Habitual physical activity in children with cerebral palsy aged 4 to 5 years across all functional abilities

Abstract

Purpose: To compare ambulatory status in children with cerebral palsy aged 4 to 5 years with their habitual physical activity and time spent sedentary, and to compare their activity with physical activity guidelines.

Methods: Sixty-seven participants—independently ambulant, marginally ambulant, and nonambulant—wore accelerometers for 3 days. Time spent sedentary as a percentage of wear time and activity counts were compared between groups.

Results: There were significant differences in time spent sedentary and activity counts between groups. Children who were independently ambulant were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines.

Conclusion: Children with cerebral palsy spent more than half of their waking hours in sedentary time. Interventions to reduce sedentary behavior and increase habitual physical activity are needed in children with cerebral palsy at age 4 to 5 years.