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Reactivity to accelerometer measurement of youth with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities
Author(s) -
Zhu X.,
Haegele J. A.,
Wang D.,
Zhang L.,
Wu X.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/jir.12757
Subject(s) - physical activity , reactivity (psychology) , psychology , actigraphy , accelerometer , intellectual disability , gerontology , physical therapy , medicine , psychiatry , alternative medicine , pathology , computer science , operating system , insomnia
Background Reactivity occurs when research participants alter their behaviours due to the awareness of being monitored, which is a concern with using wearable devices to measure physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine reactivity to accelerometer measurement among youth with moderate and severe intellectual disabilities (ID). Methods A sample of 175 youth with ID (108 with moderate and 67 with severe ID) was recruited from residential centres in China. Demographic data were measured using a parent‐reported questionnaire, and light physical activity (LPA) and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured using the ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers. Data were analysed using an analysis of covariances where Day 1 LPA/MVPA, Day 2–6 LPA/MVPA, and Day 7 LPA/MVPA were repeated measures. Results Youth with moderate ID had significantly higher LPA (8.01%) and MVPA (10.30%) on Day 1 than Day 2–6. Similarly, youth with severe ID had significantly higher LPA (21.69%) and MVPA (19.48%) on Day 1 than Day 2–6. An inverse reactivity was also found on Day 7 among youth with severe ID for LPA (−10.65%) and MVPA (−14.82%). Conclusions Reactivity to accelerometer measurement was found for youth with moderate and severe ID. Findings support the utilisation of a 1‐day familiarisation period, as well as discounting the final day of measurement, when examining physical activity behaviours among youth with moderate and severe ID.