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Validation of Accelerometer Cut-Points in Children With Cerebral Palsy Aged 4 to 5 Years
Piyapa Keawutan1, Kristie L Bell, Stina Oftedal
1Queensland Cerebral Palsy and Rehabilitation Research Centre (Mss Keawutan, Oftedal, and Dr Boyd), UQ Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Physical Therapy (Ms Keawutan), Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Thammasat University, Pathumthani, Thailand; Dietetics and Food Services (Dr Bell), Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, Children's Health Queensland, South Brisbane, Australia; and Children's Nutrition Research Centre (Ms Oftedal and Dr Davies), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Insights
This study validates accelerometer cut-points for children with cerebral palsy (CP), finding established cut-points effective for measuring sedentary and active time in group settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Physical Therapy
Background:
- Cerebral palsy (CP) impacts motor function, necessitating accurate methods to assess physical activity levels.
- Objective measurement of sedentary and active time is crucial for understanding the health and rehabilitation needs of children with CP.
Purpose of the Study:
- To derive and validate triaxial accelerometer cut-points for children with CP.
- To compare these cut-points with those established for typically developing children.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-four children with CP (ages 4-5) participated.
- ActiGraph accelerometers were used during play-based assessments, with video recording for direct observation.
- Receiver operating characteristic and Bland-Altman analyses were employed.
Main Results:
- The ActiGraph demonstrated good classification accuracy for GMFCS levels III and V, and fair accuracy for levels I, II, and IV.
- Previously established cut-points for sedentary time (820 counts/minute) were supported for children with CP aged 4-5 years.
Conclusions:
- Established accelerometer cut-points are effective for assessing sedentary and active time in groups of children with CP.
- These cut-points provide an objective measure applicable to group data, not individual assessment.
Purpose:
To derive and validate triaxial accelerometer cut-points in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and compare these with previously established cut-points in children with typical development.
Methods:
Eighty-four children with CP aged 4 to 5 years wore the ActiGraph during a play-based gross motor function measure assessment that was video-taped for direct observation. Receiver operating characteristic and Bland-Altman plots were used for analyses.
Results:
The ActiGraph had good classification accuracy in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels III and V and fair classification accuracy in GMFCS levels I, II, and IV. These results support the use of the previously established cut-points for sedentary time of 820 counts per minute in children with CP aged 4 to 5 years across all functional abilities.
Conclusions:
The cut-point provides an objective measure of sedentary and active time in children with CP. The cut-point is applicable to group data but not for individual children.
