Abstract
Limited research exists on the reliability of consumer-based physical activity monitors (CPAMs) despite numerous studies on their validity. Consumers often purchase CPAMs to assess their physical activity (PA) habits over time, emphasizing CPAM reliability more so than their validity; therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability of several CPAMs. In this study, 30 participants wore a pair of four CPAM models (Fitbit One, Zip, Flex, and Jawbone Up24) for a total of eight monitors, while completing seven activities in the laboratory. Activities were completed in two consecutive five-minute bouts. Participants then wore either all wrist- or hip-mounted CPAMs in a free-living setting for the remainder of the day. Intra-monitor reliability for steps (0.88–0.99) was higher than kcals (0.77–0.94), and was higher for hip-worn CPAMs than for wrist-worn CPAMs (p < 0.001 for both). Inter-monitor reliability in the laboratory for steps (0.81–0.99) was higher than kcals (0.64–0.91) and higher for hip-worn CPAMs than for wrist-worn CPAMs (p < 0.001 for both). Free-living correlations were 0.61–0.98, 0.35–0.96, and 0.97–0.98 for steps, kcals, and active minutes, respectively. These findings illustrate that all CPAMs assessed yield reliable estimations of PA. Additionally, all CPAMs tested can provide reliable estimations of physical activity within the laboratory but appear less reliable in a free-living setting.
Highlights
Despite the well-known benefits of regularly engaging in physical activity (PA), half, or more, of U.S adults do not meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [1,2,3]
Two participants were excluded from the intra-monitor reliability analysis due to errors encountered during data collection, resulting in
This study found that all Consumer-based PA monitors (CPAMs) had high intra-monitor reliability (≥0.80) for steps in a laboratory setting; the hip-worn CPAMs were significantly more reliable than the wrist-worn
Summary
Despite the well-known benefits of regularly engaging in physical activity (PA), half, or more, of U.S adults do not meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [1,2,3]. To better understand the role of PA in improving health and reducing disease burden, it is important to measure PA accurately and reliably. High-quality measurement techniques allow researchers to identify which activity intensities provide optimal health benefits, monitor intermittent bouts of PA, and more accurately assess the effectiveness of interventions for promoting behavior change [4]. Consumer-based PA monitors (CPAMs) are common accessories with one in ten adults in the United. During the first fiscal quarter of 2016, 19.7 million fitness trackers were sold worldwide; a 67.2% increase from quarter one of 2015. Fitbit Inc. was the largest distributor of fitness trackers during quarter one of 2015 and 2016 with 32.6 and 24.5% market share, respectively [6]
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