The primary purpose of this study was to assess the validity of two motion sensors in measuring steps in institutionalized older adults during daily life activities. Sixty-eight nursing home residents (85.8 ± 5.6 years) were equipped with a hip-worn and ankle-worn piezoelectric pedometer (New Lifestyles 2000) and with an arm-mounted multisensor (SenseWear Mini). An investigator with a hand counter tallied the actual steps. The results revealed that the multisensor and hip- and ankle-worn pedometer significantly underestimated step counts (89.6 ± 17.2%, 72.9 ± 25.8%, and 20.8 ± 24.6%, respectively). Walking speed accounted for 41.6% of the variance in percent error of the ankle-worn pedometer. The threshold value for accurate step counting was set at 2.35 km/hr, providing percent error scores within ± 5%. The ankle-worn piezoelectric pedometer can be useful for accurate quantification of walking steps in the old and old-old (> 85 years) walking faster than 2.35 km/hr.
Search Results
Counting Steps in Institutionalized Older Adults During Daily Life Activities: The Validation of Two Motion Sensors
Sofie Martien, Christophe Delecluse, Jan Seghers, and Filip Boen
New Tracking System of Human Scapula Using Ultrasonography and Motion Sensors: A Descriptive Test–Retest Design
Manuel Trinidad-Fernández, Manuel González-Sánchez, and Antonio I. Cuesta-Vargas
methods available to track the movement of the scapula can be divided into invasive and noninvasive methods. Noninvasive methods, such as motion sensors on the skin, can be inaccurate because of the deformation and movement of the overlying skin. 4 , 5 Alternative and more accurate invasive methods for
Feasibility of Using the Tritrac Motion Sensor Over a 7-Day Trial with Older Children
Peter R.E. Crocker, Darryl R. Holowachuk, and Kent C. Kowalski
This study assessed the feasibility of the Tritrac-R3D motion sensor over a 7-day period with 79 children in Grades 4–8. Eight sets of data were lost due to instrument breakdown or data downloading software problems. Despite daily telephone reminders and school visits, most participants reported problems with wearing the motion sensors, including forgetting to put the sensor on, physical discomfort, involvement in aquatics, public embarrassment, and not being allowed to wear the sensors during organized sport. The results also showed that the Tritrac scores were strongly correlated with Caltrac scores (r = .86) but were not significantly correlated to a 7-day interview recall (PAR) and a 7-day self-report of activity (PAQ-C). The two self-report measures were moderately related. These findings question the viability of the Tritrac to assess typical physical activity over extended periods in this population.
A Review of the Accuracy and Utility of Motion Sensors to Measure Physical Activity of Frail, Older Hospitalized Patients
Ruth McCullagh, Noeleen M. Brady, Christina Dillon, N. Frances Horgan, and Suzanne
The purpose of this review was to examine the utility and accuracy of commercially available motion sensors to measure step-count and time spent upright in frail older hospitalized patients. A database search (CINAHL and PubMed, 2004–2014) and a further hand search of papers’ references yielded 24 validation studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Fifteen motion sensors (eight pedometers, six accelerometers, and one sensor systems) have been tested in older adults. Only three have been tested in hospital patients, two of which detected postures and postural changes accurately, but none estimated step-count accurately. Only one motion sensor remained accurate at speeds typical of frail older hospitalized patients, but it has yet to be tested in this cohort. Time spent upright can be accurately measured in the hospital, but further validation studies are required to determine which, if any, motion sensor can accurately measure step-count.
A Methodological Model for Collecting High-Quality Data on Physical Activity in Developing Settings—The Experience of the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study
Felipe Fossati Reichert, Ana Maria Batista Menezes, Jonathan Charles Kingdom Wells, Ulf Ekelund, Fabiane Machado Rodrigues, and Pedro Curi Hallal
Background:
Prospective studies on physical activity (PA), diet, and body composition in adolescents are lacking, particularly outside high-income countries.
Goals:
To describe the methods used to assess these variables in the 1993 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort and to discuss the fieldwork challenges faced and alternatives to overcome them.
Methods:
In 2006–07 a subsample of the 1993 Pelotas cohort was revisited. PA was estimated using questionnaires, a combined heart-rate and motion sensor (Acti-Heart), and the ActiGraph GT1M accelerometer. Diet was investigated by questionnaire. Total body water was determined by stable isotopes. Thirty individuals had their total energy expenditure assessed by doubly labeled water. All data were collected at participants’ home.
Results:
The logistics of the fieldwork and the difficulties in undertaking the study and alternatives to overcome them are presented. Preliminary analyses show that 511 individuals were traced (response rate = 90.0%). Compliance of both adolescents and their families for the motion sensors and body-composition measurements was excellent.
Conclusions:
The authors conclude that it is feasible to carry out high-quality studies on PA in developing countries. They hope the article will be useful to other researchers interested in carrying out similar studies.
Convergent Validity of 3 Low Cost Motion Sensors With the ActiGraph Accelerometer
James J. McClain, Teresa L. Hart, Renee S. Getz, and Catrine Tudor-Locke
Background:
This study evaluated the utility of several lower cost physical activity (PA) assessment instruments for detecting PA volume (steps) and intensity (time in MVPA or activity time) using convergent methods of assessment.
Methods:
Participants included 26 adults (9 male) age 27.3 ± 7.1 years with a BMI of 23.8 ± 2.8 kg/m2. Instruments evaluated included the Omron HJ-151 (OM), New Lifestyles NL-1000 (NL), Walk4Life W4L Pro (W4L), and ActiGraph GT1M (AG). Participants wore all instruments during a laboratory phase, consisting of 10 single minute treadmill walking bouts ranging in speed from 40 to 112 m/min, and immediate following the laboratory phase and during the remainder of their free-living day (11.3 ± 1.5 hours). Previously validated AG MVPA cutpoints were used for comparison with OM, NL, and W4L MVPA or activity time outputs during the laboratory and free-living phase.
Results:
OM and NL produced similar MVPA estimates during free-living to commonly used AG walking cutpoints, and W4L activity time estimates were similar to one AG lifestyle cutpoint evaluated.
Conclusion:
Current findings indicate that the OM, NL, and W4L, ranging in price from $15 to $49, can provide reasonable estimates of free-living MVPA or activity time in comparison with a range of AG walking and lifestyle cutpoints.
Tracking of Pedometer-Determined Physical Activity: A 16-Year Follow-Up Study
Anders Raustorp and Andreas Fröberg
. 2012 ; 9 : 103 . PubMed doi:10.1186/1479-5868-9-103 10.1186/1479-5868-9-103 22938557 9. Freedson PS , Miller K . Objective monitoring of physical activity using motion sensors and heart rate . Res Q Exerc Sport . 2000 ; 71 ( suppl 2 ): 21 – 29 . PubMed doi:10
Who Provides Accelerometry Data? Correlates of Adherence to Wearing an Accelerometry Motion Sensor: The 2008 Health Survey for England
Marilyn A. Roth and Jennifer S. Mindell
Background:
Use of objective physical activity measures is rising. We investigated the representativeness of survey participants who wore an accelerometer.
Methods:
4273 adults aged 16+ from a cross-sectional survey of a random, nationally representative general population sample in England in 2008 were categorized as 1) provided sufficient accelerometry data [4−7 valid days (10+ hrs/d), n = 1724], 2) less than that (n = 237), or 3) declined (n = 302). Multinomial logistic regression identified demographic, socioeconomic, health, lifestyle, and biological correlates of participants in these latter 2 groups, compared with those who provided sufficient accelerometry data (4+ valid days).
Results:
Those in the random subsample offered the accelerometer were older and more likely to be retired and to report having a longstanding limiting illness than the rest of the adult Health Survey for England participants. Compared with those providing sufficient accelerometery data, those wearing the accelerometer less were younger, less likely to be in paid employment, and more likely to be a current smoker. Those who declined to wear an accelerometer did not differ significantly from those who wore it for sufficient time.
Conclusions:
We found response bias in wearing the accelerometers for sufficient time, but refusers did not differ from those providing sufficient data. Differences should be acknowledged by data users.
Toward Harmonized Treadmill-Based Validation of Step-Counting Wearable Technologies: A Scoping Review
Christopher C. Moore, Aston K. McCullough, Elroy J. Aguiar, Scott W. Ducharme, and Catrine Tudor-Locke
comprehensive evaluation of motion sensor step-counting error . Appl Physiol Nutr Metab . 2011 ; 36 ( 1 ): 166 – 170 . PubMed ID: 21326392 doi:10.1139/H10-095 10.1139/H10-095 21326392 19. Alsubheen SA , George AM , Baker A , Rohr LE , Basset FA . Accuracy of the vivofit activity tracker . J
Validation of a Computerized 24-Hour Physical Activity Recall (24PAR) Instrument With Pattern-Recognition Activity Monitors
Miguel A. Calabro, Gregory J. Welk, Alicia L. Carriquiry, Sarah M. Nusser, Nicholas K. Beyler, and Charles E. Matthews
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of a computerized 24-hour physical activity recall instrument (24PAR).
Methods:
Participants (n = 20) wore 2 pattern-recognition activity monitors (an IDEEA and a SenseWear Pro Armband) for a 24-hour period and then completed the 24PAR the following morning. Participants completed 2 trials, 1 while maintaining a prospective diary of their activities and 1 without a diary. The trials were counterbalanced and completed within a week from each other. Estimates of energy expenditure (EE) and minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were compared with the criterion measures using 3-way (method by gender by trial) mixed-model ANOVA analyses.
Results:
For EE, pairwise correlations were high (r > .88), and there were no differences in estimates across methods. Estimates of MVPA were more variable, but correlations were still in the moderate to high range (r > .57). Average activity levels were significantly higher on the logging trial, but there was no significant difference in the accuracy of self-report on days with and without logging.
Conclusions:
The results of this study support the overall utility of the 24PAR for group-level estimates of daily EE and MVPA.
