ABSTRACT
Pedometers are commonly used for measuring physical activity in child and adolescent populations because they are relatively robust, easy to use, require no initialization prior to use, and provide an easily interpretable measure in a standard metric. Over the last 20 years, objective monitoring technology has rapidly advanced, leading to an abundance of activity monitors. Although pedometers have commonly been used to objectively measure youth, there are no standardized protocols for using pedometers in child and adolescent populations. Since 2010, there has also been the development of commercially available pedometers some of which provide instant digital feedback of step counts via a small screen on the monitor, a computer program, or a smartphone application. Pedometer-determined step counts represent a fundamental unit of human activity. Pedometers have emerged as a popular and convenient tool for measuring physical activity in youth due to their feasibility, reliability, and validity.
