Validity of a Pictorial Perceived Exertion Scale for Effort Estimation and Effort Production During Stepping Exercise in Adolescent Children

Abstract

Recent developments in the study of paediatric effort perception have continued to emphasise the importance of child-specific rating scales. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of an illustrated 1 -10 perceived exertion scale; the Pictorial Children's Effort Rating Table (PCERT). 4 class groups comprising 104 children; 27 boys and 29 girls, aged 12.1±0.3 years and 26 boys, 22 girls, aged 15.3±0.2 years were selected from two schools and participated in the initial development of the PCERT.Subsequently, 48 of these children, 12 boys and 12 girls from each age group were randomly selected to participate in the PCERT validation study. Exercise trials were divided into 2 phases and took place 7 to 10 days apart. During phase 1, children completed 5 x 3-minute incremental stepping exercise bouts interspersed with 2-minute recovery periods. Heart rate (HR) and ratings of exertion were recorded during the final 15 s of each exercise bout. In phase 2 the children were asked to regulate their exercising effort during 4 x 4-minute bouts of stepping so that it matched randomly prescribed PCERT levels (3, 5, 7 and 9). Analysis of data from Phase 1 yielded significant (P<0.01) relationships between perceived and objective (HR) effort measures for girls. In addition, the main effects of exercise intensity on perceived exertion and HR were significant (P<0.01); perceived exertion increased as exercise intensity increased and this was reflected in simultaneous significant rises in HR. During phase 2, HR and estimated power output (PO approx ) produced at each of the four prescribed effort levels were significantly different (P<0.01). The children in this study were able to discriminate between 4 different exercise intensities and regulate their exercise intensity according to 4 prescribed levels of perceived exertion. In seeking to contribute towards children's recommended physical activity levels and helping them understand how to self-regulate their activity, the application of the PCERT within the context of physical education is a desirable direction for future research.

A Percepção de Esforço no Treinamento de Força

“…Possivelmente a escala RPE (Ratings of Perceived Exertion) de Borg seja uma das mais conhecidas e aplicadas. Contudo, outras escalas têm sido propostas na literatura, entre as quais a escala CR10 de Borg (3) , a escala de 9 graus de Hogan e Fleishman (2) , a escala OMNI (12) , a Escala Visual Analógica-VAS (13) , a escala PCERT (14) , entre outras. A utilização de escalas de PE estabelecem a relação entre um estímulo e uma reposta (1) .…”

Validación inicial de la escala de medición de esfuerzo percibido infantil (EPInfant) en niños chilenos

“…Esto concuerda con lo descrito por Yelling, et al, quienes observaron mayores niveles de esfuerzo percibido en niños de 11 y 12 años que en aquellos de 14 y 15 durante una prueba de intensidad creciente en escalón con altura única (25).…”

“…Cabe señalar que en el paradigma de validación concurrente, la frecuencia cardiaca se ha utilizado ampliamente como criterio de referencia en estudios de validez de escalas de medición de esfuerzo percibido en poblaciones diversas y con distintas modalidades de ejercicio, principalmente en trotadora y bicicleta (11)(12)(13)(14)23,25). No obstante, son escasos los estudios en que se han evaluado las propiedades psicométricas de la medición de esta variable en una prueba de escalón (24,25). En el estudio de Robertson, et al, se observó la existencia de una fuerte correlación positiva entre la percepción de esfuerzo y la frecuencia cardiaca durante una prueba de escalón de intensidad gradualmente creciente en hombres y mujeres de 10 y 11 años (r=0,88 y r=0,83, respectivamente) utilizando la escala OMNI para evaluar el esfuerzo percibido (24).…”

“…Por su parte, Yeilling, et al, observaron una correlación débil en niños entre los 11 y 12 años de edad, y entre moderada y fuerte en niñas de 14 y 15 años (25). En este estudio, pese a que los niveles de correlación observados fueron distintos en cada grupo de edad y sexo (entre 0,43 y 0,73), fue posible generar un modelo de regresión muy significativo (p<0,0001) para la estimación del estrés fisiológico (frecuencia cardiaca) a partir del esfuerzo percibido en los cuatro grupos estudiados, lo que sugiere la existencia de un importante grado de dependencia entre la percepción del esfuerzo, medido mediante la escala EPInfant, y el estrés fisiológico durante el ejercicio de intensidad creciente.…”

Protocol for: The Use of Intra-Gastric Balloons as an Adjunct to a Lifestyle Support Programme to Promote Weight Loss in Severely Obese Adolescents

“…treadmills and bikes), outdoor activities such as walking, as well as the use of exercise DVD's. The exercise sessions will be delivered in small bouts of no more than 10-minutes to build self-efficacy and will be of moderate intensity, in line with Public Health England recommendations [31][32][33]. Sessions will also include mini-games and self-referenced competitions to help motivate and build self-worth.…”