Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40758671›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Average acceleration and intensity gradient of 9-11-year-old rural and urban Kenyan school-going children and associations with cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI: The Kenya-LINX project.

Stanley K Kinuthia, Gareth Stratton, Lucy J Wachira, Victor O Okoth, George Evans Owino, Sophie Ochola, Festus Kiplamai, Vincent Onywera, Nils Swindell

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Stanley K KinuthiaDepartment of Physical Education, Exercise and Sports Science, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Gareth StrattonApplied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) Research Centre, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom.
Lucy J WachiraDepartment of Physical Education, Exercise and Sports Science, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Victor O OkothDepartment of Environmental Science and Education, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
George Evans OwinoAfrican Population and Health Research Center, Kitisuru, Manga Close, Nairobi, Kenya.
Sophie OcholaDepartment of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Festus KiplamaiDepartment of Physical Education, Exercise and Sports Science, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Vincent OnyweraDivision of Research, Innovation and Outreach, KCA University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Nils SwindellApplied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine (A-STEM) Research Centre, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3742-6139

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysical activity (PA) is crucial for children's health, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and weight status. However, research on the PA profiles of Kenyan children, especially between rural and urban areas, is limited.

methodThis study examined the PA profiles of 537 school-aged children (51.6% girls, 9-11-year-olds) from Nairobi City County, Kenya (urban setting), and Kitui County, Kenya (rural setting), using stratified multistage random cluster sampling. Participants wore an accelerometer (Axivity AX3) on their non-dominant wrist for 24 hours a day over seven days. Raw accelerations were extracted and averaged over a 5-s epoch (AvgAcc) to estimate PA volume. Intensity gradient (IG) was calculated as a standardised metric of PA intensity. Participants' CRF was assessed by the 20-metre multistage fitness test. Anthropometric measurements (mass and stature) were taken to compute BMI z-scores.

resultsPA metrics varied by sex, weight, and CRF. Boys had higher AvgAcc (p < .001) and IG (p < .001) than girls. Healthy weight participants differed significantly in AvgAcc from overweight (p = .001) and obese (p = .001) groups and in IG from overweight (p = .039) and obese (p = .003). Participants with sufficient CRF and insufficient CRF differed significantly in AvgAcc (p < .001) and IG (p < .001). AvgAcc was negatively associated with BMI z-scores (β = -0.02, p < .001) and positively associated with CRF (β = 0.21, p < .001), independent of IG and other covariates. IG showed a significant negative association with BMI z-scores (β = -1.27, p = 0.003) and a significant positive association with CRF (β = 18.93, p < .001), dependent on AvgAcc.

conclusionsThis study introduces AvgAcc and IG metrics among Kenyan children. Urban children accumulate less PA volume and exhibit an inferior intensity profile, which is reflected in important health indicators (BMI and CRF). These findings will inform policy as well as targeted interventions to enhance children's health in diverse contexts.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexCardiorespiratory FitnessExerciseAccelerometryChildFemaleHumansKenyaMaleRural PopulationSchoolsUrban Population

Identifiers

PMID40758671
PMCPMC12321071

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.