Purpose: To describe walking activity patterns in youth who are typically developing (TD) using a novel analysis of stride data and compare to youth with cerebral palsy (CP) and arthrogryposis (AR).
Method: Stride rate curves were developed from 5 days of StepWatch data for 428 youth ages 2 to 16 years who were TD.
Results: Patterns of stride rates changed with age in the TD group (P = .03 to < .001). Inactivity varied with age (P < .001); peak stride rate decreased with age (P < .001). Curves were stable over a 2-week time frame (P = .38 to .95). Youth with CP and AR have lower stride rate patterns (P = .04 to .001).
Conclusion: This is the first documentation of pediatric stride-rate patterns within the context of daily life. Including peak stride rates and levels of walking activity, this single visual format has potential clinical and research applications.