective And Participants: At 2 Arizona State University (ASU) campuses, the authors measured student activity and distance walked on campus, as well as student-reported walkability around the student union.

Methods: Students from ASU-Polytechnic (n = 20, 33% male) and ASU-Tempe (n = 20, 60% male) recorded distance walked on campus and wore physical activity monitors for 5 days.

Results: Polytechnic students spent an average of 36.

Application of a walking suitability assessment to the immediate built environment surrounding elementary schools.

This study examines the usefulness of applying a walking suitability assessment to a specific geographic area surrounding elementary schools. Streets within a 0.25-mile radius were measured to create a summary walking suitability score for seven schools from high-busing strata and seven from low-busing strata.

A geographical comparison of prevalence of overweight school-aged children: the National Survey of Children's Health 2003.

Objectives: This study presents a geographical comparison of state-specific prevalence estimates of children who are at risk of overweight and/or overweight using the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health.

Methods: Using the 2003 National Survey of Children's Health, we computed prevalence estimates of children who are at risk of overweight and/or overweight among a nationally representative sample of 69,000 children between 5 and 17 years old.

Results: Overall, 36.

Walking behaviours from the 1965-2003 American Heritage Time Use Study (AHTUS).

Background: The American Heritage Time Use Study (AHTUS) represents a harmonised historical data file of time use by adults, amalgamating surveys collected in 1965-66, 1975-76, 1985, 1992-94, and 2003. The objectives of time-use studies have ranged from evaluating household and other unpaid production of goods and services, to monitoring of media use, to comparing lifestyles of more and less privileged social groups, or to tracking broad shifts in social behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and utility of identifying and compiling data from the AHTUS to describe a range of walking behaviours collected using time-use survey methods over almost 40 years in the USA.

Actigraph accelerometer interinstrument reliability during free-living in adults.

Unlabelled: The Actigraph (AG; model 7164 v. 2.2) accelerometer is widely accepted as a valid means of physical activity (PA) assessment.