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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Subject "accelerometer"

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    ItemOpen Access
    Objectively measured free-living physical activity in pet dogs: relationship to body condition score and owner-pet activity
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Weber, David Isaiah Sale, author; Browning, Raymond C., advisor; Nelson, Tracy, committee member; Palmer, Ross, committee member
    The prevalence of canine obesity continues to increase and is due, in part, to inadequate levels of physical activity (PA). Accelerometers have emerged as a useful tool to objectively quantify levels of physical activity in humans, as well as companion pets, but there is little data on the levels/patterns of free-living physical activity in pet dogs and how it relates to body condition score (BCS) and owner physical activity. PURPOSE: To quantify free-living physical activity levels of healthy pet dogs using a collar-mounted accelerometer and to relate this to BCS and owner-reported dog walking behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recorded anthropometric data, BCS and five consecutive days of free-living physical activity via accelerometry in 74 dogs. Four consecutive days of one-minute accelerometer count epochs were summed to generate a measure of hourly and total daily physical activity levels. We also recorded step counts in 49 owners who were instructed to wear a hip-mounted pedometer while walking their dog and record the number of steps following each walk. RESULTS: Mean (SE) accelerometer counts/day were 202,859(5,806). Dogs with a BCS of three were significantly more active than those with a BCS of four (p= 0.047). Dogs were more physically active in the morning and evening hours, presumably because their owners were present. Dogs appeared to engage in distinct periods of PA such that 40% or more of total daily activity occurred during three hours or ~12% of each day. We analyzed 169 days of owner walks. Mean (SE) accelerometer counts recorded during a walk and corresponding pedometer counts were 95,905(5,637) and 4,558(305) respectively. There was a significant positive relationship between accelerometry counts and steps (r2 0.63, p<0.001). DISCUSSION: These data support the use of accelerometry to assess free-living physical activity in dogs and show that physical activity levels of dogs are inversely related to their adiposity. The strong relationship between dog physical activity and owner dog-walking suggests that interventions aimed to increase walking in dogs may benefit both the dogs and their owners. Accelerometers may be useful in a clinical setting to measure the effects of such interventions. The prevalence of canine obesity continues to increase and is due, in part, to inadequate levels of physical activity (PA). Accelerometers have emerged as a useful tool to objectively quantify levels of physical activity in humans, as well as companion pets, but there is little data on the levels/patterns of free-living physical activity in pet dogs and how it relates to body condition score (BCS) and owner physical activity. PURPOSE: To quantify free-living physical activity levels of healthy pet dogs using a collar-mounted accelerometer and to relate this to BCS and owner-reported dog walking behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recorded anthropometric data, BCS and five consecutive days of free-living physical activity via accelerometry in 74 dogs. Four consecutive days of one-minute accelerometer count epochs were summed to generate a measure of hourly and total daily physical activity levels. We also recorded step counts in 49 owners who were instructed to wear a hip-mounted pedometer while walking their dog and record the number of steps following each walk. RESULTS: Mean (SE) accelerometer counts/day were 202,859(5,806). Dogs with a BCS of three were significantly more active than those with a BCS of four (p= 0.047). Dogs were more physically active in the morning and evening hours, presumably because their owners were present. Dogs appeared to engage in distinct periods of PA such that 40% or more of total daily activity occurred during three hours or ~12% of each day. We analyzed 169 days of owner walks. Mean (SE) accelerometer counts recorded during a walk and corresponding pedometer counts were 95,905(5,637) and 4,558(305) respectively. There was a significant positive relationship between accelerometry counts and steps (r2 0.63, p<0.001). DISCUSSION: These data support the use of accelerometry to assess free-living physical activity in dogs and show that physical activity levels of dogs are inversely related to their adiposity. The strong relationship between dog physical activity and owner dog-walking suggests that interventions aimed to increase walking in dogs may benefit both the dogs and their owners. Accelerometers may be useful in a clinical setting to measure the effects of such interventions.
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    ItemOpen Access
    Role of the playground environment on levels of physical activity in elementary school children
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Schaefer, Christine Adele, author; Browning, Raymond C., advisor; Nelson, Tracy L., committee member; Peel, Jennifer L., committee member
    The school environment offers opportunities for children to be active, particularly during recess periods. Yet the influence of the playground on levels of physical activity (PA) throughout the day has not been well described. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of renovated (Learning Landscapes, LL) vs. non-renovated playgrounds on levels of recess, school day and after school PA in elementary school children. The data collected serve as baseline for the Intervention of PhysicaL Activity in Youth (IPLAY) Study. METHODS: We measured height, weight and 5-6 days of free-living PA via wrist-mounted Actical accelerometers in 277 elementary school children. These students were enrolled in schools serving low socioeconomic status (SES) families (76.9% receiving free and reduced lunch) in metropolitan Denver, CO. Overweight status was defined as ≥ 85th percentile BMI-for-age. We applied age and wrist-specific cutpoints to the data to determine total number of minutes and percent of time spent in moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA). Univariate ANOVA was conducted to determine between-subject effects of weight status, presence of LL and sex on recess, school day and after school PA. RESULTS: During recess and the school day, but not after school, children in LL accumulated more PA than their non-LL counterparts. Boys were significantly more active than girls at all time points. Normal weight children were more active than overweight children over the course of the whole school day. Children in LL were no more likely than their non-LL counterparts to meet the guideline for daily MVPA. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that in LL schools, normal weight girls and all boys participate in greater levels of recess PA compared to their non-LL counterparts. However, overweight girls¡¯ levels of PA are not different between playground conditions, signifying the need for additional approaches to encourage them to be more active. Although more active during recess, children in LL are no more likely than non-LL children to meet the guideline for PA, indicating that recess duration may be an important factor in daily PA accumulation.