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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #293234
Title: Effect of varying accelerometry criteria on physical activity: the Look AHEAD Study

Author
item Raatz, Susan

Submitted to: Obesity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/16/2010
Publication Date: 1/15/2013
Citation: Raatz, S.K. 2013. Effect of varying accelerometry criteria on physical activity: the Look AHEAD Study. Obesity. 21:32-44.

Interpretive Summary: Technical Summary: This study tests the effects of using different criteria for accelerometry data interpretation. Data were obtained from 2,240 overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the Look AHEAD study, baseline accelerometer were used for analysis. Daily wear time was identified as 1,440 min/day minus non-wear time. Comparisons of physical activity patterns for non-wear time, minimal daily wear time, number of days with available data, weekdays vs. weekends, and 1- or 2-min time interruptions in an activity bout were performed. Results: In this mostly obese population with T2DM there were minimal differences in physical activity patterns using the different methods of data reduction.

Technical Abstract: The importance of physical activity in weight management is widely documented. Although accelerometers offer an objective measure of activity that provide a valuable tool for intervention research, considerations for processing these data need further development. Objective: This study tests the effects of using different criteria for accelerometry data reduction. Design and Methods: Data were obtained from 2,240 overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the Look AHEAD study, with 2,177 baseline accelerometer files used for analysis. Number,duration, and intensity of moderate (3 metabolic equivalents (METS)) and vigorous (6 METS) activity bouts were compared using various data reduction criteria. Daily wear time was identified as 1,440 min/day minus non-wear time. Comparisons of physical activity patterns for non-wear time (using either 20, 30, or 60 min of continuous zeros), minimal daily wear time (8, 10, and 12 h), number of days with available data (4, 5, and 6 days), weekdays vs. weekends, and 1- or 2-min time interruptions in an activity bout were performed. Results: In this mostly obese population with T2DM (BMI ¼ 36.4 kg/m2; mean age ¼ 59.0 years), there were minimal differences in physical activity patterns using the different methods of data reduction. Altering criteria led to differences in the number of available data (sample size) meeting specific criteria. Conclusions: Although our results are likely directly applicable only to obese individuals with T2DM, an understudied population with regards to physical activity, the systematic analysis for data reduction employed.