Estimated Physical Activity in Adolescents by Wrist-Worn GENEActiv Accelerometers

Reports of physical activity (PA) measured via wrist-worn accelerometers in adolescents are limited. This study describes PA levels in adolescents at baseline of an obesity prevention and weight management trial.

Adolescents (n = 930) at 8 high schools wore an accelerometer for 7 days, with average acceleration values of <50 mg, >150 mg, and >500 mg categorized as sedentary, moderate, and vigorous PA, respectively. In a 3-level mixed-effects generalized linear model, PA was regressed on sex, weight status, and day of week. Daily PA was nested within students, and students within schools, with random effects included for both.

Adolescents accumulated a median of 40 minutes daily of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA). MVPA was significantly different for teens with obesity versus teens with normal weight (-5.4 min/d, P = .03); boys versus girls (16.3 min/d, P < .001); and Sundays versus midweek (-16.6 min/d, P < .001). Average sedentary time increased on weekends (Saturday: 19.1 min/d, P < .001; Sunday: 44.8 min, P < .001) relative to midweek but did not differ by sex or weight status.

Interventions to increase PA in adolescents may benefit from focusing on increasing weekend PA and increasing MVPA in girls.