Abstract
BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of three widely used wearable sensors in research settings for 24 h monitoring of sleep, sedentary, and active behaviors in middle-aged women.MethodsParticipants were 21 inactive, overweight (M Body Mass Index (BMI) = 29.27 ± 7.43) women, 30 to 64 years (M = 45.31 ± 9.67). Women were instructed to wear each sensor on the non-dominant hip (ActiGraph GT3X+), wrist (GENEActiv), or upper arm (BodyMedia SenseWear Mini) for 24 h/day and record daily wake and bed times for one week over the course of three consecutive weeks. Women received feedback about their daily physical activity and sleep behaviors. Feasibility (i.e., acceptability and demand) was measured using surveys, interviews, and wear time.ResultsWomen felt the GENEActiv (94.7 %) and SenseWear Mini (90.0 %) were easier to wear and preferred the placement (68.4, 80 % respectively) as compared to the ActiGraph (42.9, 47.6 % respectively). Mean wear time on valid days was similar across sensors (ActiGraph: M = 918.8 ± 115.0 min; GENEActiv: M = 949.3 ± 86.6; SenseWear: M = 928.0 ± 101.8) and well above other studies using wake time only protocols. Informational feedback was the biggest motivator, while appearance, comfort, and inconvenience were the biggest barriers to wearing sensors. Wear time was valid on 93.9 % (ActiGraph), 100 % (GENEActiv), and 95.2 % (SenseWear) of eligible days. 61.9, 95.2, and 71.4 % of participants had seven valid days of data for the ActiGraph, GENEActiv, and SenseWear, respectively.ConclusionTwenty-four hour monitoring over seven consecutive days is a feasible approach in middle-aged women. Researchers should consider participant acceptability and demand, in addition to validity and reliability, when choosing a wearable sensor. More research is needed across populations and study designs.
Highlights
The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of three widely used wearable sensors in research settings for 24 h monitoring of sleep, sedentary, and active behaviors in middle-aged women
Women felt the GENEActiv and SenseWear Mini were easier to wear and preferred the placement compared to the ActiGraph
The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of three wearable sensors widely used in research settings; ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer, GENEActiv accelerometer, and SenseWear Mini Armband, for 24 h monitoring of sleep, sedentary, and active behaviors in middle-aged women
Summary
The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility of three widely used wearable sensors in research settings for 24 h monitoring of sleep, sedentary, and active behaviors in middle-aged women. The combination of the roles of sleep [1, 2], sedentary [3, 4], and even light intensity behaviors [5, 6], for chronic disease prevention have underscored the need to understand the full 24 h period and how these behaviors can be harnessed for health promotion [7]. To date we are not aware of any studies that have explored the feasibility of a 24 h approach to behavioral monitoring and factors that influence the user experience, including sensor placement, sleep/wake transitions, and behavioral feedback that may impact assessment. A few studies have reported participant-based strategies (e.g., participants perform tasks to promote compliance) or investigator-based strategies (e.g., activities performed by researchers to help participants wear the sensors) to help improve wear-time compliance, but none have explored or reported feasibility [12, 13]
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