The purpose of the study was to identify and compare validity parameters of different absolute intensity thresholds in METs, using relative intensity classification as criterion measure. Convenience sampling was used to recruit total of 112 adults. The participants carried out an incremental maximal cycle ergometer test and asked to perform nine free-living activities. The oxygen uptake was measured by a VO2000^® gas analyser throughout the tests. The intensity thresholds were identified using Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, having relative intensity categories as criterion measure. A total of 103 participants attended the two visits. Among 54 men and 49 women, the mean (± SD) ages were 36.1 (± 11.1) and 33.9 (± 10.6) years, respectively. The intensity thresholds identified were 4.9 METs for moderate and 6.8 METs for vigorous physical activity. In conclusion, the physical activity thresholds, generated according to the entire sample, were higher and presented improved specificity when compared to thresholds currently recommended. Moreover, these parameters presented relatively high accuracy, even when applied to specific groups such as sex, age, nutritional status and physical fitness.

Aim: This study was aimed to: (1) compare raw triaxial acceleration data from GENEActiv (GA) and ActiGraph GT3X+ (AG) placed on the non‐dominant wrist; (2) compare AG placed on the non‐dominant and dominant wrist, and waist; (3) derive brand‐ and placement‐specific absolute intensity thresholds for inactive and sedentary time, and physical activity intensity in adults.Methods: Eighty‐six adults (44 men; 34.6 ± 10.8 years) performed nine activities while simultaneously wearing GA and AG on wrist and waist. Acceleration (in gravitational equivalent units; mg) was compared with oxygen uptake (measured with indirect calorimetry).Results: Increases in acceleration mirrored increases in intensity of activities, regardless of device brand and placement. Differences in acceleration between GA and AG worn at the non‐dominant wrist were small but tended to be high at lower intensity activities. Thresholds for differentiating inactivity (<1.5 MET) from activity (≥1.5 MET) ranged from 25 mg (AG non‐dominant wrist; sensitivity 93%, specificity 95%) to 40 mg (AG waist; sensitivity 78%, specificity 100%). For moderate intensity (≥3 METs), thresholds ranged from 65 mg (AG waist; sensitivity 96%, specificity 94%) to 92 mg (GA non‐dominant; sensitivity 93%, specificity 98%); vigorous intensity (≥6 METs) thresholds ranged from 190 mg (AG waist; sensitivity 82%, specificity 92%) to 283 mg (GA non‐dominant; sensitivity 93%, specificity 98%).Conclusion: Raw triaxial acceleration outputs from two widely used accelerometer brands may have limited comparability in low intensity activities. Thresholds derived in this study can be utilized in adults to reasonably classify movement behaviors into categories of intensity.

Objective methods to measure physical activity (PA) can lead to better cross-cultural comparisons, monitoring temporal PA trends, and measuring the effect of interventions. However, when applying this technology in field-work, the accelerometer data processing is prone to methodological issues. One of the most challenging issues relates to standardizing total wear time to provide reliable data across participants. It is generally accepted that at least 4 complete days of accelerometer wear represent a week for adults. It is not known if this same assumption holds true for pregnant women. We assessed the optimal number of days needed to obtain reliable estimates of overall PA and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during the 2nd trimester in pregnancy using a raw triaxial wrist-worn accelerometer. Cross-sectional analyses were carried out in the antenatal wave of the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. Participants wore the wrist ActiGraph wGT3X-BT accelerometer for seven consecutive days. The daily average acceleration, which indicated overall PA, was measured as milli-g (mg), and time spent in MVPA (minutes/day) was analyzed in 5-minute bouts. ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare variability across days of the week. Bland-Altman plots and the Spearman-Brown Prophecy Formula were applied to determine the reliability coefficient associated with one to seven days of measurement. Among 2,082 pregnant women who wore the accelerometer for seven complete days, overall and MVPA were lower on Sundays compared to other days of the week. Reliability of > = 0.80 to evaluate overall PA was reached with at least three monitoring days, whereas seven days were needed to estimate reliable measures of MVPA. Our findings indicate that obtaining one week of accelerometry in adults is appropriate for pregnant women, particularly to obtain differences on weekend days and reliably estimate overall PA and MVPA.

The present study aimed to describe the perception of safety from crime in the neighborhood and to evaluate its association with leisure-time and transport-related physical activity in adults. A cross-sectional population based study was conducted in the urban area of Pelotas, Brazil, in 2012. Perceived insecurity from crime in the neighborhood was measured using the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale (NEWS) and the City Stress Inventory (CSI). Physical activity was measured using an adapted version of the leisure and transportation sections of the long version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Overall, 52.3% (95%CI49.0; 55.6) of the participants reported perceived exposure to an unsafe neighborhood. Subjects who practiced 150 or more minutes per week of physical activity during leisure-time and transportation were 10.5% (95%CI9.0; 12.0) and 51.7% (95%CI 48.7; 54.7), respectively. There were no significant associations between physical activity (leisure-time or transport-related) and perceived insecurity from crime, neither in unadjusted nor in adjusted analyses. There was no evidence that the perception of safety from crime is associated to higher physical activity levels among Brazilian adults.

This randomized parallel-group control trial tested the efficacy of distraction using audiovisual eyeglasses (AVE) during dental procedures [NCT03902158]. Forty-four 6–9 year-old children with low/moderate anxiety and who needed restorative treatment or exodontia of the primary molars were randomly allocated into two groups: the AVE (experimental) and the conventional behavior management techniques (control) groups. Motion sensors were used to measure the participants’ body movements. Dental visits were video recorded, and their pain levels and behavior were assessed using the Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability Behavioral Pain Assessment Scale and the Venham Behavioral Scale, respectively. Anxiety was assessed via heart rate measurements. After treatment, the children scored their pain using the Faces Pain Scale. Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were used to compare the groups. The mean score on the behavioral scale was 0.59 in the experimental group and 0.72 in the control group under local anesthesia (p = 0.73). During the procedure, the mean score was 0.41 in the experimental group and 1.32 in the control group (p = 0.07). The mean heart rate was similar in both groups (p = 0.47), but a significant increase during treatment was observed in the control group. There was no difference between the groups in terms of pain, behavior, and self-reported pain scores (p = 0.08). Children aged 6-7 who used the AVE had fewer wrist movements (435.6) than that of children in the control group (1170.4) (p = 0.04). The AVE achieved similar results to the basic behavior management techniques, with good acceptance by the children.