Energy expenditure in physical activity of pre-school children measured by means of ActiHeart sensors

ActiHeart®© movement sensors used for measuring physical activity integrate records of cardiac frequency with those obtained by accelerometry from displacement, while disregarding wrong values that can be separately generated by either method. ActiHeart sensors®© were used for measuring daily energy expenditure of 56 pre-school children (Girls: 62.5%; Age: 5.9 ± 0.3 years) every 15 seconds during three weekdays (one day of the weekend included in the measurement).Nutritional status of the child was qualified according with standards provided by the Centers for Diseases Control (Atlanta, United States). Total daily energy expenditure was higher in boys (Boys: 1544 ± 162 kcal.24 hours-1 vs. Girls: 1341 ± 243 kcal.24 hours-1; p ‹ 0.05), even after adjusting for child´s body weight (Boys: 64 ± 9 kcal.kg-1.24 hours-1 vs. Girls: 57 ± 6 kcal.kg-1.24 hours-1; p ‹ 0.05). Higher daily energy expenditure in boys might be caused by a higher resting metabolic rate (Boys: 1086 ± 94 kcal.24 hours-1 vs. Girls: 946 ± 73 kcal.24 hours-1; p ‹ 0.05). Level of physical activity (LPA) was similar for either sex. Normal weight boys had higher values of energy expenditure (Normal weight: 72 ± 9 kcal.kg-1.24 hours-1 vs. Overweight: 55 ± 8 kcal.kg-1.24 hours-1; p ‹ 0.05) and LPA (Normal weight: 1.5 ± 0.2 vs. Overweight: 1.3 ± 0.1; p ‹ 0.05) and lower basal metabolic rates (Normal weight: 963 ± 42 kcal.24 hours-1 vs. Overweight: 1209 ± 123 kcal.24 hours-1; p ‹ 0.05). Normal weight girls also had a higher energy expenditure and a lower basal metabolic rate. However, LPA in girls was independent from body weight. Measurement of energy expenditure by means of ActiHeart®© might be an effective tool for diagnosis and intervention in obesity in Cuban child population.