Using actiwatch® activity monitor for measurement of physical activity
and its association with anemia
R. Juyal1,3, C.P. Khokhar3, U. Dhingra2, R.M. Angulo-Kinzler5, P. Verma1,
A. Sarkar1, P. Dhingra1, M. Osmany1, V.P. Menon1, M. Black4, R. E. Black2
and S. Sazawal1,2
1Center for Micronutrient
Research, Annamalai University, New Delhi, India
2Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
3Department of Psychology, Gurukul Kangri University, Haridwar, India
4School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, MD,
USA
5Division of Kinesiology, Center for Human Motor Research, University
of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Iron deficiency has been postulated to be associated with decreased mental
and motor development during infancy and early childhood. There is evidence
from animal models and adult human studies that iron deficiency may reduce
physical activity. However, data from children is limited to one small
study among infants. We used actiwatch (Mini Mitter Co.Inc.) for recording
24 hour activity with one minute epochs and evaluated association between
iron deficiency and physical activity in 126 children aged 13-69 months.
Hemoglobin (Hb) was estimated using coulter and children were classified
as severe anemics Hb<=7.0g/dl, moderate anemics Hb 7.1-9.0g/dl, mild
anemics 9.1-10.9g/dl and non anemics Hb>=11.0g/dl. Two actiwatches,
one on arm and one on ankle were tied and recorded for 24 hour physical
activity. Combined (leg + arm) scores were used for analysis. Activity
scores in severe and moderately anemic children compared to non-anemic
children were lower (p<0.001 and p=0.07 respectively). Multivariate
analysis corrected for age and socio economic status revealed physical
activity scores among severe anemics (ß=-0.39, p<0.001) and moderately
anemics (ß=-0.16, p=0.08) were significantly lower than non anemics.
Actiwatch was successfully used and accepted by children to measure physical
activity, and children with severe and moderate anemia showed a signi.cant
association with reduced combined physical 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
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