Real-Time Versus Video-Recorded Step Count Validation Among Young Adults.

BackgroundObjective evaluation of gait impairment in Huntington’s Disease (HD) is challenging both in clinical trials and clinical practice. Algorithms, such as Teager-Kaiser Gait Event Detection (TKGED), enable detection of initial...

BackgroundCommercially available activity monitors, such as the Fitbit, may encourage physical activity. However, the accuracy of the Fitbit in older adults remains unknown. This study aimed to determine (1) the...

Purpose Numerous studies have evaluated the step counting accuracy of commercially available pedometers. The longevity of pedometers (maintenance of step counting accuracy with repeated use), however, has yet to be determined or reported in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to test the efficacy of a lab-based protocol for measuring pedometer longevity using three commercial pedometer brands. Methods 3 brands of new pedometers (n = 10 each) were tested: 1) Digi-Walker (DW701; Model SW-701); 2) Sportline Electronic Pedometer (SL345; Model 345); 3) McDonald=s Stepometer (MCST). To simulate habitual use of the pedometers during walking activities, each brand of pedometer was mounted to a modified benchtop orbital shaker. The shaker oscillated at 2.5 Hz which corresponded to one step accumulation on a pedometer per cycle and approximated a 80.4 m/s (3.0 MPH) walking speed when compared to the output from an Actical activity monitor (Mini Mitter, Inc.). Prior to testing on the shaker, the accuracy of each pedometer was verified using a treadmill walking test. Pedometers were worn (one at a time) by a lab technician while walking on a treadmill at 80.4 m/s for exactly 50 steps on 3 successive trials. Actual step count for each trial (50 steps) was verified using a hand tally while the pedometer step count was recorded and reset to zero between trials. A pedometer was considered to have “failed” the treadmill test if the average pedometer step count (over the 3 trials) differed from the actual step count by ±5 steps. Non-failed pedometers were then mounted to the shaker and set (using an automated timer) to accumulate approximately 100,000 steps before retesting on the treadmill for step counting accuracy. The average number of steps accumulated prior to failing the treadmill test was recorded for each pedometer. Each pedometer was tested until failure or until a high accumulation of steps without failure (ie. 2–2.5 million). Differences between the 3 brands were evaluated using a 1-factor ANOVA at the 0.05 alpha level. Results The DW701 accumulated significantly more steps (Mean±SE: 2.38±0.03 million steps) than either the SL345 (0.71±0.06 million steps) or the MCST (0.25±0.03 million steps). All of the SL345 and MCST pedometers were tested until failure while testing the DW701 pedometers were stopped due to high step counts without failure. Conclusions The lab-test of pedometer longevity provided a clear stratification between the three pedometer brands tested. This type of test may be useful to perform prior to using any pedometer brand for large-scale physical activity tracking or intervention studies.

Accuracy of step count measured by physical activity monitors: The effect of gait speed and anatomical placement site

Toronto Western Spasmodic Torticollis Rating Scale (TWSTRS) is widely employed for cervical dystonia (CD) evaluation. To assess the inter-rater reliability of the severity subscale of the original and revised TWSTRS using video recordings. Three raters, a PhD student with a nursing degree, a physiotherapist specialized in CD, and a neurologist-in-training independently rated all videos. The inter-rater reliability was assessed with the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The total severity score of both tools demonstrated a good inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.87 to 0.88). The inter-rater reliability of individual sub-items varied from poor (ICC = 0.29) to excellent (ICC = 0.9). The total severity score of both TWSTRS showed good inter-rater reliability in a multidisciplinary team, indicating their applicability for online patients' assessment. We recommend using the total subscale for outcome comparison. Furthermore, there is a need for more accurate definitions of duration factor and shoulder elevation.

ObjectivesValidation of physical activity measurement tools is essential to determine the relationship between physical activity and health in preschool children, but research to date has not focused on this priority....

Background: Trunk impairment is an important clinical feature in children with cerebral palsy (CP), therefore assessment of trunk control is a crucial part of functional assessment in children with CP. Objectives: The study aimed to translate the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS) from the original English into a Thai version and demonstrate the reliability and validity of the TCMS-TH among children with spastic CP. Materials and methods: The TCMS was translated using standard cross-cultural adaptation guidelines. The final TCMS-TH was tested on 29 children with spastic CP aged 5-15 years. For inter-rater reliability, two assessors independently scored the children from the video recording using the TCMS-TH. One month after the first assessment, a second assessment was performed to determine intra-rater reliability. The convergent validity of the TCMS-TH was assessed by comparison to the Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were used to analyze reliability and validity. Results: The TCMS-TH had good internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha = 0.916 for the total TCMS-TH. Inter-rater reliability was good to excellent, ICC = 0.837-0.955, whereas intra-rater reliability was excellent, ICC =0.918-0.995. The TCMS-TH and the GMFM has moderate to high correlation (r=0.631-0.810). Conclusion: The TCMS-TH is a reliable and valid tool for assessing trunk control in children with spastic CP. However, its outcomes are primarily generalizable to observations obtained from video recordings rather than direct in-person assessments. Despite this limitation, the TCMS-TH remains a valuable tool for both clinical practice and research settings.

Obesity prevalence continues to increase globally, with increased physical activity considered as the most effective intervention. Fitness activity tracker have been shown to assist people increase their physical activity level, with increasing number of features and affordability over the past decade. An affordable fitness tracker, Archon Alive 001 was compared to Actigraph wGT3x-BT, with participants walking on treadmill at three, four, five and eight kilometers per hour (kph) and hand tally used as criterion measurement. Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of Archon and Actigraph relative to hand tally at varying speeds, and related bivariate correlation were calculated, along with multivariate analysis of variance to assess the effect of speed and participant demographics on tracker MAPE. Polar OH1 heart rate monitor synchronized with PNOĒ metabolic analyzer was used to monitor heart rate and calorie expenditure. MAPE and correlation between PNOĒ and Archon calorie expenditure was calculated. Bland-Altman analysis and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to compare heart rate measurement between Polar and Archon. Compared to hand tally calculations, Archon step count was accurate, with average MAPE of 3.46%, and average correlation of r = 0.986, p < 0.001, while Actigraph average MAPE was 31.46%, with average correlation of r = 0.513, p = 0.001 at various speed. Age and speed had small effect on Archon’s accuracy. Sex had small effect, while speed had a large effect on Actigraph accuracy. Archon heart rate had Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 75.8%, with mean difference of -3.33 beats per minute (bpm) and 95% Limit of Agreement at -31.55 bpm to 24.90 bpm relative to Polar OH1. Archon total calorie expenditure output had 29.3% MAPE, and correlation r = 0.629, p < 0.001 relative to PNOĒ. Archon Alive demonstrated high accuracy in step counting, along with acceptable reliability and accuracy for heart rate and calorie expenditure measurements, making it sufficient for monitoring exercise intensity. Heart rate and calorie expenditure outputs were insufficiently accurate for clinical assessment.

This study aimed to investigate the accuracy and reliability of accelerometer-based pedometers placed on the wrist, waist, and shoe’s midsole during walking, running, and stair climbing. Twenty healthy adults were recruited. Steps were recorded by the pedometers and visually assessed from simultaneously recorded video to evaluate the accuracy of each pedometer in different locations of attachment. One week later, steps were recorded again by the pedometers only to evaluate the reliability of each pedometer in different locations of attachment. The wrist-worn pedometer presented significantly greater error scores compared to the midsole-worn pedometer during walking (p < 0.001), running (p = 0.006), and stair climbing (p = 0.003). Additionally, mean absolute precent error and Bland-Altman plots indicated that the pedometer worn in the midsole was most accurate for running and stair climbing, followed by waist-worn and wrist-worn pedometers. Furthermore, the midsole-worn and waist-worn pedometers showed strong reliability during walking and running, but only the midsole-worn pedometer presented acceptable reliability during stair climbing. The pedometer’s position impacts the accuracy and reliability of step counts, especially for walking and stair climbing. Embedding the pedometer into the midsole seems an effective approach to improve the accuracy and reliability of step counts.

Activity Monitor Placed at the Nonparetic Ankle Is Accurate in Measuring Step Counts During Community Walking in Poststroke Individuals: A Validation Study.

Radiographic evaluation of lumbar intervertebral disc height index: An intra and inter-rater agreement and reliability study

Wearable activity devices, widely used to monitor physical activity in non-injured populations, have shown potential in encouraging early ambulation and enhanced recovery in hospitalised patients. This study evaluated the accuracy of wearable devices in tracking step counts under simulated hospital conditions, seeking the optimal body location placement for individuals with altered gait. This method comparison study involved healthy adults walking on a treadmill while performing slow and shuffling walking patterns. Twelve wearable devices were placed on the arm, waist, and leg, and their recorded step counts were compared to manual counts from filmed sessions, following Consumer Technology Association guidelines. The Apple Watch, particularly when worn on the waist, demonstrated the highest reliability and adaptability across walking patterns. Leg placement, which accounted for 10 of the top 20 device-position combinations, suggested that larger movement amplitudes improve step count accuracy, particularly during slow or altered gaits. This study confirmed the Apple Watch to be the most accurate wearable step count device. The study provides new understanding as to the precision of commercially available devices and their placement, when aiming to improve and, or conduct research about, patient physical activity outcomes.

Objective: To assess (1) step count accuracy of the Fitbit Zip, compared to manual step count, in people receiving outpatient rehabilitation, in indoor and outdoor conditions, and (2) impact of slow walking speed on Fitbit accuracy. Design: Observational study. Setting: A metropolitan rehabilitation hospital. Subjects: Adults (n = 88) attending a subacute rehabilitation outpatient clinic with walking speeds of between 0.4 and 1.0 m/s. Interventions: Two 2-minute walk tests, one indoors and one outdoors, completed in random order. Main measures: Step count recorded manually by observation and by a Fitbit Zip, attached to the shoe on the dominant or non-affected side. Subgroup analysis included assessment accuracy for those considered limited community walkers (slower than 0.8 m/s) and those considered community walkers (faster than 0.8 m/s). Results: The Fitbit significantly (P < 0.05) undercounted steps compared to manual step count, indoors and outdoors, with percentage agreement slightly higher outdoors (mean 92.4%) than indoors (90.1%). Overall, there was excellent consistent agreement between the Fitbit and manual step count for both indoor (ICC 0.83) and outdoor (ICC 0.88) walks. The accuracy of the Fitbit was significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in those who walked slower than 0.8 m/s outdoors (ICC 0.80) compared to those who walk faster than 0.8 m/s (ICC 0.90). Conclusions: The Fitbit Zip shows high step count accuracy with manual step count in a mixed subacute rehabilitation population. However, accuracy is affected by walking speed, with decreased accuracy in limited community walkers.

Objective: To examine the step count accuracy of activity monitors in community-dwelling older adults. Method: Twenty-nine participants aged 67.70 ± 6.07 participated. Three pedometers and the Actical accelerometer step count functions were compared with actual steps taken during a 200-m walk around an indoor track and during treadmill walking at three different speeds. Results: There was no statistical difference between activity monitors step counts and actual steps during self-selected pace walking. During treadmill walking at 0.67 m∙s−1, all activity monitors step counts were significantly different from actual steps. During treadmill walking at 0.894m∙s−1, the Omron HJ-112 pedometer step counts were not significantly different from actual steps. During treadmill walking at 1.12 m∙s−1, the Yamax SW-200 pedometer steps were significantly different from actual steps. Discussion: Activity monitor selection should be deliberate when examining the walking behaviors of community-dwelling older adults, especially for those who walk at a slower pace.

Background: Generalised joint hypermobility (GJH) is a common connective tissue disorder associated with a range of musculoskeletal complaints. An effective screening tool to assess GJH may influence our understanding and choice of management. Diagnosis is clinical, using tools such as the Beighton Hypermobility Score and the Contompasis Scoring System. The comparable reliability of these tools has not been previously reported. The aim of the present study was to compare the intra- and inter-rater reliability of the Beighton Score to the Contompasis Score to assess GJH. Methods: This was a randomised observational study assessing 36 pain-free participants: 27 females and nine males, with a mean age of 22.7 years ± 3.71 (range 18 to 32 years). Participants were assessed by two researchers over two sessions to allow for intra- and inter-rater analysis. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted Kappa statistics were used to calculate the level of agreement. Results: The intra- (ICC=0.71–0.82) and inter-rater (ICC=0.72–0.80) reliability of the Beighton Score is substantial to almost perfect. The Contompasis Score displayed substantial to almost perfect intra-rater (ICC=0.73–0.82) reliability and moderate to substantial inter-rater (ICC=0.58–0.62) reliability. Conclusions: It is hypothesised that in clinical practice the Beighton Score is more appropriate due to greater inter-rater reliability, whereas in a research setting with experienced practitioners, the Contompasis Score would be more appropriate, due to almost perfect intra-rater reliability. Implications: The present study provides an indication of the measurement capabilities of the Beighton and Contompasis Scores, as well as providing a platform for further research.