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. 2018 Feb;50(2):246-256.
doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001430.

A Youth Compendium of Physical Activities: Activity Codes and Metabolic Intensities

Nancy F Butte  1 , Kathleen B Watson  1 , Kate Ridley  1 , Issa F Zakeri  1 , Robert G McMurray  1 , Karin A Pfeiffer  1 , Scott E Crouter  1 , Stephen D Herrmann  1 , David R Bassett  1 , Alexander Long  1 , Zekarias Berhane  1 , Stewart G Trost  1 , Barbara E Ainsworth  1 , David Berrigan  1 , Janet E Fulton  1
Affiliations

A Youth Compendium of Physical Activities: Activity Codes and Metabolic Intensities

Nancy F Butte et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: A Youth Compendium of Physical Activities (Youth Compendium) was developed to estimate the energy costs of physical activities using data on youth only.

Methods: On the basis of a literature search and pooled data of energy expenditure measurements in youth, the energy costs of 196 activities were compiled in 16 activity categories to form a Youth Compendium of Physical Activities. To estimate the intensity of each activity, measured oxygen consumption (V˙O2) was divided by basal metabolic rate (Schofield age-, sex-, and mass-specific equations) to produce a youth MET (METy). A mixed linear model was developed for each activity category to impute missing values for age ranges with no observations for a specific activity.

Results: This Youth Compendium consists of METy values for 196 specific activities classified into 16 major categories for four age-groups, 6-9, 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18 yr. METy values in this Youth Compendium were measured (51%) or imputed (49%) from youth data.

Conclusion: This Youth Compendium of Physical Activities uses pediatric data exclusively, addresses the age dependency of METy, and imputes missing METy values and thus represents advancement in physical activity research and practice. This Youth Compendium will be a valuable resource for stakeholders interested in evaluating interventions, programs, and policies designed to assess and encourage physical activity in youth.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
METy values are plotted by age-groups—midpoint (y) for the following activity categories: quiet play/schoolwork/television (sitting), including the specific activities: A = arts and crafts; B = board games; C = coloring, reading, writing, Internet; D = computer work; E = giving a speech; F = listening to radio; G = listening to story; H = playing quietly; I = playing stringed instrument; J = playing with bricks; K = playing with toys (cards, puzzles, cars, trains); L = puzzles; M = quietly sitting; N = reading; O = reading a book and listening to music; P = schoolwork; Q = sewing; R = singing; S = talking with friend; T = watching TV/DVD; U = writing; housekeeping/work, including the specific activities: A = bed making; B = carpentry; C = dressing and undressing; D = dusting; E = dusting and sweeping; F = hanging out washing; G = housework; H = laundry; I = loading/unloading; j = setting the table; J = setting the table; K = shoveling; L = sweeping; M = vacuuming; N = washing the dishes; Dance/Aerobics/Step, including the specific activities: A = aerobic dance/dance; B = stair walking-ascending; C = stair walking—ascending 80 steps per minute; D = stair walking—ascending/descending; E = stair walking—descending; F = step board; G = stepping—height 30%–50% leg length; Running, including the specific activities: A = jog-fast; B = jog-slow; C = jog self-paced; D = run 3.0 mph; E = run 3.5 mph; F = run 4.0 mph; G = run 4.5 mph; H = run 5.0 mph; I = run 5.5 mph; J = run 6.0 mph; K = run 6.5 mph; L = run 7.0 mph; M = run 7.5 mph; N = run 8.0 mph; O = run self-paced.
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