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Measuring Heart Rate Variability Using Commercially Available Devices in Healthy Children: A Validity and Reliability
Kathryn E Speer1,2, Stuart Semple1,2, Nenad Naumovski3
1Faculty of Health, Discipline of Sport and Exercise Science/University of Canberra, Canberra (ACT) 2617, Australia.
European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education
|September 20, 2021
Summary
A finger photoplethysmography (PPG) system was not valid for measuring pediatric heart rate variability (HRV). The Polar H10 sensor demonstrated reliable HRV measurements in young children for real-world educational settings.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric cardiology
- Autonomic nervous system function
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Heart rate variability (HRV) is crucial for assessing autonomic nervous system activity and cardiovascular health.
- Validating wearable technology for pediatric HRV measurement is essential for real-world applications.
- Existing research often focuses on adult populations, leaving a gap in pediatric validation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the validity and reliability of a commercial finger photoplethysmography (PPG) system for measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in healthy young children.
- To compare the performance of the PPG system against a validated heart rate (HR) sensor (Polar H10) against the electrocardiogram (ECG) gold standard.
- To determine the suitability of the PPG system for pediatric HRV assessment in a real-world educational environment.
Main Methods:
- Sixteen healthy children (aged ~4 years) participated in the study.
- Simultaneous resting R-R interval recordings were obtained using a finger PPG system and a Polar H10 HR sensor.
- Data were collected over three days in a school setting, with validity assessed via paired t-tests and Bland-Altman analyses, and reliability calculated using ICCs and TEM%.
Main Results:
- The finger PPG system demonstrated no valid HRV parameters when compared to the gold standard.
- The Polar H10 sensor exhibited moderate to good relative reliability (ICCs = 0.84 for specific parameters).
- The Polar H10 showed superior absolute reliability, with low temporal error measurements (TEM% < 12%).
Conclusions:
- The commercial finger PPG system is not recommended for accurate pediatric HRV measurement in real-world settings.
- The Polar H10 HR sensor is a reliable and valid tool for measuring HRV in young children within educational environments.
- Further research may be needed to develop accurate PPG-based HRV monitoring solutions for pediatric populations.
Keywords:
Polar H10autonomic nervous system or ANSchildrenheart rate variability or HRVphotoplethysmography or PPGreliabilityvalidityMore Related Videos
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