title: Normative steps/day and peak cadence values for united states children and adolescents: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2006.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide sex-and-age specific normative values for children and adolescents' accelerometer-determined steps/day, and peak 60-minute cadence adjusted to a pedometer-based scale.
  
  
  METHODS
  The analysis sample was 2610 children and adolescents (1329 girls) from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Accelerometer data were adjusted by eliminating steps counted when activity counts/min <500. Peak 60-minute cadence represented the 60 highest minutes of accumulated steps, averaged over monitored days. Normative data included quintile-defined categories of adjusted steps/day and peak 60-minute cadence for 7 age groups (6-7, 8-9, 10-11, 12-13, 14-15, 16-17, and 18-19 years). LMSChartmakerPro produced 10 age-group-specific smoothed curves (5 for each sex) showing the 5th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles, respectively, for steps/day and peak 60-minute cadence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Steps/day was inversely associated with age in both boys and girls. The age-associated reduction was apparent in only small decrements for boys; the girl's reduction was steeper. Boys appeared to maintain or increase their peak 60-minute cadence with increased age between 8 and 15 years of age, with a reduction apparent over the last 2 age groups investigated. The peak 60-minute cadence was more variable for girls; a similar sharp reduction (3-6 steps/min) in tandem with the steps/day was apparent between 10- to 11-year-old girls and 12- to 13-year-old girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We provided detailed information and normative data pertaining to steps/d and peak 60-minute cadence in US children and adolescents. Like well-known body mass index growth curves, these data may be useful for scientists and clinical practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA; Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY.
authors.forename: Tiago V
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Barreira
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA; Oregon State University, Corvalis, OR.
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schuna
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
authors.forename: Emily F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Mire
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
authors.forename: Stephanie T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Broyles
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Katzmarzyk
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA. Electronic address: tudor-locke@pbrc.edu.
authors.forename: Catrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tudor-Locke
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000379:methods*; D056044:Actigraphy / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012016:Reference Values; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult