Validación de la escala RPE OMNI de niños para el ejercicio de caminar. (Inglés)

Abstract:

Purpose: The stepping pictorial format of the Children's OMNI Perceived Exertion Scale (0-10) was validated for female (N = 20) and male (N = 20) children, 8-12 yr old with a peak (step) oxygen consumption of 46.1 +/- 5.3 mL[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]min-1.

Methods: Ratings of perceived exertion for the overall body (RPE-O), legs (RPE-L), and chest (RPE-C) were determined by the OMNI-Step Scale. Concurrent scale validity was examined by regressing OMNI-Step RPE against oxygen consumption ([latin capital V with dot above]O2; mL[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]min-1) and heart rate (HR, beats[middle dot]min-1). Construct scale validity was examined by regressing OMNI-Step RPE (i.e., conditional metric) against OMNI-Cycle RPE (i.e., criterion metric). Variables were measured at the end of each 2-min stage during load-incremented step and cycle exercise.

Results: The range of responses over the test stages for the combined female and male sample was [latin capital V with dot above]O2: 9.1-38.6 mL[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]min-1; HR: 88.0-168.2 beats[middle dot]min-1; and RPE-O, RPE-L, and RPE-C: 1.0-9.1. Using concurrent regression models, RPE-O, RPE-L, and RPE-C distributed as positive linear functions of both [latin capital V with dot above]O2 and HR (r = 0.81-0.94 P < 0.05). Construct regression models indicated a strong linear function between OMNI-Step and OMNI-Cycle RPE for females and males. Differences in RPE (O, L, and C) were not found when females and males used pictorials depicting the same or opposite gender. RPE-L was higher (P < 0.05) than RPE-C at all test stages.

Conclusion: Responses established concurrent and construct validity of the Children's OMNI-Step Scale over a wide intensity range. The OMNI-Step Scale is not influenced by pictorials' gender and is effective in assessing both undifferentiated and differentiated RPE in young children.