Use of the StepWatch activity monitor for characterization of normal activity levels of children

Clinical and research measures for walking activity measure capacity and performance. Existing tools such as 3-dimensional gait analysis and validated gross motor instruments examine capacity but do not measure performance. We defined normal activity levels for 20 children ages 5-7 and 9-11 years using the StepWatch Activity Monitor (SAM). Average daily step counts varied widely by age and sex (mean 7604 +/- 2485), but the percent time spent at high, medium, and low levels of activity was very consistent regardless of age or sex of the child.