Objective measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour: review with new data
Open accessAbstract
Objective methods are being used increasingly for the quantification of the amount of physical activity, intensity of physical activity and amount of sedentary behaviour in children. The accelerometer is currently the objective method of choice. In this review we address the advantages of objective measurement compared with more traditional subjective methods, notably the avoidance of bias, greater confidence in the amount of activity and sedentary behaviour measured, and improved ability to relate variation in physical activity and sedentary behaviour to variation in health outcomes. We also consider unresolved practical issues in paediatric accelerometry by critically reviewing the existing evidence and by providing new evidence.
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The Actigraph accelerometer has high validity, high reliability and low reactivity in children.
“The Actigraph is a small, unobtrusive and lightweight monitor with high validity (relative to reference measures of physical activity, direct observation and energy expenditure), high reliability and low reactivity in children,16”
From Timing of the decline in physical activity in childhood and adolescence: gateshead millennium cohort study (2018) · cites this paper as [16]
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- Authors
- Reilly, J. J., Penpraze, V, Hislop, J., Davies, G., Grant, S., & Paton, J. Y.
- Affiliations
- University of Glasgow (GB)
- Queen Margaret University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Reilly, J J
- Venue
- Archives of Disease in Childhood
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2008-07-01
- Volume
- 93
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 614-619
- ISSN
- 0003-9888 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2044
- OpenAlex
- W2167776023
- Cited by
- 564
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 57 · 2012: 58
- FWCI
- 27.54
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Archives of Disease in Childhood (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Queen Margaret University Publications Repository (Queen Margaret University) (acceptedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Queen Margaret University Publications Repository (Queen Margaret University) (submittedVersion)
- Edinburgh Napier Research Repository (Edinburgh Napier University) (submittedVersion)
- Edinburgh Napier Research Repository (Edinburgh Napier University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition › Context-Aware Activity Recognition Systems
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- physical activity measurement, sedentary behavior, accelerometry, children, objective measurement, physical activity intensity, measurement bias, health outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Acceleration, Child, Child Behavior, Health Status, Humans, Life Style, Motor Activity, Health Behavior, Exercise, Ergometry
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