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Energy cost in children assessed by multisensor activity monitors
Daniel Arvidsson1, Frode Slinde, Sven Larsson
1Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. daniel.arvidsson@nutrition.gu.se
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|February 11, 2009
Summary
The Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (IDEEA) best assessed children's energy expenditure across activities. However, the SenseWear Pro2 Armband (SWA) may be more practical for free-living studies, with further development needed for all devices.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical activity monitoring
- Energy expenditure assessment
- Wearable technology validation
Background:
- Accurate measurement of energy expenditure in children is crucial for understanding physical activity levels and metabolic health.
- Several wearable activity monitors exist, but their validity in pediatric populations across various activities requires thorough investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the accuracy of three activity monitors—SenseWear Pro2 Armband (SWA), Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (IDEEA), and ActiReg (AR)—against indirect calorimetry.
- To determine the devices' ability to assess energy cost in children during rest and diverse physical activities.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen children aged 11-13 years participated in the study.
- Participants wore the SWA, IDEEA, and AR devices during a protocol including rest, sitting, stationary cycling, trampoline jumping, basketball, stair walking, and track walking/running.
- Indirect calorimetry (Oxycon Mobile) served as the criterion measure for energy cost.
Main Results:
- All three monitors showed comparable results during rest and sitting.
- None of the devices accurately measured energy cost during stationary cycling, trampoline jumping, or basketball.
- The IDEEA accurately assessed energy cost during stair walking and provided close estimates for walking and running intensities.
- The SWA accurately measured slow to normal walking but underestimated energy cost at higher speeds.
- The AR overestimated energy cost during walking and slow running, failing to adjust for increased running speed.
Conclusions:
- All tested activity monitors require further development to accurately capture children's physical activity.
- The IDEEA demonstrated the highest accuracy in assessing energy cost among the three devices.
- The SWA may offer greater feasibility for use in children under free-living conditions despite its limitations.
