Evaluating Walking Intensity with Hip-Worn Accelerometers in Elders
Coauthors: Vincenzo Valiani, Jeffrey Knaggs, Todd Manini
Journal: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise – the flagship journal of the American College of Sports Medicine – www.acsm-msse.org
Accelerometer-based activity monitors, often referred to as wearables, is one of the fastest growing segments of the consumer technology market. Many individuals use these devices to gauge their health by looking at their daily physical activity levels. While there is merit in using these devices for most adults, their validity for use with older adults is suspicious. This is particularly true for older adults who walk at a slower power yet still achieve a sufficient metabolic rate to categorize their activity as being moderate to vigorous intensity. The purpose of this study was to understand the association between usual walking speed and the metabolic cost of walking in relation to activity intensity data generated from a hip-worn accelerometer. Our results provide critical insight on how to apply traditional accelerometer cut points to hip-worn activity monitors in older adults to estimate moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity.