Use of accelerometers in a large field-based study of children: protocols, design issues, and effects on precision

Mattocks, C. and Ness, A. and Leary, S. and Tilling, K. and Blair, S.N. and Shield, J. and Deere, K. and Saunders, J. and Kirkby, J. and Smith, G.D. and Wells, J. and Wareham, N. and Reilly, John J and Riddoch, C. (2008) Use of accelerometers in a large field-based study of children: protocols, design issues, and effects on precision. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 5 (1). S94-S107. ISSN 1543-3080

Full text not available in this repository.Request a copy

Abstract

Objective methods can improve accuracy of physical activity measurement in field studies but uncertainties remain about their use. Children age 11 years from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), were asked to wear a uni-axial accelerometer (MTI Actigraph) for 7 days. Of 7159 children who attended for assessment, 5595 (78%) provided valid measures. The reliability coefficient for 3 days of recording was .7 and the power to detect a difference of 0.07 SDs (P<or=.05) was > 90%. Measures tended to be higher on the first day of recording (17 counts/min; 95% CI, 10-24) and if children wore the monitor for fewer days, but these differences were small. The children who provided valid measures of activity were different from those who did not, but the differences were modest. Objective measures of physical activity can be incorporated into large longitudinal studies of children.

ORCID iDs

Mattocks, C., Ness, A., Leary, S., Tilling, K., Blair, S.N., Shield, J., Deere, K., Saunders, J., Kirkby, J., Smith, G.D., Wells, J., Wareham, N., Reilly, John J ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6165-5471 and Riddoch, C.;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)