Children's motor activity: Reliability and relationship to attention and behavior

Abstract

This study examines the relationships between activity level, as measured using solid‐state actigraphs, continuous‐performance test‐measured attention, and behavior ratings in 73 nonreferred children. Activity level and attention, after controlling for age, were unrelated to each other, but were both related to teacher ratings of inattention and overactivity. Furthermore, activity level and attention were differentially related to IQ, academic achievement, and other teacher and parent ratings of behavior. These data suggest that objectively assessed activity level and attention are independent in nonreferred children. Further studies using these measures in clinical groups are necessary.