Comparison of Step Outputs for Waist and Wrist Accelerometer Attachment Sites. Issue 4 (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: TUDOR-LOCKE, CATRINE; BARREIRA, TIAGO V.; SCHUNA, JOHN M.
• Is Part Of: Medicine and science in sports and exercise. Volume 47:Issue 4(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: Sports medicine -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Exercise -- Health aspects -- Periodicals; 612.044
• DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000476
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0195-9131

Abstract

<abstract> <title>ABSTRACT</title> <sec> <title>Purpose</title> <p>The objective of this study is to compare step outputs obtained from waist and wrist accelerometer attachment sites under laboratory and free-living conditions.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Methods</title> <p>Under the laboratory condition, participants concurrently wore ActiGraph accelerometers at their waist and nondominant wrist while walking/running at treadmill speeds between 14 and 188 m·min<sup>−1</sup>. Visually counted steps served as a criterion standard. Participants then wore both accelerometers for 7 d. All accelerometer step data were processed applying both the manufacturer's default and low-frequency extension filters. Paired sample <italic>t</italic>-tests were used to evaluate mean differences in criterion steps per minute and the four (attachment site × filter) estimates produced from the waist- and wrist-worn accelerometers in the laboratory study. Free-living differences in mean steps per day detected between the waist and wrist (considering both filters) were computed.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Results</title> <p>Relative to visually counted steps, the waist attachment site generally outperformed the wrist attachment site at most speeds, regardless of the applied filtering process. Under free-living conditions, the waist-worn accelerometer detected 6743 ± 2398 (default filter) and 13, 029 ± 3734 (low-frequency extension) steps per day. The concurrently worn wrist accelerometer detected 9301 ± 2887 (default filter) and 15, 493 ± 3958 (low-frequency extension) steps per day.</p> </sec> <sec> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>The wrist attachment site detected consistently <italic>fewer</italic> visually counted steps than the waist attachment site at most treadmill speeds during laboratory testing. In contrast, the wrist attachment site produced a <italic>higher</italic> average step count (ranging from approximately 2500 to 8700 more steps per day under free-living conditions, dependent on the filtering process applied) than the waist attachment site under free-living conditions. In conclusion, step outputs obtained from waist- and wrist-worn accelerometer attachment sites are generally not comparable under either laboratory or free-living conditions.</p> </sec> </abstract>