The validity of two Omron pedometers during treadmill walking is speed dependent

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology 2012-01, Vol.112 (1), p.49-57
• Main Authors: Giannakidou, Dimitra M., Kambas, Antonis, Ageloussis, Nikolaos, Fatouros, Ioannis, Christoforidis, Christos, Venetsanou, Fotini, Douroudos, Ioannis, Taxildaris, Kyriakos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Actigraphy - instrumentation; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body fat; Cardiovascular disease; Energy; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Exercise; Exercise Test - instrumentation; Fitness equipment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human Physiology; Humans; Male; Monitoring, Ambulatory - instrumentation; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Physical Exertion - physiology; Physical fitness; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sensors; Sports Medicine; Validity; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Walking; Walking - physiology
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-011-1951-y

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of walking speed on the accuracy of measurement of steps, distance, and energy expenditure of two commercially available Omron pedometers [HJ-720IT-E2 (HJ-720) and HJ-113-E (HJ-113)]. Twenty-four untrained males (age, 22.7 ± 2.8 years; BMI, 24.38 ± 2.19 kg m −2 ; body fat (%), 16 ± 2.2; V O 2max , 40.2 ± 6.5 ml kg −1  min −1 ) and 18 females (age, 22.4 ± 2.9 years; BMI, 21.68 ± 2.43 kg m −2 ; body fat (%), 23% ± 1.8; V O 2max , 35.9 ± 2.8 ml kg −1  min −1 ) walked at five different velocities (54, 67, 80, 94 and 107 m min −1 ) on a treadmill in 5-min stages while wearing three types of pedometers: (a) HJ-720, (b) HJ-113, and (c) Yamax Digi-Walker SW-200 (YAM). Step-count for each pedometer was recorded at the end of each stage and compared with the value of a hand counter. Additionally, Omron pedometers were evaluated on their distance and energy expenditure (against V O 2 measurement with a gas-exchange analyzer) accuracy during each stage. HJ-720 and HJ-113 demonstrated high accuracy ( r  = 0.80–0.99) at all speeds. YAM underestimated step-count only at 54 m min −1 ( r  = 0.46). HJ-720 and HJ-113 overestimated distance at slower speeds and underestimated distance at faster speeds, providing mean distance values that where to within 1.5–4% at 80 m min −1 . HJ-720 and HJ-113 underestimated energy expenditure (gross kilocalories) by 28%, when compared to indirect calorimetry. These results suggest that although the Omron HJ-720 and HJ-113 pedometers are accurate in the measurement of step-count, they demonstrate limited accuracy in the assessment of traveled distance and energy expenditure in a speed-dependent manner.