A Device Agnostic Approach to Predict Children’s Activity from Consumer Wearable Accelerometer Data: A Proof-of-Concept Study

  • R. Glenn Weaver
  • , James White
  • , Olivia Finnegan
  • , Srihari Nelakuditi
  • , Xuanxuan Zhu
  • , Sarah Burkart
  • , Michael Beets
  • , Trey Brown
  • , Russ Pate
  • , Gregory J. Welk
  • , Massimiliano de Zambotti
  • , Rahul Ghosal
  • , Yuan Wang
  • , Bridget Armstrong
  • , Elizabeth L. Adams
  • , Layton Reesor-Oyer
  • , Christopher D. Pfledderer
  • , Meghan Bastyr
  • , Lauren von Klinggraeff
  • , Hannah Parker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Introduction: This study examined the potential of a device agnostic approach for predicting physical activity from consumer wearable accelerometry compared with a research-grade accelerometry. Methods: Seventy-five 5- to 12-year-olds (58% male, 63% White) participated in a 60-min protocol. Children wore wrist-placed consumer wearables (Apple Watch Series 7 and Garmin Vivoactive 4) and a research-grade device (ActiGraph GT9X) concurrently with an indirect calorimeter (COSMED K5). Activity intensities (i.e., inactive, light, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) were estimated via indirect calorimetry (criterion), and the Hildebrand thresholds were applied to the raw accelerometer data from the consumer wearables and research-grade device. Epoch-by-epoch (e.g., weighted sensitivity, specificity) and discrepancy (e.g., mean bias, absolute error) analyses evaluated agreement between accelerometry-derived and criterion estimates. Equivalence testing evaluated the equivalence of estimates produced by the consumer wearables and ActiGraph. Results: Estimates produced by the raw accelerometry data from ActiGraph, Apple, and Garmin produced similar criterion agreement with weighted sensitivity = 68.2% (95% confidence interval (CI), 67.1%–69.3%), 73.0% (95% CI, 71.8%–74.3%), and 66.6% (95% CI, 65.7%–67.5%), respectively, and weighted specificity = 84.4% (95% CI, 83.6%–85.2%), 82.0% (95% CI, 80.6%–83.4%), and 75.3% (95% CI, 74.7%–75.9%), respectively. Apple Watch produced the lowest mean bias (inactive, −4.0 ± 4.5; light activity, 2.1 ± 4.0) and absolute error (inactive, 4.9 ± 3.4; light activity, 3.6 ± 2.7) for inactive and light physical activity minutes. For moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, ActiGraph produced the lowest mean bias (1.0 ± 2.9) and absolute error (2.8 ± 2.4). No ActiGraph and consumer wearable device estimates were statistically significantly equivalent. Conclusions: Raw accelerometry estimated inactive and light activity from wrist-placed consumer wearables performed similarly to, if not better than, a research-grade device, when compared with indirect calorimetry. This proof-of-concept study highlights the potential of device-agnostic methods for quantifying physical activity intensity via consumer wearables.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)370-379
Number of pages10
JournalMedicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Volume56
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • FREE-LIVING ACTIVITY MONITORING
  • OPEN SOURCE
  • PHYSICAL ACTIVITY TRACKING
  • VALIDATION

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
  • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation

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