Validation of an electronic pedometer for measurement of physical activity in children

Activity measurement using a uniaxial electronic pedometer was compared to a triaxial accelerometer and behavioral observation measurements for ten 712-year-old children studied during high intensity recreational and low intensity classroom periods. Correlations between all measures were significant for recreational and classroom periods combined, and recreational periods alone (r's > .90, p < .001). Correlations between the pedometer and accelerometer were significantly lower during classroom versus recreational activities (0.98 vs. 0.50, p < .05). This may be due in part to the uniaxial pedometer being sensitive only to vertical and not back and forward or side to side movement.