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Feasibility and applicability of Evenson sedentary behavior cut points applied to children with and without
Bethany Forseth1, Paula E Papanek2, Michele L Polfuss1,3
1College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Insights
Sedentary behavior (SB) in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can be measured using Evenson cut-points. Children with IDD showed similar SB levels to peers without chronic illnesses, suggesting these cut-points are effective.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Disability Studies
- Public Health
Background:
- Sedentary behavior (SB) is linked to cardiometabolic health and obesity, but research in children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) is limited.
- Standard accelerometry cut-points (Evenson) may not accurately reflect SB in IDD populations due to unique movement patterns.
- The applicability of Evenson sedentary cut-points for children with IDD requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of applying Evenson sedentary cut-points in children with IDD.
- To describe and compare SB levels over two weeks across different diagnosis groups within the IDD population.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive cross-sectional study involving 22 children (Down syndrome, spina bifida, no chronic illness).
- SB was measured using accelerometers and Evenson cut-points during a 7-minute protocol and over a two-week period.
- Feasibility and differences in SB volume between diagnosis groups were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Evenson cut-points demonstrated preliminary efficacy, with 100% of participants meeting sedentary criteria during the protocol.
- No significant differences in total SB volume were found between children with Down syndrome (8.8h), spina bifida (8.6h), or no chronic illness (7.1h) over two weeks (p=0.36).
Conclusions:
- Evenson sedentary cut-points are feasible for use in children with IDD, including those with Down syndrome and spina bifida.
- Preliminary data indicate that children with IDD exhibit comparable SB levels to children without chronic illnesses.
- Further research is recommended to validate these findings and explore implications for rehabilitation.
Aim:
Sedentary behavior (SB) is widely studied as it is associated with cardiometabolic health and obesity issues. However, children with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) have been understudied. Accelerometers are commonly used to measure SB in typically developing populations but may be inappropriate for IDD populations due to differences in body movement and physiologic responses to the activity. The use of Evenson sedentary cut-points, created based on typically developing children, has yet to be applied and/or examined in children with IDD.
Purpose:
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to (1) Assess the feasibility of applying Evenson sedentary cut-points in children with IDD (2) Describe SB over a two-week period between diagnosis groups.
Methods:
The SB of 22 participants (8 children with Down syndrome, 6 children with spina bifida, 8 children with no chronic illness) was assessed on two separate occasions: (1) during a 7-minute sedentary protocol, and (2) over a two-week period.
Results:
The study supports the preliminary efficacy of using Evenson cut-points for this population, with 100% of participants being within the Evenson counts per minute (0-100 cpm) during the 7-minute sedentary protocol. The total volume of SB over a two-week period was not significantly different between diagnosis groups (8.8 h, 8.6 h, and 7.1 h of SB for children with Down syndrome, spina bifida, or those with no chronic illness, respectively; p = 0.36).
Conclusions:
Evenson sedentary cut-points can be used for children with IDD. Preliminary data suggest that children with IDD do not engage in significantly different SB than children without a chronic illness. Further study is warranted.Implications for rehabilitationObjective measures of physical activity and sedentary behavior for children with Down syndrome or spina bifida are rarely used due to potential differences in body movement (e.g., gait) during ambulation compared to typically developing peers that may influence the accuracy of cut-points.This study supports that Evenson sedentary cut-points can be used in children with Down syndrome or spina bifida to assess sedentary activity.Preliminary findings from this study demonstrate similarities in patterns of sedentary behaviors exhibited by our sample of children with Down syndrome, spina bifida, or no chronic illness.
