Accelerometer data treatment for adolescents: Fitting a piece of the puzzle

Abstract

a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f oThis study aimed to assess the differences in participant retention and associations between physical activity and key variables when a range of accelerometer data inclusion criteria are employed. Data were drawn from 204 adolescents of Pacific Island heritage (survey, body composition, 7-day accelerometry) and their parents (date of birth, socioeconomic status) between October 2014 and February 2016 in Auckland, New Zealand. Data wear time criteria for inclusion were as follows: A) N =10 h/weekday or N = 8 h weekend day, N = 5 days (at least one weekend day); B) N = 10 h/weekday or N = 8 h weekend day, N = 4 days; C) N =7 h/day, N = 3 days; D) N =10 h/day, N = 1 day. Overall, 49%, 62%, 88%, and 96% of participants met the criteria, respectively. Adjusted odds of meeting each criterion were examined using a multivariable logistic regression model. Almost 50% of participants were excluded by the most stringent inclusion criteria. Increased body fat percentage and proportion of time in moderate-to-vigorous activity were associated with decreased odds of meeting Criterions A and B. This research contributes to a growing understanding of the impact of differing accelerometer reduction approaches to sample retention and bias in adolescent physical activity research.

Results From New Zealand’s 2016 Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth

“…Data were derived from 8 studies, 15,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23] in total comprising 3363 sociodemographically diverse children and youth from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin cities. On average, 54% of children in these studies participated in at least 60 minutes of MVPA per day.…”

“…Data for 8 regional studies totaling 6329 participants from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin cities supplemented the calculation of this score. 15,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23] With the exception of 1 study, all assessed multiple measures of screen time. Across these studies, an average of 49% of children and youth met the recommendation of watching less than 2 hours of screen time daily, with a range of 17% to 96%.…”