Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Energy expenditure in obese children: evaluation of a new multisensor device

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sport Sciences for Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Overweight and obesity are increasing among Italian children, particularly due to sedentary lifestyle. The evaluation of daily energy expenditure (EE) is therefore relevant to assess the level of physical activity in subjects at risk. Portable devices could improve the free-living EE monitoring, provided they are properly calibrated and validated. The present study aimed at evaluating a new multisensor wrist monitor (WM) (E3®, Empatica srl, Italy) in EE assessment in obese children and adolescents.

Methods

Twenty-eight participants (15 males; age 13 ± 2 years; mean ± SD) were enrolled. Nineteen subjects were obese (body mass index (BMI) >95th percentile for age and sex). Subjects were tested (1) while sitting (SIT), and during (2) walking at comfortable speed (SS) and (3) at faster speed (FS). EE was assessed in each condition by both indirect calorimetry (IC, by oxygen consumption measurement) and multisensor (accelerometry, heart rate, skin galvanic reaction, temperature) methods.

Results

EE measured during SIT, SS and FS was 1.48 ± 0.31, 4.25 ± 0.68 and 5.64 ± 0.92 METs with IC and 1.19 ± 0.11, 3.82 ± 0.77 and 5.17 ± 0.81 METs with WM, respectively. A significant difference (P < 0.01) between measurement methods in SS and FS condition (pooled data) disappeared in obese individual subgroup. The linear regression coefficient between EEs obtained by the two methods was 0.79 (P < 0.05), and the Bland–Altman plot showed a proportional bias.

Conclusions

EE estimated by the multisensor wrist monitor highly correlated with the values obtained by IC, particularly in the subgroup of obese children and adolescents, suggesting that it can be used to monitor physical activity in this specific population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

EE:

Energy expenditure

IC:

Indirect calorimetry

MET:

Metabolic equivalent (=3.5 mlO2 min−1 kg−1)

NW:

Normal weight

OW:

Obese

WM:

Wrist monitor

References

  1. Micciolo R, Di Francesco V, Fantin F, Canal L, Harris TB, Bosello O, Zamboni M (2010) Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Italy (2001–2008): is there a rising obesity epidemic? Ann Epidemiol 20(4):258–264. doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2010.01.006

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wijnhoven TM, van Raaij JM, Spinelli A, Rito AI, Hovengen R, Kunesova M, Starc G, Rutter H, Sjoberg A, Petrauskiene A, O’Dwyer U, Petrova S, Farrugia Sant’angelo V, Wauters M, Yngve A, Rubana IM, Breda J (2013) WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative 2008: weight, height and body mass index in 6–9-year-old children. Pediatr Obes 8(2):79–97. doi:10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00090.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Turchetta F, Gatto G, Saulle R, Romano F, Boccia A, La Torre G (2012) Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of overweight and obesity among school-age children in Italy. Epidemiol Prev 36(3–4):188–195

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Rendo-Urteaga T, de Moraes AC, Collese TS, Manios Y, Hagstromer M, Sjostrom M, Kafatos A, Widhalm K, Vanhelst J, Marcos A, Gonzalez-Gross M, De Henauw S, Ciarapica D, Ruiz JR, Espana-Romero V, Molnar D, Carvalho HB, Moreno LA (2015) The combined effect of physical activity and sedentary behaviors on a clustered cardio-metabolic risk score: the Helena study. Int J Cardiol 186:186–195. doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2015.03.176

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Kimm SY, Glynn NW, Obarzanek E, Kriska AM, Daniels SR, Barton BA, Liu K (2005) Relation between the changes in physical activity and body-mass index during adolescence: a multicentre longitudinal study. Lancet 366(9482):301–307. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)66837-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Van Hulst A, Roy-Gagnon MH, Gauvin L, Kestens Y, Henderson M, Barnett TA (2015) Identifying risk profiles for childhood obesity using recursive partitioning based on individual, familial, and neighborhood environment factors. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 12(1):17. doi:10.1186/s12966-015-0175-7

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Hobbs M, Pearson N, Foster PJ, Biddle SJ (2014) Sedentary behaviour and diet across the lifespan: an updated systematic review. Br J Sports Med. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2014-093754

    Google Scholar 

  8. Raask T, Konstabel K, Maestu J, Latt E, Jurimae T, Jurimae J (2015) Tracking of physical activity in pubertal boys with different BMI over two-year period. J Sports Sci. doi:10.1080/02640414.2015.1012097

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Ainsworth B, Cahalin L, Buman M, Ross R (2015) The current state of physical activity assessment tools. Prog Cardiovasc Dis 57(4):387–395. doi:10.1016/j.pcad.2014.10.005

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Bailey RC, Olson J, Pepper SL, Porszasz J, Barstow TJ, Cooper DM (1995) The level and tempo of children’s physical activities: an observational study. Med Sci Sports Exerc 27(7):1033–1041

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Intille SS, Lester J, Sallis JF, Duncan G (2012) New horizons in sensor development. Med Sci Sports Exerc 44(1 Suppl 1):S24–S31. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3182399c7d

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Lubans DR, Hesketh K, Cliff DP, Barnett LM, Salmon J, Dollman J, Morgan PJ, Hills AP, Hardy LL (2011) A systematic review of the validity and reliability of sedentary behaviour measures used with children and adolescents. Obes Rev 12(10):781–799. doi:10.1111/j.1467-789X.2011.00896.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Calabro MA, Lee JM, Saint-Maurice PF, Yoo H, Welk GJ (2014) Validity of physical activity monitors for assessing lower intensity activity in adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 11(1):119. doi:10.1186/s12966-014-0119-7

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Froberg A, Raustorp A (2014) Objectively measured sedentary behaviour and cardio-metabolic risk in youth: a review of evidence. Eur J Pediatr 173(7):845–860. doi:10.1007/s00431-014-2333-3

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Puyau MR, Adolph AL, Vohra FA, Butte NF (2002) Validation and calibration of physical activity monitors in children. Obes Res 10(3):150–157. doi:10.1038/oby.2002.24

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Fruin ML, Rankin JW (2004) Validity of a multi-sensor armband in estimating rest and exercise energy expenditure. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36(6):1063–1069

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Schmitz KH, Treuth M, Hannan P, McMurray R, Ring KB, Catellier D, Pate R (2005) Predicting energy expenditure from accelerometry counts in adolescent girls. Med Sci Sports Exerc 37(1):155–161

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Krebs NF, Himes JH, Jacobson D, Nicklas TA, Guilday P, Styne D (2007) Assessment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity. Pediatrics 120(Suppl 4):S193–S228. doi:10.1542/peds.2007-2329D

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Grummer-Strawn LM, Flegal KM, Guo SS, Wei R, Mei Z, Curtin LR, Roche AF, Johnson CL (2000) CDC growth charts: United States. Adv Data 314:1–27

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Dutra GF, Kaufmann CC, Pretto AD, Albernaz EP (2015) Television viewing habits and their influence on physical activity and childhood overweight. J Pediatr (Rio J). doi:10.1016/j.jped.2014.11.002

    Google Scholar 

  21. LeBlanc AG, Broyles ST, Chaput JP, Leduc G, Boyer C, Borghese MM, Tremblay MS (2015) Correlates of objectively measured sedentary time and self-reported screen time in Canadian children. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 12(1):38. doi:10.1186/s12966-015-0197-1

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kettner S, Kobel S, Fischbach N, Drenowatz C, Dreyhaupt J, Wirt T, Koch B, Steinacker JM (2013) Objectively determined physical activity levels of primary school children in south-west Germany. BMC Public Health 13:895. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-895

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Katzmarzyk PT, Barreira TV, Broyles ST, Champagne CM, Chaput JP, Fogelholm M, Hu G, Johnson WD, Kuriyan R, Kurpad A, Lambert EV, Maher C, Maia J, Matsudo V, Olds T, Onywera V, Sarmiento OL, Standage M, Tremblay MS, Tudor-Locke C, Zhao P, Church TS (2015) Physical activity, sedentary time, and obesity in an international sample of children. Med Sci Sports Exerc. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000000649

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lanningham-Foster L, Jensen TB, Foster RC, Redmond AB, Walker BA, Heinz D, Levine JA (2006) Energy expenditure of sedentary screen time compared with active screen time for children. Pediatrics 118(6):e1831–e1835. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-1087

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Cliff DP, Reilly JJ, Okely AD (2009) Methodological considerations in using accelerometers to assess habitual physical activity in children aged 0–5 years. J Sci Med Sport 12(5):557–567. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2008.10.008

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Pate RR, Pratt M, Blair SN, Haskell WL, Macera CA, Bouchard C, Buchner D, Ettinger W, Heath GW, King AC et al (1995) Physical activity and public health. A recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine. JAMA 273(5):402–407

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank all the subjects and families for their patience and courtesy, Dr. G. Colella and Dr. D. David for their assistance in data collection, and Ing. Maurizio Garbarino for the technical assistance. The study was supported by a grant of “Fondazione Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi”.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health (SCIBIS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Susanna Rampichini, Giampiero Merati, Luca Agnello & Arsenio Veicsteinas

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Ospedale dei Bambini V. Buzzi, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Castelvetro 32, 20154, Milan, Italy

    Chiara Mameli & Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Azienda Ospedaliera Luigi Sacco, Via Giovanni Battista Grassi, 74, 20157, Milan, Italy

    Laura Schneider

Authors
  1. Susanna Rampichini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Giampiero Merati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chiara Mameli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Luca Agnello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Laura Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Arsenio Veicsteinas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gian Vincenzo Zuccotti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susanna Rampichini.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rampichini, S., Merati, G., Mameli, C. et al. Energy expenditure in obese children: evaluation of a new multisensor device. Sport Sci Health 11, 305–312 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0241-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-015-0241-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation