Validity of Consumer Activity Monitors and an Algorithm Using Smartphone Data for Measuring Steps during Different Activity Types.
Int J Environ Res Public Health
; 17(24)2020 12 12.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33322833
ABSTRACT
Background:
Consumer activity monitors and smartphones have gained relevance for the assessment and promotion of physical activity. The aim of this study was to determine the concurrent validity of various consumer activity monitor models and smartphone models for measuring steps.Methods:
Participants completed three activity protocols (1) overground walking with three different speeds (comfortable, slow, fast), (2) activities of daily living (ADLs) focusing on arm movements, and (3) intermittent walking. Participants wore 11 activity monitors (wrist 8; hip 2; ankle 1) and four smartphones (hip 3; calf 1). Observed steps served as the criterion measure. The mean average percentage error (MAPE) was calculated for each device and protocol.Results:
Eighteen healthy adults participated in the study (age 28.8 ± 4.9 years). MAPEs ranged from 0.3-38.2% during overground walking, 48.2-861.2% during ADLs, and 11.2-47.3% during intermittent walking. Wrist-worn activity monitors tended to misclassify arm movements as steps. Smartphone data collected at the hip, analyzed with a separate algorithm, performed either equally or even superiorly to the research-grade ActiGraph.Conclusion:
This study highlights the potential of smartphones for physical activity measurement. Measurement inaccuracies during intermittent walking and arm movements should be considered when interpreting study results and choosing activity monitors for evaluation purposes.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Activities of Daily Living
/
Smartphone
/
Fitness Trackers
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
Int J Environ Res Public Health
Year:
2020
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country: