Correlation and Wear-Time Compliance of the Wrist-Worn SQORD Activity Monitor Compared to the Actigraph 3TGX in Measuring Free-Living Physical Activity in Low SES Elementary Youth

Background and Purpose: Activity trackers have grown increasingly popular, yet research grade accelerometers, like Actigraph, are still very expensive and must be worn on the waist. This study correlated the low-cost wrist-worn SQORD band to the Actigraph accelerometer to assess physical activity (PA) in youth from a low-income area. Methods: Forty-one participants (22:19 male:female; mean age= 10.7 years) in an after-school program participated. Participants wore a waist-worn Actigraph accelerometer and a wrist-worn SQORD for seven days. Abdominal, upper and lower body strength and endurance, and aerobic capacity were assessed through FITNESSGRAM tests. Bivariate correlations were used to analyze the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) via the Actigraph and SQORD and to examine relationships between physical fitness and MVPA. Results: At 8- and 10-hour wear-time, compliance with wearing the devices was higher with the SQORD than the Actigraph. A correlation was found between MVPA via SQORD and Actigraph (r=0.651). Neither the SQORD or Actigraph was associated with any fitness measures (r = -0.061; – 0.817). Conclusion: The SQORD appears to be successful in tracking MVPA in youth and was worn more than the Actigraph. Wrist-worn, consumer-grade devices may be a cost-effective alternative to traditional accelerometers for physical education programs and research in low-income populations.

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Evaluation of a Low-Cost Commercial Actigraph and Its Potential Use in Detecting Cultural Variations in Physical Activity and Sleep

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s21113774 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 3774

Author(s):

Pavlos Topalidis ◽

Cristina Florea ◽

Esther-Sevil Eigl ◽

Anton Kurapov ◽

Carlos Alberto Beltran Leon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Large Scale ◽

Low Cost ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Time Data ◽

Cultural Variations ◽

Step Counts ◽

Scale Step ◽

Potential Use

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the performance of a low-cost commercial smartwatch, the Xiaomi Mi Band (MB), in extracting physical activity and sleep-related measures and show its potential use in addressing questions that require large-scale real-time data and/or intercultural data including low-income countries. We evaluated physical activity and sleep-related measures and discussed the potential application of such devices for large-scale step and sleep data acquisition. To that end, we conducted two separate studies. In Study 1, we evaluated the performance of MB by comparing it to the GT3X (ActiGraph, wGT3X-BT), a scientific actigraph used in research, as well as subjective sleep reports. In Study 2, we distributed the MB across four countries (Austria, Germany, Cuba, and Ukraine) and investigated physical activity and sleep among these countries. The results of Study 1 indicated that MB step counts correlated highly with the scientific GT3X device, but did display biases. In addition, the MB-derived wake-up and total-sleep-times showed high agreement with subjective reports, but partly deviated from GT3X predictions. Study 2 revealed similar MB step counts across countries, but significant later wake-up and bedtimes for Ukraine than the other countries. We hope that our studies will stimulate future large-scale sensor-based physical activity and sleep research studies, including various cultures.

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Expanding after School Program Access for Vulnerable Students: Examining the Efficacy of Federal Policy and Funding

Education and Urban Society ◽

10.1177/00131245211004550 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 001312452110045

Author(s):

Susan K. Klumpner ◽

Michael E. Woolley

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

After School Programs ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

After School ◽

School Program ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

School Programs ◽

After School Program ◽

Low Income Families

After school programs provide low income students and students of color with learning opportunities across both academic and non-academic domains that such students would otherwise not get. In this study, we examined the intersection of school characteristics (e.g., enrollment size, percent minority enrolled, and percent eligible for FARM) and the types of after school programming schools offered (e.g., fee-based, 21st CCLC, and other types) using binary logistic regression models. I n a sample of schools ( n = 1,601) surveyed by the National Center on Education Statistics 2008 FRSS, we found that under-resourced schools had lower odds of having a 21st CCLC program and higher odds of having a fee-based after school program (than schools with a lower percentage of students receiving FARM). That is counter to the stated goals of the 21st CCLC program. These findings highlight the need for a re-prioritization of 21st CCLC funding such that financial assistance provided to schools to support after school programs is allocated to schools serving students from low income families and communities.

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Generalizability of an adult-validated model for predicting increased physical activity in after-school program children: Effects of treatment formats on fitness indicators

Evaluation and Program Planning ◽

10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2018.11.008 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 73 ◽

pp. 33-43

Author(s):

James J Annesi

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

After School ◽

School Program ◽

Fitness Indicators ◽

After School Program

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Relationship between After-School Physical Activity and Dietary Habits with Cardio-metabolic Risk in Low-income Children

Journal of Physical Activity Research ◽

10.12691/jpar-3-1-5 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 28-34

Author(s):

Sara A. Goodrum ◽

Timothy A. Brusseau ◽

Janet M. Shaw ◽

Ryan D. Burns

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

After School ◽

Metabolic Risk ◽

Low Income Children

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Low Cost Recursive Localization scheme for High Density Wireless Sensor Networks

Sensor Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-2454-1.ch013 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 263-285

Author(s):

Badia Bouhdid ◽

Wafa Akkari ◽

Sofien Gannouni

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Cost Effective ◽

High Density ◽

Communication Overhead ◽

Localization Algorithm ◽

Localization Accuracy ◽

Localization Scheme ◽

Implementation Costs ◽

Cost Effective Alternative ◽

Algorithm Implementation

While existing localization approaches mainly focus on enhancing the accuracy, particular attention has recently been given to reducing the localization algorithm implementation costs. To obtain a tradeoff between location accuracy and implementation cost, recursive localization approaches are being pursued as a cost-effective alternative to the more expensive localization approaches. In the recursive approach, localization information increases progressively as new nodes compute their positions and become themselves reference nodes. A strategy is then required to control and maintain the distribution of these new reference nodes. The lack of such a strategy leads, especially in high density networks, to wasted energy, important communication overhead and even impacts the localization accuracy. In this paper, the authors propose an efficient recursive localization approach that reduces the energy consumption, the execution time, and the communication overhead, yet it increases the localization accuracy through an adequate distribution of reference nodes within the network.

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Improving life after stroke needs global efforts to implement evidence-based physical activity pathways

International Journal of Stroke ◽

10.1177/1747493019840930 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 457-459 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Frederike van Wijck ◽

Julie Bernhardt ◽

Sandra A Billinger ◽

Marie-Louise Bird ◽

Janice Eng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Best Practice ◽

Recurrent Stroke ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Low Income Countries ◽

Active Lifestyle ◽

High Quality ◽

The World

There is an urgent need to improve life after stroke across the world—especially in low-income countries—through methods that are effective, equitable and sustainable. This paper highlights physical activity (PA) as a prime candidate for implementation. PA reduces modifiable risk factors for first and recurrent stroke and improves function and activity during rehabilitation and following discharge. Preliminary evidence also indicates PA is cost-effective. This compelling evidence urgently needs to be translated into seamless pathways to enable stroke survivors across the world to engage in a more active lifestyle. Although more quality research is needed—particularly on how to optimize uptake and maintenance of PA—this should not delay implementation of high-quality evidence already available. This paper shares examples of best practice service models from low-, middle-, and high-income countries around the world. The authors call for a concerted effort to implement high-quality PA services to improve life after stroke for all.

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Science Education for Sustainability: Strengthening Children’s Science Engagement through Climate Change Learning and Action

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12166400 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (16) ◽

pp. 6400 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carlie D. Trott ◽

Andrea E. Weinberg

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Science Education ◽

Low Income ◽

School Science ◽

Education For Sustainability ◽

After School ◽

Youth Of Color ◽

Science Engagement ◽

Climate Action ◽

After School Program

Scientists and sustainability scholars continue to make urgent calls for rapid societal transformation to sustainability. Science education is a key venue for this transformation. In this manuscript, we argue that by positioning children as critical actors for sustainability in science education contexts, they may begin to reimagine what science means to them and to society. This multi-site, mixed-methods study examined how children’s climate change learning and action influenced their science engagement along cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions. For fifteen weeks, ten- to twelve-year-olds participated in an after-school program that combined on-site interactive educational activities (e.g., greenhouse gas tag) with off-site digital photography (i.e., photovoice process), and culminated in youth-led climate action in family and community settings. Participants were 55 children (M = 11.1 years), the majority from groups underrepresented in science (52.7% girls; 43.6% youth of color; 61.8% low-income). Combined survey and focus group analyses showed that, after the program, science became more relevant to children’s lives, and their attitudes towards science (i.e., in school, careers, and in society) improved significantly. Children explained that understanding the scientific and social dimensions of climate change expanded their views of science: Who does it, how, and why—that it is more than scientists inside laboratories. Perhaps most notably, the urgency of climate change solutions made science more interesting and important to children, and many reported greater confidence, participation, and achievement in school science. The vast majority of the children (88.5%) reported that the program helped them to like science more, and following the program, more than half (52.7%) aspired to a STEM career. Lastly, more than a third (37%) reported improved grades in school science, which many attributed to their program participation. Towards strengthening children’s science engagement, the importance of climate change learning and action—particularly place-based, participatory, and action-focused pedagogies—are discussed.

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Latina Elementary School Girls’ Experiences in an Urban After-School Physical Education and Literacy Program

Journal of Teaching in Physical Education ◽

10.1123/jtpe.2019-0211 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Risto Marttinen ◽

Mara Simon ◽

Sharon Phillips ◽

Ray N. Fredrick

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Low Income ◽

Role Models ◽

Critical Role ◽

Literacy Program ◽

After School ◽

Educational Approach ◽

Community Spaces ◽

The Impact ◽

Latina Girls

Purpose: To understand where and how Latina girls are physically active outside of the Reflective Educational Approach to Character and Health program and the impact of female role models on participation in the program. Methods: The authors implemented a yearlong after-school physical activity and literacy program for fifth and sixth grade girls (N = 22 girls) in a low-income, urban community. Four university students/coaches delivered all sessions. Data were triangulated through 10 Latina girls’ interviews, student journals, coaches’ journals, researcher journals, and field notes, and analyzed using constant comparison. Results: Girls participated in leisure-time physical activities with family in community spaces, in spite of social and cultural barriers. Female coaches facilitated girls’ increased engagement by acting as strong role models and fostering caring relationships. Conclusion: After-school programs, community spaces, and strong connections with coaches play a critical role in students’ engagement in physical activity.

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