Validation of the triaxial accelerometer for the evaluation of physical activity in Japanese patients with COPD

Quality Evaluation of Free-living Validation Studies for the Assessment of 24-Hour Physical Behavior in Adults via Wearables: Systematic Review

Background

Wearable technology is a leading fitness trend in the growing commercial industry and an established method for collecting 24-hour physical behavior data in research studies. High-quality free-living validation studies are required to enable both researchers and consumers to make guided decisions on which study to rely on and which device to use. However, reviews focusing on the quality of free-living validation studies in adults are lacking.

Objective

This study aimed to raise researchers’ and consumers’ attention to the quality of published validation protocols while aiming to identify and compare specific consistencies or inconsistencies between protocols. We aimed to provide a comprehensive and historical overview of which wearable devices have been validated for which purpose and whether they show promise for use in further studies.

Methods

Peer-reviewed validation studies from electronic databases, as well as backward and forward citation searches (1970 to July 2021), with the following, required indicators were included: protocol must include real-life conditions, outcome must belong to one dimension of the 24-hour physical behavior construct (intensity, posture or activity type, and biological state), the protocol must include a criterion measure, and study results must be published in English-language journals. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool with 9 questions separated into 4 domains (patient selection or study design, index measure, criterion measure, and flow and time).

Results

Of the 13,285 unique search results, 222 (1.67%) articles were included. Most studies (153/237, 64.6%) validated an intensity measure outcome such as energy expenditure. However, only 19.8% (47/237) validated biological state and 15.6% (37/237) validated posture or activity-type outcomes. Across all studies, 163 different wearables were identified. Of these, 58.9% (96/163) were validated only once. ActiGraph GT3X/GT3X+ (36/163, 22.1%), Fitbit Flex (20/163, 12.3%), and ActivPAL (12/163, 7.4%) were used most often in the included studies. The percentage of participants meeting the quality criteria ranged from 38.8% (92/237) to 92.4% (219/237). On the basis of our classification tree to evaluate the overall study quality, 4.6% (11/237) of studies were classified as low risk. Furthermore, 16% (38/237) of studies were classified as having some concerns, and 72.9% (173/237) of studies were classified as high risk.

Conclusions

Overall, free-living validation studies of wearables are characterized by low methodological quality, large variability in design, and focus on intensity. Future research should strongly aim at biological state and posture or activity outcomes and strive for standardized protocols embedded in a validation framework. Standardized protocols for free-living validation embedded in a framework are urgently needed to inform and guide stakeholders (eg, manufacturers, scientists, and consumers) in selecting wearables for self-tracking purposes, applying wearables in health studies, and fostering innovation to achieve improved validity.

Linguistic Validation of the Japanese Version of the Multidimensional Dyspnea Profile and Relation to Physical Activity in Patients with COPD

Purpose

This study aimed to develop a linguistically validated Japanese translation of the multidimensional dyspnea profile (MDP) and assess whether worsening of dyspnea’s sensory and affective domains during exercise had detrimental effects on physical activity in stable outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Materials and Methods

The Japanese version of the MDP was prepared in collaboration with Mapi Research Trust (Lyon, France) after the approval of the developer. Physical activity was assessed using a 3-axis accelerometer. Dyspnea upon exertion was investigated using a 3-minute step test.

Results

The Japanese version of the MDP was obtained and validated linguistically. Air-hunger was significantly associated with total calories from walking (r = − 0.47, p < 0.05), while anxiety and depression were significantly correlated with both the amount and intensity of physical activity (r = − 0.49, p < 0.05, and r = − 0.46, p < 0.05, respectively).

Conclusion

The Japanese version of the MDP was suggested to reflect both pulmonary functions, ventilatory response during exercise, and intensity and amount of physical activity in patients with COPD.

Validity and Reliability of Accelerometers in Patients With COPD: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

PURPOSE

Reduced physical activity is associated with poor prognosis in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Accelerometers have greatly improved quantification of physical activity by providing information on step counts, body positions, energy expenditure, and magnitude of force. The purpose of this systematic review was to compare the validity and reliability of accelerometers used in patients with COPD.

METHODS

An electronic database search of MEDLINE and CINAHL was performed. Study quality was assessed with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist while methodological quality was assessed using the modified Quality Appraisal Tool for Reliability Studies.

RESULTS

The search yielded 5392 studies; 25 met inclusion criteria. The SenseWear Pro armband reported high criterion validity under controlled conditions (r = 0.75-0.93) and high reliability (ICC = 0.84-0.86) for step counts. The DynaPort MiniMod demonstrated highest concurrent validity for step count using both video and manual methods.

DISCUSSION

Validity of the SenseWear Pro armband varied between studies especially in free-living conditions, slower walking speeds, and with addition of weights during gait. A high degree of variability was found in the outcomes used and statistical analyses performed between studies, indicating a need for further studies to measure reliability and validity of accelerometers in COPD.

CONCLUSION

The SenseWear Pro armband is the most commonly used accelerometer in COPD, but measurement properties are limited by gait speed variability and assistive device use. DynaPort MiniMod and Stepwatch accelerometers demonstrated high validity in patients with COPD but lack reliability data.

The impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on severe physical inactivity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a pilot study

Introduction

In patients with COPD, severe physical inactivity (SPI, which is defined as total daily energy expenditure/resting energy expenditure; physical activity level [PAL] ratio, <1.4) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) increases physical capacity in COPD, but the impact on SPI is unknown. In this study, we aimed at elucidating the prevalence of SPI in COPD patients attending standard PR, the impact of PR on SPI prevalence, and the relationship between SPI and time spent in moderate physical activity thus whether American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommendations are clinically useful in excluding SPI in COPD.

Methods

This is a prospective non-interventional pilot study on patients with COPD completing PR, consenting to wear an accelerometer (Sensewear^© Armband) for a week before and after completing PR to assess changes in energy expenditure, time spent in physical activity, and number of daily steps. Low level of daily physical activity was not an inclusion criterion.

Results

In total, 57 patients completed the study and 31 (54%) had SPI at baseline. In patients with SPI, baseline median FEV₁ was 48 (range, 28–86) % of predicted and GOLD B, n=11 (35%)/GOLD D, n=20 (65%). Surprisingly, 31 of SPI patients (97%) spent ≥150 minutes/week in moderate physical activity. After rehabilitation, 24 (78%) did not change activity level and were persistently SPI. We observed no differences at baseline between patient responding (n=7) vs not responding (n=24) to PR. Responders increased number of daily steps and time spent in lighter but not moderate physical activity during rehabilitation.

Conclusion

In this pilot study, SPI was prevalent, and PR had limited impact. Contraintui-tively, most patients with SPI complied with general recommendations of weekly hours spent in moderate physical activity. Our study highlights that increasing time spent in light activity rather than improving time spent in moderate activity is important in COPD patients with chronic dyspnea.

Coherence between self-reported and objectively measured physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease: a systematic review

The beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) in patients with COPD, as well as the methods of their assessment, are well known and described. As objective measures of PA, such as the use of motion sensors, video recordings, exercise capacity testing, and indirect calorimetry, are not easily obtained in the daily clinical life, the reliability of the more accessible self-reported measurements of PA is important. In this review, we systematically identified original studies involving COPD patients and at least one parameter of self-reported and objective exercise testing, and analyzed every article for coherence between the objectively and self-reported measured PA. The studies are few, small, and very diverse, both in their use of questionnaires and objective measurements. Self-reported assessments were found to generally overestimate the level of PA compared to measurements made objectively by activity monitors; however, more studies are needed to rely solely on the use of PA questionnaires in COPD patients. The most accurate and valid questionnaires appear to be the self-completed Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly and the interviewer-completed Stanford Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall Questionnaire, but the ideal questionnaire still awaits construction. The motion sensors are accurate and validated in this patient group, especially SenseWear™, but not easily accessible in clinical practice, as they have various technical and adhesive difficulties.

Differences in physical activity according to mMRC grade in patients with COPD

BACKGROUND

Physical activity (PA) is impaired from the early stages of COPD, is associated with a worsening of disease prognosis, and causes COPD patients to restrict their daily activities in order to avoid breathlessness. The development of a simple tool to estimate physical activity level (PAL) could be useful for the management of COPD.

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the differences in PA according to the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) grade in patients with COPD.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed on stable outpatients with COPD. PA was measured for 2 weeks using a triaxial accelerometer, and dyspnea grade was evaluated in all patients using the mMRC scale.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight patients were recruited. Significant differences in PA duration were observed at all intensities according to the mMRC grade. Despite treatment with controller medications, 59.2% of COPD patients had low PAL, which was <1.5 metabolic equivalents multiplied by hour per day. COPD patients with an mMRC grade ≥2, which was the most balanced cutoff point in the receiver operating characteristic curve, showed a higher reduction rate of PAL (80.0% at mMRC grade 2, 71.4% at mMRC grade 3, and 100% at mMRC grade 4).

CONCLUSION

PA differed according to the mMRC grade, and mMRC grade ≥2 could predict a low PAL. Therefore, assessment of breathlessness by the mMRC questionnaire would be useful to stratify the risks of reduced PA in COPD.

Functional Status Assessment of Patients With COPD: A Systematic Review of Performance-Based Measures and Patient-Reported Measures

Presently, there is no recommendation on how to assess functional status of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. This study aimed to summarize and systematically evaluate these measures.Studies on measures of COPD patients' functional status published before the end of January 2015 were included using a search filters in PubMed and Web of Science, screening reference lists of all included studies, and cross-checking against some relevant reviews. After title, abstract, and main text screening, the remaining was appraised using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) 4-point checklist. All measures from these studies were rated according to best-evidence synthesis and the best-rated measures were selected.A total of 6447 records were found and 102 studies were reviewed, suggesting 44 performance-based measures and 14 patient-reported measures. The majority of the studies focused on internal consistency, reliability, and hypothesis testing, but only 21% of them employed good or excellent methodology. Their common weaknesses include lack of checks for unidimensionality, inadequate sample sizes, no prior hypotheses, and improper methods. On average, patient-reported measures perform better than performance-based measures. The best-rated patient-reported measures are functional performance inventory (FPI), functional performance inventory short form (FPI-SF), living with COPD questionnaire (LCOPD), COPD activity rating scale (CARS), University of Cincinnati dyspnea questionnaire (UCDQ), shortness of breath with daily activities (SOBDA), and short-form pulmonary functional status scale (PFSS-11), and the best-rated performance-based measures are exercise testing: 6-minute walk test (6MWT), endurance treadmill test, and usual 4-meter gait speed (usual 4MGS).Further research is needed to evaluate the reliability and validity of performance-based measures since present studies failed to provide convincing evidence. FPI, FPI-SF, LCOPD, CARS, UCDQ, SOBDA, PFSS-11, 6MWT, endurance treadmill test, and usual 4MGS performed well and are preferable to assess functional status of COPD patients.

Physical activity monitoring in patients with peripheral arterial disease: validation of an activity monitor

OBJECTIVES

The daily life physical activity (PA) of patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) may be severely hampered by intermittent claudication (IC). From a therapeutic, as well as research, point of view, it may be more relevant to determine improvement in PA as an outcome measure in IC. The aim of this study was to validate daily activities using a novel type of tri-axial accelerometer (Dynaport MoveMonitor) in patients with IC.

METHODS

Patients with IC were studied during a hospital visit. Standard activities (locomotion, lying, sitting, standing, shuffling, number of steps and "not worn" detection) were video recorded and compared with activities scored by the MoveMonitor. Inter-rater reliability (expressed in intraclass correlation coefficients [ICC]), sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values (PPV) were calculated for each activity.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight hours of video observation were analysed (n = 21). Our video annotation method (the gold standard method) appeared to be accurate for most postures (ICC > 0.97), except for shuffling (ICC = 0.38). The MoveMonitor showed a high sensitivity (>86%), specificity (>91%), and PPV (>88%) for locomotion, lying, sitting, and "not worn" detection. Moderate accuracy was found for standing (46%), while shuffling appeared to be undetectable (18%). A strong correlation was found between video recordings and the MoveMonitor with regard to the calculation of the "number of steps" (ICC = 0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

The MoveMonitor provides accurate information on a diverse set of postures, daily activities, and number of steps in IC patients. However, the detection of low amplitude movements, such as shuffling and "sitting to standing" transfers, is a matter of concern. This tool is useful in assessing the role of PA as a novel, clinically relevant outcome parameter in IC.