Accelerometric estimates of physical activity vary unstably with data handling

Because of unreliable self-report, accelerometry is increasingly used to objectively monitor physical activity (PA). However, results of accelerometric studies vary depending on the chosen cutpoints between activity intensities. Population-specific activity patterns likely affect the size of these d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2017-11, Vol.12 (11), p.e0187706-e0187706
Main Authors: Smith, Maia P, Standl, Marie, Heinrich, Joachim, Schulz, Holger
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accelerometers
Accelerometry - methods
Activity patterns
Adolescent
Adolescents
Biology and Life Sciences
Cohort Studies
Computer and Information Sciences
Data processing
Engineering and Technology
Environmental health
Epidemiology
Estimates
Exercise
Female
Health aspects
Hip
Hospitals
Humans
Luminous intensity
Male
Medicine
Medicine and Health Sciences
Pediatrics
People and Places
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Physical Sciences
Public health
Research and Analysis Methods
Smartphones
Stability analysis
Studies
Teenagers
Valproic acid
Youth
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Summary:Because of unreliable self-report, accelerometry is increasingly used to objectively monitor physical activity (PA). However, results of accelerometric studies vary depending on the chosen cutpoints between activity intensities. Population-specific activity patterns likely affect the size of these differences. To establish their size and stability we apply three sets of cutpoints, including two calibrated to a single reference, to our accelerometric data and compare PA estimates. 1402 German adolescents from the GINIplus and LISAplus cohorts wore triaxial accelerometers (Actigraph GT3x) for one week (mean 6.23 days, 14.7 hours per day) at the hip. After validation of wear, we applied three sets of cutpoints for youth, including the most common standard (Freedson, 2005) and two calibrated to a single reference, (Romanzini uni- and triaxial, from Romanzini, 2014) to these data, estimating daily sedentary, light, moderate, vigorous and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MPA, VPA, MVPA). Stability of differences was assessed by comparing Romanzini's two sets of cutpoints. Relative agreement between cutpoints was closer for activity of lower intensities (largest difference for sedentary behaviour 9%) but increased for higher intensities (largest difference for light activity 40%, MPA 102%, VPA 88%; all p
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0187706