The latest KaziBantu publication by Arnaiz et al. featured in the South African Journal of Science examines two widely used methods to assess physical activity levels among children. To that end, the authors first compared the accordance between self-reports of physical activity and their levels measured via accelerometry in school-aged children. Later, their association with specific cardiometabolic markers was examined.
Researchers observed a weak correlation between the two methodologies as well as inconsistencies in their relationship with cardiovascular health. Concretely, scores from the self-reported questionnaire only correlated vaguely with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity levels. Furthermore, accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was inversely associated with body mass index, while sedentary time displayed a positive relationship with blood lipid levels and self-reported physical activity associated negatively with systolic blood pressure.
Authors conclude that these findings can guide the choice of suitable physical activity assessment methods beyond practical implications, particularly in low-income settings, and considering their impact on cardiovascular risk identification.
For more details:
Arnaiz, P., Guntlisbergen, F., Infanger, D., Gerber, M., Adams, L., Dolley, D., Joubert, N., Nienaber, M., Nqweniso, S., du Randt, R., Steinmann, P., Utzinger, J., Walter, C., Pühse, U., & Müller, I. (2023). Association of accelerometry-based and self-reported physical activity with cardiovascular risk in South African children. South African Journal of Science, 119 (9/10). https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2023/15494
