Measuring Children's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors

The high prevalence of overweight and obesity among children necessitates the need to promote physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviors in children. Consequently, there is a need to be able to reliably and accurately measure physical activity and sedentary behaviors in children. Unfortunately, there is no one measurement tool that captures physical activity and sedentary behaviors perfectly. When choosing a measurement tool to assess physical activity and sedentary behavior, researchers and practitioners must be aware of the strengths and limitations of each measurement. To assist researchers and practitioners in choosing the appropriate measurement tool for the desired study, we overviewed the most common methods currently being used to measure physical activity and sedentary behavior in children, noting the strengths and limitations of each instrument.