Comparing activity scores by Actiwatch tied to leg and arm in preschool
children
R. Juyall3, C.P. Khokhar3, S. Sazawal1, 2,
U. Dhingra2, P. Verma1, A. Sarkar1, P.
Dhingra1, M. Osmany1, V.P. Menon 1, M.
Black4, R.M. Angulo-Kinzler5 and R.E. Black2
1Center for Micronutrient Research, Annamalai University,
India
2Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA
3Departments of Psychology, Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, India
4University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
5Division of Kinesiology, Center for Human Motor Research, University
of Michigan, USA
With the advent of small accelerometer-based activity monitors, the
ability to monitor physical activity in children has become possible.
Data from few studies in adults and older children validating the scores
and site of placement of watch at hip or leg have been reported. There
are no data on either validation or comparison of various sites among
preschool children. In order to evaluate arm and ankle as possible sites
two Actiwatch (Mini-Mitter co. Inc), one on arm and another on ankle were
tied for 1 hour, in 126 children aged 13-69 months residing in peri urban
colony of Delhi. For the same time, activity of child was recorded by
observation using The
Observer® (Noldus Information Technology bv, The Netherlands).
From The Observer, time spent with 16 gross motor activities was estimated
in 1 min intervals to coincide with activity scores of 1 min epochs estimated
from Actiwatch.
Overall leg scores were nearly twice as much as arm scores. In separate
models evaluating
gross motor activity with leg active watch score and arm active watch
scores, leg active
watch score was associated with 6 out of 18 gross activities i.e crawling,
running, climbing,
walking alone, standing alone and walk with support. The arm actiwatch
score was
associated with 12 of 16 gross motor activities i.e. squatting, hanging,
crawling, running,
climbing, rough-tumble, dancing, kneeling, stand with support, walk alone,
stand alone,
swinging and walk with support.
Among epochs with 6 gross motor activities associated with leg monitors,
mean activity
score in leg monitor was 896.29±1070.99 compared to arm monitor
419.82±460.56 while
for variables not associated with leg monitors, leg scores were 190.93±381.89
compared to
278.97±364.84 for arm.
Actiwatch tied to leg records more of activities associated with leg
movements, while Actiwatch tied to arm records more broader range of movements
including leg movements. However for leg movement scores for leg monitor
is significantly higher then arm monitor. Using a combined score of two
monitors will provide a better estimation of overall activity.
Paper presented
at Measuring Behavior 2005
, 5th International Conference on Methods and Techniques
in Behavioral Research, 30 August - 2 September 2005, Wageningen, The
Netherlands.
© 2005 Noldus
Information Technology bv
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