CANPLAY pedometer normative reference data for 21,271 children and 12,956 adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric physical activity research
• Public health surveillance
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Existing pedometer-determined physical activity data for youth are limited.
• Previous studies often used small or specific populations.
• Lack of comprehensive normative values hinders accurate comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish sex- and age-specific normative values for pedometer-determined steps per day in children and adolescents.
• To enable researchers, clinicians, and families to compare youth physical activity levels to peers.
• To provide a benchmark for evaluating physical activity in young populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 21,271 children (5-12 yrs) and 12,956 adolescents (13-19 yrs) collected between 2005-2011.
• Participants recorded daily steps via pedometers for 7 days.
• Normative data presented as mean steps/day, percentiles, and quintiles, stratified by sex and age.

Main Results:

• Mean daily steps increased from 11,602 (5-year-olds) to a peak of 12,348 (10-year-olds), then decreased to 9,778-10,073 (15-19-year-olds).
• Boys exhibited higher mean daily steps than girls across all ages, with no significant difference at age 19.
• Data provided detailed age- and sex-specific reference values.

Conclusions:

• The CANPLAY data offer the most extensive sex- and age-specific normative reference for youth pedometer activity.
• These normative values are essential for surveillance, screening, and intervention evaluation.
• Establishing these benchmarks supports public health efforts in tracking and promoting physical activity.