Ambulatory physical activity performance in youth with cerebral palsy and youth who are developing typically.
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of walking activity in youth with cerebral palsy (CP) has traditionally been "capacity-based." The purpose of this study was to describe the day-to-day ambulatory activity "performance" of youth with CP compared with youth who were developing typically.


METHODS
Eighty-one youth with CP, aged 10 to 13 years, who were categorized as being in Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I to III and 30 age-matched youth who were developing typically were recruited.


METHODS
Using a cross-sectional design, participants wore the StepWatch monitor for 7 days while documenting average daily total step counts, percentage of time they were active, ratio of medium to low activity levels, and percentage of time at high activity levels.


RESULTS
The youth with CP demonstrated significantly lower levels of all outcomes than the comparison group.


CONCLUSIONS
Daily walking activity and variability decreased as functional walking level (GMFCS level) decreased. Ambulatory activity performance within the context of the daily life for youth with CP appears valid and feasible as an outcome for mobility interventions in CP.
Bjornson
Kristie F
KF
Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, W7706, 4800 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. kristie.bjornson@seattlechildrens.org
Belza
Basia
B
Kartin
Deborah
D
Logsdon
Rebecca
R
McLaughlin
John F
JF
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009048:Motor Skills; D019957:Motor Skills Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*