Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness
Volume 9, Issue 1 , Pages 52-57, 2011

Validity of a Pediatric RPE Scale When Different Exercise Intensities are Completed on Separate Days

  • Jacob E. Barkley

      Affiliations

    • Exercise Science, The School of Health Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding Author Jacob E. Barkley, 350 Midway Drive, 163E MACC Annex, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
    • ,
  • James N. Roemmich

      Affiliations

    • Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA

Article Outline

Typically pediatric-specific ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) validation studies have utilized a perceptual estimation paradigm consisting of a single exercise test that incrementally increased in intensity. This may result in an overestimation of concurrent validity as the increases in exercise intensity and participant recall of their previous RPE likely encourages participants to respond with increases in RPE. The purpose of the present study was to assess the concurrent validity of the Cart and Load Effort Rating (CALER) RPE scale in children exercising either above or below the ventilatory threshold (> T, < T, respectively) on separate days. Thirty-two children performed 5 minutes of continuous cycle ergometer exercise at 20% < T on 1 day and 5% > T on another day. Heart rate (HR) and RPE were recorded during the final 20 seconds of each minute of exercise. HR and RPE increased from < T to > T (p < 0.001). Univariate correlations demonstrated a moderate relationship between HR and RPE (r = 0.30). Multilevel model regression demonstrated that RPE scores were positively associated with HR (estimate = 2.06 CALER, p < 0.01). Pediatric RPE scores assessed on separate days appropriately increased with exercise intensity and were positively associated with HR. However, the RPE-HR relationships are lower than for research that used exercise tests that incrementally increased in intensity within the same session.

Keywords:  child , intensity , perceived exertion , validity

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

 

Back to Article Outline

References 

  1. Amann M , Subudhi AW , Walker J , Eisenman P , Shultz B , Foster C . An evaluation of the predictive validity and reliability of ventilatory threshold . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2004;36:1716–1722
  2. Barkley JE , Epstein LH , Roemmich JN . Reinforcing value of interval and continuous physical activity in children . Physiol Behav . 2009;98:31–36
  3. Barkley JE , Roemmich JN . Validity of the CALER and OMNI-bike ratings of perceived exertion . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2008;40:760–766
  4. Borg GA . Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress . Scand J Rehabil Med . 1970;2:92–98
  5. Cheatham CC , Mahon AD , Brown JD , Bolster DR . Cardiovascular responses during prolonged exercise at ventilatory threshold in boys and men . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2000;32:1080–1087
  6. Eston R , Lamb KL . Effort perception . In:  Armstrong N ,  Van Mechelen W editor. Pediatric Exercise Science and Medicine . Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2000;p. 85–91
  7. Eston R , Parfitt G . Perceived Exertion . In:  Armstrong N editors. Pediatric Exercise Physiology . London: Elsevier; 2007;p. 275–298
  8. Eston RG , Lamb KL , Bain A , Williams AM , Williams JG . Validity of a perceived exertion scale for children: a pilot study . Percept Mot Skills . 1994;78:691–697
  9. Eston RG , Parfitt G , Campbell L , Lamb KL . Reliability of effort perception for regulating exercise intensity in children using the Cart and Load Effort Rating (CALER) scale . Pediatr Exerc Sci . 2000;12:388–397
  10. Eston RG , Lambrick DM , Rowlands AV . The perceptual response to exercise of progressively increasing intensity in children aged 7–8 years: validation of a pictorial curvilinear rating of perceived exertion scale . Psychophysiology . 2009;46:843–851
  11. Faigenbaum AD , Milliken LA , Cloutier G , Westcott WL . Perceived exertion during resistance exercise by children . Percept Mot Skills . 2004;98:627–637
  12. Faulkner J , Eston R . Perceived exertion research in the 21st century: developments, reflections and questions for the future . J Exerc Sci Fit . 2008;6:1–14
  13. Gaskill SE , Ruby BC , Walker AJ , Sanchez OA , Serfass RC , Leon AS . Validity and reliability of combining three methods to determine ventilatory threshold . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2001;33:1841–1848
  14. Gilliam TB , Freedson PS , Geenen DL , Shahraray B . Physical activity patterns determined by heart rate monitoring in 6-7-year-old children . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1981;13:65–67
  15. Groslambert A , Mahon AD . Perceived exertion: influence of age and cognitive development . Sports Med . 2006;36:911–928
  16. Hebestreit H , Staschen B , Hebestreit A . Ventilatory threshold: a useful method to determine aerobic fitness in children? . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2000;32:1964–1969
  17. Hill DW , Cureton KJ , Collins MA . Effect of time of day on perceived exertion at work rates above and below the ventilatory threshold . Res Q Exerc Sport . 1989;60:127–133
  18. Lambrick D , Rowlands AV , Eston R . The perceptual response to treadmill exercise using the Eston-Parfitt scale and marble dropping task, in children age 7 to 8 years . Pediatr Exerc Sci . 2011;23:36–48
  19. Leung ML , Chung PK , Leung RW . An assessment of the validity and reliability of two perceived exertion rating scales among Hong Kong children . Percept Mot Skills . 2002;95:1047–1062
  20. Mahon AD , Duncan GE , Howe CA , Del Corral P . Blood lactate and perceived exertion relative to ventilatory threshold: boys versus men . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 1997;29:1332–1337
  21. Parfitt G , Shepherd P , Eston RG . Reliability of effort production using the children's CALER and BABE perceived exertion scales . J Exerc Sci Fit . 2007;5:49–55
  22. Pfeiffer KA , Pivarnik JM , Womack CJ , Reeves MJ , Malina RM . Reliability and validity of the Borg and OMNI rating of perceived exertion scales in adolescent girls . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2002;34:2057–2061
  23. Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Andreacci JL, Dubé JJ, Rutkowski JJ, Frazee KM, et al. Validation of the Children's OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale of perceived exertion . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2005;37:819–826
  24. Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Andreacci JL, Dubé JJ, Rutkowski JJ, Snee BM, et al. Validation of the children's OMNI RPE scale for stepping exercise . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2005;37:290–298
  25. Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Bell JA, Dixon CB, Gallagher KI, Lagally KM, et al. Self-regulated cycling using the Children's OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2002;34:1168–1175
  26. Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Boer N, Gallagher JD, Thompkins T, Bufalino K, et al. OMNI scale perceived exertion at ventilatory breakpoint in children: response normalized . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2001;33:1946–1952
  27. Robertson RJ, Goss FL, Boer NF, Peoples JA, Foreman AJ, Dabayebeh IM, et al. Children's OMNI scale of perceived exertion: mixed gender and race validation . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2000;32:452–458
  28. Roemmich JN , Barkley JE , Epstein LH , Lobarinas CL , White TM , Foster JH . Validity of PCERT and OMNI walk/run ratings of perceived exertion . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2006;38:1014–1019
  29. Suminski RR , Robertson RJ , Goss FL , Olvera N . Validation of the Omni Scale of Perceived Exertion in a sample of Spanish-speaking youth from the USA . Percept Mot Skills . 2008;107:181–188
  30. Utter AC , Robertson RJ , Nieman DC , Kang J . Children's OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion: walking/running evaluation . Med Sci Sports Exerc . 2002;34:139–144
  31. Williams JG , Eston R , Furlong B . CERT: a perceived exertion scale for young children . Percept Mot Skills . 1994;79:1451–1458
  32. Yelling Y , Lamb KL , Swaine IL . Validity of a pictorial perceived exertion scale for effort estimation and effort production during stepping exercise in adolescent children . Eur Phys Educ Rev . 2002;8:157–175

PII: S1728-869X(11)60007-5

doi:10.1016/S1728-869X(11)60007-5

Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness
Volume 9, Issue 1 , Pages 52-57, 2011

Article Tools