Validation and Determination of Physical Activity Intensity GT3X+ Cut-Points in Children and Adolescents with Physical Disabilities: Preliminary Results in a Cerebral Palsy Population

Carmen Matey-Rodríguez; Susana López-Ortiz; Saúl Peñín-Grandes; José Pinto-Fraga; Pedro L Valenzuela; Mónica Pico; Carmen Fiuza-Luces; Simone Lista; Alejandro Lucia; Alejandro Santos-Lozano

doi:10.3390/children10030475

Validation and Determination of Physical Activity Intensity GT3X+ Cut-Points in Children and Adolescents with Physical Disabilities: Preliminary Results in a Cerebral Palsy Population

Children (Basel). 2023 Feb 27;10(3):475. doi: 10.3390/children10030475.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ i+HeALTH Strategic Research Group, Department of Health Sciences, Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC), 47012 Valladolid, Spain.
² Research Institute of the Hospital 12 de Octubre ('imas12'), 28041 Madrid, Spain.
³ Department of Systems Biology, University of Alcalá, 28871 Madrid, Spain.
⁴ Faculty of Sport Sciences, European University of Madrid, Villaviciosa de Odón, 28670 Madrid, Spain.

Abstract

Background: Children and adolescents with disabilities engage in low levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), which may create the onset of a sedentary lifestyle. In light of this, MVPA levels must be quantified with a valid tool such as accelerometry. This study aimed to: (i) analyze the accuracy of Evenson cut-points by estimating MVPA and sedentary behavior (SB) in children and adolescents with disabilities; (ii) define new equations to estimate energy expenditure (EE) with the GT3X+ accelerometer in this population and particularly in those with cerebral palsy (CP); (iii) define specific GT3X+ cut-points to estimate MVPA in those with CP.

Methods: A total of 23 children and adolescents with disabilities (10 ± 3 years; 44%females) participated in the study. GT3X+-counts and oxygen uptake (VO₂) were measured in four laboratory walking conditions.

Results: (i) Evenson cut-points were accurate; (ii) new equations were defined to effectively predict EE; (iii) specific GT3X+ cut-points (VM ≥ 702 counts·min^-1; Y-Axis ≥ 360 counts·min^-1) were defined for estimating MVPA levels in children and adolescents with CP.

Conclusions: The use of specific cut-points for ActiGraph GT3X+ seems to be accurate to estimate MVPA levels in children and adolescents with disabilities and, particularly, in those with CP, at least in laboratory conditions.

Keywords: energy expenditure; motor disorder; motor impairment; pediatrics.

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number FPU19/02117 [S.L.-O.] and FPU20/07594 [S.P.-G.]) and by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and Fondos FEDER (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias [FIS], grant number PI18/00139 [A.L.]) and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (postdoctoral contract Sara Borrell, grant number CD21/00138 [P.L.V.]).