Pedometer Placement in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Occasionally I will use a pedometer during a therapy session to measure the number of steps versus trying to estimate the number of feet that a child walks. 

Recent research on 17 children with cerebral palsy who walk without aids was conducted to determine the reliability and validity of pedometers and proper pedometer placement.  Video analysis was conducted to confirm the number of steps recorded on the pedometers.  The results indicated that the pedometers with reliable and valid.  In addition, there was no significant difference between the dominant or non dominant hip while wearing the pedometer on an elastic waistband. 

Reference:  Maher C, Kenyon A, McEvoy M, Sprod J. The reliability and validity of a research-grade pedometer for children and adolescents with cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2013 Jun 13. doi: 10.1111/dmcn.12181. [Epub ahead of print]