scholarly journals Estimating Walking Speed in the Wild

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loubna Baroudi ◽  
Mark W. Newman ◽  
Elizabeth A. Jackson ◽  
Kira Barton ◽  
K. Alex Shorter ◽  
...  

An individual's physical activity substantially impacts the potential for prevention and recovery from diverse health issues, including cardiovascular diseases. Precise quantification of a patient's level of day-to-day physical activity, which can be characterized by the type, intensity, and duration of movement, is crucial for clinicians. Walking is a primary and fundamental physical activity for most individuals. Walking speed has been shown to correlate with various heart pathologies and overall function. As such, it is often used as a metric to assess health performance. A range of clinical walking tests exist to evaluate gait and inform clinical decision-making. However, these assessments are often short, provide qualitative movement assessments, and are performed in a clinical setting that is not representative of the real-world. Technological advancements in wearable sensing and associated algorithms enable new opportunities to complement in-clinic evaluations of movement during free-living. However, the use of wearable devices to inform clinical decisions presents several challenges, including lack of subject compliance and limited sensor battery life. To bridge the gap between free-living and clinical environments, we propose an approach in which we utilize different wearable sensors at different temporal scales and resolutions. Here, we present a method to accurately estimate gait speed in the free-living environment from a low-power, lightweight accelerometer-based bio-logging tag secured on the thigh. We use high-resolution measurements of gait kinematics to build subject-specific data-driven models to accurately map stride frequencies extracted from the bio-logging system to stride speeds. The model-based estimates of stride speed were evaluated using a long outdoor walk and compared to stride parameters calculated from a foot-worn inertial measurement unit using the zero-velocity update algorithm. The proposed method presents an average concordance correlation coefficient of 0.80 for all subjects, and 97% of the error is within ±0.2m· s−1. The approach presented here provides promising results that can enable clinicians to complement their existing assessments of activity level and fitness with measurements of movement duration and intensity (walking speed) extracted at a week time scale and in the patients' free-living environment.

Author(s):  
Emma Fortune ◽  
Vipul Lugade ◽  
Melissa Morrow ◽  
Kenton Kaufman

Gait analysis is an important tool in assessing the health and activity levels of patients and regular physical activity has been associated with health improvements in a number of populations. Step counting is one of the most commonly used measures of physical activity [1] and many studies have investigated the use of wearable sensors for step counts [2–4]. Their small size and light weight mean that they may be used in a free living environment and are suitable for home deployment. One of the main issues associated with step counts as a measure of physical activity is that a very high level of accuracy in step detection is needed.


1982 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 240-243
Author(s):  
Wayne T. Corbett ◽  
Harry M. Schey ◽  
A. W. Green

The mean and standard deviation over 24 h for 3 groups of animals - active, intermediate and inactive - in physical activity units were 10948 ± 3360, 2611 ± 1973 and 484 ± 316 respectively. The differences were significant ( P = 0·004), demonstrating the ability of the method to distinguish between groups that can be visibly differentiated. The small within-animal physical activity standard deviation (18·85 PAU) obtained in another group, suggests that it also yields reliable physical activity measurements for non-human primates. The monitoring device used can discriminate between individual nonhuman primate physical activity levels in a free-living environment and does not alter daily behaviour. This makes possible the study of the relationship between physical activity and atherosclerosis in nonhuman primates.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takuya Ataka ◽  
Noriyuki Kimura ◽  
Atsuko Eguchi ◽  
Etsuro Matsubara

Abstract Background: In this manuscript, we aimed at investigating whether objectively measured lifestyle factors, including walking steps, sedentary time, amount of unforced physical activity, level of slight and energetic physical activity, conversation time, and sleep parameters altered before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Data were obtained from a prospective cohort study conducted from 2015 to 2019 and a subsequent dementia prevention study undertaken in September 2020. Community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years wore wearable sensors before and during the pandemic.Results: A total of 56 adults were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 74.2±3.9 years, and 58.9% (n=33) of the participants were female. The moderate and vigorous physical activity time significantly decreased and sedentary time significantly increased during the pandemic. Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate differences in objectively assessed lifestyle factors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among community-dwelling older adults. The findings show that the pandemic has adversely affected physical activity among older adults living on their own in Japan.


10.2196/21105 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e21105
Author(s):  
Arpita Mallikarjuna Kappattanavar ◽  
Nico Steckhan ◽  
Jan Philipp Sachs ◽  
Harry Freitas da Cruz ◽  
Erwin Böttinger ◽  
...  

Background A majority of employees in the industrial world spend most of their working time in a seated position. Monitoring sitting postures can provide insights into the underlying causes of occupational discomforts such as low back pain. Objective This study focuses on the technologies and algorithms used to classify sitting postures on a chair with respect to spine and limb movements. Methods A total of three electronic literature databases were surveyed to identify studies classifying sitting postures in adults. Quality appraisal was performed to extract critical details and assess biases in the shortlisted papers. Results A total of 14 papers were shortlisted from 952 papers obtained after a systematic search. The majority of the studies used pressure sensors to measure sitting postures, whereas neural networks were the most frequently used approaches for classification tasks in this context. Only 2 studies were performed in a free-living environment. Most studies presented ethical and methodological shortcomings. Moreover, the findings indicate that the strategic placement of sensors can lead to better performance and lower costs. Conclusions The included studies differed in various aspects of design and analysis. The majority of studies were rated as medium quality according to our assessment. Our study suggests that future work for posture classification can benefit from using inertial measurement unit sensors, since they make it possible to differentiate among spine movements and similar postures, considering transitional movements between postures, and using three-dimensional cameras to annotate the data for ground truth. Finally, comparing such studies is challenging, as there are no standard definitions of sitting postures that could be used for classification. In addition, this study identifies five basic sitting postures along with different combinations of limb and spine movements to help guide future research efforts.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro Alberto Calazans Nogueira ◽  
Luciano Teixeira dos Santos ◽  
Pollyane Galinari Sabino ◽  
Regina Maria Papais Alvarenga ◽  
Luiz Claudio Santos Thuler

Objective. The purpose of this study was to analyze factors related to lower walking speed in persons with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. The study participants were 120 consecutive PwMS, who were able to walk, even with device assistance. Demographic and clinical data were collected. Walking speed was measured in 10 m walk test. Possible factors were assessed: disability, fatigue, visual functioning, balance confidence, physical activity level, walking impact, cognitive interference, and motor planning. A forward linear multiple regression analysis examined the correlation with lower speed.Results. Lower walking speed was observed in 85% of the patients. Fatigue (41%), recurrent falls (30%), and balance problems were also present, even with mild disability (averageEDSS=2.68). A good level of physical activity was noted in most of the subjects. Dual-task procedure revealed 11.58% of walking speed reduction. Many participants (69.57%) imagined greater walking speed than motor execution (mean ≥ 28.42%). Physical activity level was the only characteristic that demonstrated no significant difference between the groups (lower versus normal walking speed). Many mobility measures were correlated with walking speed; however, disability, balance confidence, and motor planning were the most significant.Conclusions. Disability, balance confidence, and motor planning were correlated with lower walking speed.


1997 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abby C. King ◽  
Michaela Kiernan ◽  
Roy F. Oman ◽  
Helena C. Kraemer ◽  
Mary Hull ◽  
...  

2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S32
Author(s):  
David J. Rice ◽  
David M. Pober ◽  
Patty S. Freedson

Author(s):  
Kathy M. Shipp ◽  
Laurence G. Branch

ABSTRACTAlthough the physical environment as a co-determinant of health could be approached in many ways, we chose to focus on an understudied area: how the immediate living environment can act as a persuasive force affecting physical activity level in older people, with physical activity in turn affecting health status. To explore this topic, the methods and findings of a literature search are described, the theoretical underpinnings of our thesis are presented, and an example is given of how a planned environment, which upon first glance seems supportive, may have unexpected and negative consequences on the activity level, and ultimately the health status, of the residents. Theory related to changes with aging in homeostatic capacity and reserve capacity of organ systems as well as Lawton's environmental press-competence model are applied to environmental characteristics (e.g., staircases) of continuing care retirement communities. We argue that physically challenging aspects of the environment, such as stairs, should be included in the design of living spaces for the elderly with the goal of encouraging greater daily physical activity and improved health status.


2012 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 1530-1536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Ojiambo ◽  
Kenn Konstabel ◽  
Toomas Veidebaum ◽  
John Reilly ◽  
Vera Verbestel ◽  
...  

One of the aims of Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants (IDEFICS) validation study is to validate field measures of physical activity (PA) and energy expenditure (EE) in young children. This study compared the validity of uniaxial accelerometry with heart-rate (HR) monitoring vs. triaxial accelerometry against doubly labeled water (DLW) criterion method for assessment of free-living EE in young children. Forty-nine European children (25 female, 24 male) aged 4–10 yr (mean age: 6.9 ± 1.5 yr) were assessed by uniaxial ActiTrainer with HR, uniaxial 3DNX, and triaxial 3DNX accelerometry. Total energy expenditure (TEE) was estimated using DLW over a 1-wk period. The longitudinal axis of both devices and triaxial 3DNX counts per minute (CPM) were significantly ( P < 0.05) associated with physical activity level (PAL; r = 0.51 ActiTrainer, r = 0.49 uniaxial-3DNX, and r = 0.42 triaxial Σ3DNX). Eight-six percent of the variance in TEE could be predicted by a model combining body mass (partial r2 = 71%; P < 0.05), CPM-ActiTrainer (partial r2 = 11%; P < 0.05), and difference between HR at moderate and sedentary activities (ModHR − SedHR) (partial r2 = 4%; P < 0.05). The SE of TEE estimate for ActiTrainer and 3DNX models ranged from 0.44 to 0.74 MJ/days or ∼7–11% of the average TEE. The SE of activity-induced energy expenditure (AEE) model estimates ranged from 0.38 to 0.57 MJ/day or 24–26% of the average AEE. It is concluded that the comparative validity of hip-mounted uniaxial and triaxial accelerometers for assessing PA and EE is similar.


2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 743-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anderson Pedroso Barbosa ◽  
Tatiane Gomes Teixeira ◽  
Bianca Orlandi ◽  
Naiane Teixeira Bastos de Oliveira ◽  
Maria Helena Villas Boas Concone

Objective : To investigate if the relationship between physical activity level (PAL) and quality of life (QOL) is affected by living environment (rural or urban). Method : A quantitative, observational and cross-sectional study was performed. Of the 40 participants of both genders, 20 were residents of urban areas and 20 were residents of rural areas in the town of Pimenta Bueno (RO), Brazil. The WHOQOL BREF and IPAQ Long Version questionnaires were used to assess QOL and PAL, respectively. Mann Whitney and Fisher's Exact were used to statistically compare groups for QOL and PAL scores. The correlation between the two was tested by the Spearman test. A significance level of p<0.05 was used. Results : No differences between the rural and urban areas for QOL or PAL were found. In the rural group a positive and significant correlation was found between PAL and the physical, psychological and complete QOL domains. In terms of PAL, elderly persons from the rural area who were regularly active had higher total QOL and physical domain scores than insufficiently active elderly individuals from the rural area. When place of residence was compared, insufficiently active elderly in the urban area had higher scores on the social component of QOL than insufficiently active elderly from the rural group. Among regularly active seniors, those living in the rural area had higher physical QOL scores. Conclusion : According to the results, level of physical activity exerts a differential influence on the QOL of elderly people from rural and urban areas.


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