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Device-Based Physical Activity Surveillance in Asian American Children and Adolescents: Participation and Activity
Soyang Kwon1, Pooja S Tandon2,3, Nilay S Shah4
1Buehler Center for Health Policy and Economics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Background:
Asian American children and adolescents are underrepresented in physical activity research, and available evidence relies largely on self- or caregiver-reported measures. This study evaluated accelerometer-measured physical activity levels among Asian American children and adolescents, benchmarked against a national reference and explored differences by nativity and sex.
Methods:
We analyzed National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 data from non-Hispanic Asian children and adolescents aged 6-17 years who provided valid wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer data. Nativity was classified as U.S.-born or non-U.S.-born. Physical activity was summarized using the Monitor-Independent Movement Summary (MIMS) units and sex- and age-specific MIMS percentiles using U.S. reference values. Survey-weighted linear regression models examined associations between nativity and MIMS percentile, adjusting for age group, sex, and family income. A sex-by-nativity interaction was tested.
Results:
Among 410 participants, the mean MIMS percentile was 36.7 (95% CI: 33.8-39.6), significantly below the national median. Overall MIMS percentiles did not differ by nativity. A sex-by-nativity interaction was observed but did not reach a statistical significance (p = 0.06). Descriptively, non-U.S.-born males tended to have higher MIMS percentiles than U.S.-born males (difference = 8.2; p = 0.16), whereas non-U.S.-born females tended to have lower MIMS percentiles than U.S.-born females (difference = -4.6; p = 0.19).
Conclusions:
Accelerometer-measured PA in Asian American children and adolescents was below the national reference. Nativity- and sex-related patterns were exploratory and warrant confirmation in larger samples.
