Absolute and relative intensity physical activity of children with healthy and low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness

Introduction Accelerometer-derived outcomes describing physical activity (PA) volume and intensity distribution relative to a person’s maximal capacity have provided insight into associations with health in adults. Little is known, however, about how the relative intensity of children’s PA volume and intensity distribution relates to health or fitness. To address this, we examined associations between children’s absolute and relative PA volume and intensity distribution with cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and differences in these PA outcomes for children stratified by CRF level.

Materials and Methods In 9–10-year-old children (N=235) PA was assessed using wrist accelerometers for up to 7-days and CRF estimated from the 20-m multistage shuttle run test (20mSRT). Children were classified as Healthy or Low CRF. Absolute PA outcomes were PA volume (average acceleration; AvAccabs) and intensity distribution (intensity gradient; IGabs). Equivalent relative PA outcomes were generated (AvAccrel and IGrel) using maximum acceleration values derived from the 20mSRT.

Results Absolute, but not relative standardised PA outcomes were positively associated with CRF (AvAccabs Stdβ=0.21, p=0.02; IGabs Stdβ=0.21, p=0.03). Absolute standardised PA outcomes were significantly higher among Healthy CRF children (AvAccabs Stdβ=0.40, p=0.007; IGabs Stdβ=0.46, p=0.008), but there were no significant differences between Healthy and Low CRF groups for relative PA outcomes.

Conclusions Children were similarly active relative to their physiological capacity, despite children with Healthy CRF being more active in absolute terms. Future studies should seek to better understand the influence of relative PA on CRF among diverse child populations who differ on a range of physical, physiological and demographic characteristics.