Article

OBJECTIVE: To identify sources of variance in step counts and to examine the
minimum number of days required to obtain a stable measure of habitual ambulatory
activity in the cerebral palsy (CP) population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING:
Free-living environments. PARTICIPANTS: Children and adolescents with CP (N=209;
mean age +/- SD, 8y, 4mo +/- 3y, 4mo; n=118 boys; Gross Motor Function
Classification System [GMFCS] levels I-III) were recruited through 3 regional
pediatric specialty care hospitals. INTERVENTIONS: Daily walking activity was
measured with a 2-dimensional accelerometer over 7 consecutive days. An
individual information-centered approach was applied to days with <100 steps, and
participants with >/=3 days of missing values were excluded from the study.
Participants were categorized into 6 groups according to age and functional
level. Generalizability theory was used to analyze the data. MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Mean step counts, relative magnitude of variance components in total
step activity, and generalizability coefficients (G coefficients) of various
combinations of days of the week. RESULTS: Variance in step counts attributable
to participants ranged from 33.6% to 65.4%. For youth ages 2 to 5 years, a
minimum of 8, 6, and 2 days were required to reach acceptable G coefficient
(reliability) of >/=.80 for GMFCS levels I, II, and III, respectively. For those
ages 6 to 14 years, a minimum of 6, 5, and 4 days were required to reach stable
measures of step activity for GMFCS levels I, II, and III, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study suggest that an activity-monitoring period
should be determined based on the GMFCS levels to reliably measure ambulatory
activity levels in youth with CP.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS