Validation of accelerometer for measuring physical activity in free-living individuals

Authors

George O. Agogo, Department of Biometrics, Wageningen University & Research, Dep. of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, USAFollow
Hilko van der Voet, Department of Biometrics, Wageningen University & Research, Dep. of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, USA
Paul J.M. Hulshof, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Pieter van ’t Veer, Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Laura Trijsburg, Div. of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Nutritional Methodology and Biostatistics Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands
Fred A. van Eeuwijk, Department of Biometrics, Wageningen University & Research, Dep. of Internal Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, USA
Hendriek C. Boshuizen, Department of Biometrics, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Department of Statistics, Mathematical Modelling and Data Logistics, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, The Netherlands

Abstract

Background: The aim of this research was to validate a triaxial GT3X accelerometer against doubly labelled water for measuring total energy expenditure (TEE) in a study of free-living Dutch adults and to compare the two prediction equations used to calculate accelerometer derived activity related energy expenditure. Material/Methods: We used a measurement error model to estimate bias in the mean TEE, a correlation coefficient between measured and true TEE (a validity coefficient, which quantifies loss of statistical power to detect association) and the attenuation factor (which quantifies bias in the association), with and without conditioning on age, sex and BMI. We proposed a calibration method for the accelerometer-based TEE. Results: The accelerometer underestimated TEE by about 500kcal/day. The validity coefficient estimate conditional on age, sex and BMI was 0.8; the same value was observed for the attenuation factor estimate. With the devised calibration method, the bias in accelerometer derived mean TEE reduced to 6 kcal/day, validity coefficient estimate increased to 0.95 and attenuation factor to 0.94. Conclusions: The GT3X accelerometer would underestimate mean TEE, lead to minimal loss in statistical power to detect significant association, and would result in biased estimate of the association between TEE and a health outcome.

Recommended Citation

Agogo GO, van der Voet H, Hulshof PJ, van ’t Veer P, Trijsburg L, van Eeuwijket FA, et al. Validation of accelerometer for measuring physical activity in free-living individuals . Balt J Health Phys Act. 2018; 10: 7-21. doi: 10.29359/BJHPA.10.1.01

DOI

10.29359/BJHPA.10.1.01

Author ORCID Identifier

George Agogo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7685-7743

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.