Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Communication
  • Published:

Physical activity pattern of children assessed by triaxial accelerometry

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 58, pages 1425–1428 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Objectives: Accelerometry was used to assess the relationship between the physical activity level (PAL) and time spent on activities of various intensities in children.

Design: A total of 20 children aged 8.6±3.3 y wore a triaxial accelerometer (Tracmor2) for 2 weeks. PAL was calculated with Tracmor2 output data. The fraction of time spent on activities with a given level of intensity (low, moderate, high) was calculated. The fractions of time spent on activities of different intensities were compared with previously obtained data for young adults and elderly persons.

Results: PAL showed an inverse relation with the percentage of time spent on low-intensity activities (r=−0.76; P<0.0001) and a positive relation with the percentage of time spent on high-intensity activities (r=0.93; P< 0.0001). The fraction of time spent on low-intensity activities was smaller in children than in young adults (P<0.05) and elderly persons (P<0.0001), while the fraction spent on high-intensity activities (P<0.0001) was larger.

Conclusions: The present data are important for a better understanding of physical activity in children, which is necessary for education and prevention about physical (in)activity in childhood. Our observations suggest that to obtain a higher PAL in children, they should be given the opportunities to perform high-intensity activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Raad van de volksgezondheid en zorg (2002): Gezondheid en gedrag. Zoetermeer, the Netherlands, 1–152.

  • Bailey RC, Olson J, Pepper SL, Porszasz J, Barstow TJ & Cooper DM (1995): The level and tempo of children's physical activities: an observational study. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 27, 1033–1041.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouten CV, Verboeket-van de Venne WP, Westerterp KR, Verduin M & Janssen JD (1996): Daily physical activity assessment: comparison between movement registration and doubly labeled water. J. Appl. Physiol. 81, 1019–1026.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Council for physical education for children (1998): Physical Activity for Children: A Statement of Guidelines. Reston, VA: NASPE Publications.

  • Ekelund U, Sjostrom M, Yngve A, Poortvliet E, Nilsson A, Froberg K, Wedderkopp N & Westerterp K (2001): Physical activity assessed by activity monitor and doubly labeled water in children. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 33, 275–281.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gerver WJM & de Bruin R (2001): Paediatric Morphometrics, A Reference Manual. Maastricht: Universitaire pers Maastricht.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoos MB, Gerver WJ, Kester AD & Westerterp KR (2003a): Physical activity levels in children and adolescents. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 27, 605–609.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoos MB, Plasqui G, Gerver WJ & Westerterp KR (2003b): Physical activity level measured by doubly labeled water and accelerometry in children. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 89, 624–626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James PT, Leach R, Kalamara E & Shayeghi M (2001): The worldwide obesity epidemic. Obes. Res. 9 (Suppl 4), 228S–233S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meijer EP, Goris AHC, Wouters L & Westerterp KR (2001): Physical activity as a determinant of the physical activity level in the elderly. Int. j. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 25, 935–939.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Molnar D & Livingstone B (2000): Physical activity in relation to overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Eur. J. Pediatr. 159 (Suppl 1), S45–S55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowland TW (1998): The biological basis of physical activity. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 30, 392–399.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Steinberger J, Moran A, Hong CP, Jacobs Jr DR & Sinaiko AR (2001): Adiposity in childhood predicts obesity and insulin resistance in young adulthood. J. Pediatr. 138, 469–473.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Westerterp K (2001): Pattern and intensity of physical activity. Nature 410, 539.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Westerterp KR (1999): Physical activity assessment with accelerometers. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 23 (Suppl 3), S45–S49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Westerterp KR, Wouters L & Van Marken-Lichtenbelt W (1995): The Maastricht protocol for the measurement of body composition and energy expenditure with labeled water. Obes. Res. 3 (Suppl 1), 49–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    M B Hoos & W-JM Gerver

  2. Department of movement sciences, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    H Kuipers

  3. Department of Human Biology, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    K R Westerterp

Authors
  1. M B Hoos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H Kuipers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. W-JM Gerver
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. K R Westerterp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Guarantor: MB Hoos.

Contributors: MB Hoos collected data, carried out the statistical analysis, interpreted results and wrote the report. HK helped with the discussion of the results and contributed to writing of the report, W-JM Gerver had the original idea and helped to revise the report and KRW provided the know-how for the use of the Tracmor and helped to revise the report.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M B Hoos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hoos, M., Kuipers, H., Gerver, WJ. et al. Physical activity pattern of children assessed by triaxial accelerometry. Eur J Clin Nutr 58, 1425–1428 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601991

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601991

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links