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PATTERNS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OVER ONE WEEK IN YOUNG ADULTS USING THE TRITRAC ACCELEROMETER 434
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1997
Year
Physical ActivityNeuromuscular CoordinationAdapted Physical ActivityAccelerometerModerate Physical ActivityKinesiologyExercisePhysical ExerciseApplied PhysiologyHuman MotionHealth SciencesPhysical Activity PatternPhysical Activity PatternsHealth StandardsRehabilitationExercise SciencePhysical Activity EpidemiologyExercise PhysiologyHuman Movement
Few studies have provided objective data on physical activity pattern for long periods of time. The purpose of this study was to describe physical activity patterns of young adults using the Tritrac-R3D accelerometer. Participants were asked to wear a Tritrac during waking hours for seven days. Volunteers were part of the control group of a larger study. Out of the 32 who volunteered to wear the Tritrac, 12 men and 20 women agreed. Tritracs were mailed to the participants in a self-adjusting hip pouch. Tritrac data were invalid due to battery failure in 10 of the 32 units and three participants declined to wear the device because of comfort or work related reasons. Data were collected on five men and 14 women with a mean age of 25.3 ±.4 yrs. The Tritrac was worn for an average of 9.7 ± 3.1 hrs per day for women and 11.6 ± 3.0 hrs per day for men. To determine minutes spent in light (2 METS), moderate (4 METS), and vigorous (7 METS) activity, vector magnitude ranges of 741-1823, 1824-3448, 3449 and above were used, respectively. For women, average minutes per day spent in light activity was 20.4 ± 22.9, in moderate activity 5.7 ± 6.6, and spent in vigorous activity was.6 ± 1.5. For men, average minutes spent was 17.4± 11.8 for light, 3.9 ± 2.3 for moderate, 5.1 ± 6.0 for vigorous activity. The number of bouts spent in moderate and vigorous activity was also examined. Ten-minute continuous bouts of moderate activity were determined by assessing minute by minute vector magnitudes that fell within the moderate range. An interruption of one minute was allowed during the bout. Twenty-minute bouts were determined for vigorous activity allowing two minutes of interruption. None of these young adults met the CDC's and ACSM's 1995 recommendations for moderate physical activity or the ACSM's recommendations for enhancing fitness. These objectively-determined physical activity levels are substantially lower than expected, based on self-report surveys.