Movement intensities across screen and nonscreen-based contexts in children: A proof-of-concept study using wearable cameras and accelerometers

Abstract

While accelerometers capture movement behavior intensity, they lack context, limiting insights into children’s behavior patterns. This proof-of-concept study combined wearable cameras and accelerometers to examine children’s movement intensity within selected everyday behavioral contexts. In nonscreen contexts, playing quietly was the most active behavior, comprising 25% sedentary behavior (SB) intensity, 72% light PA (LPA) intensity, and 3% moderate- to vigorous-intensity PA. In contrast, writing was highly sedentary with 73% SB and 27% LPA, while reading showed a similar pattern with 69% SB, 29% LPA, and 2% moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA. In screen-based contexts, music player use was the most sedentary activity, with 79% of time classified SB, and 21% as LPA. Movement patterns during TV viewing, tablet use, and mobile phone use were relatively similar. Movement intensity within selected everyday behavioral contexts was not uniformly low. Combining wearable cameras and accelerometers provides complementary information on behavioral context and movement intensity.