title: BMI-referenced cut-points for recommended daily pedometer-determined steps in Australian children and adolescents.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to establish sex-specific criterion-referenced standards for pedometer-determined physical activity related to body mass index (BMI)-defined weight status among youth. We analyzed data from 7-16-year-old boys (n = 338) and girls (n = 337) and used pedometer-assessed physical activity and anthropometric data to derive average steps/day and BMI. Sex-specific criterion-referenced standards for steps/day relating to healthy weight and overweight/obese were determined using the contrasting groups method. Healthy weight children took more steps/day than overweight or obese (boys: 14,413 vs. 12,088, and girls: 12,562 vs. 10,114, respectively; p < .001). The optimal BMI-referenced cut-point emerging flom our sample was 16,000 steps/day for both boys and girls. Our results and those reported elsewhere suggest that youth take insufficient pedometer-determined steps/day to avoid becoming overweight.
authors.affiliation: Population Health Intervention Research Center, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. gmccorma@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Gavin R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: McCormack
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rutherford
authors.forename: Billie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Giles-Corti
authors.forename: Catrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tudor-Locke
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bull
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity; D012015:Reference Standards; D016138:Walking / Q000592:standards*; D014904:Western Australia