Accuracy of pedometer steps and time for youth with disabilities
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Date
2007-04-27Author
Balzer, Kelly
Chapman, Stan
Miller, Jennifer
Volk, Lisa
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Balzer, Kelly, Chapman Stan, Jr., Miller, Jennifer, Volk, Lisa (2007). Accuracy of pedometer steps and time for youth with disabilities. In Proceedings : 3rd Annual Symposium : Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects. Wichita, KS : Wichita State University, p.23-24
Abstract
The goal of the study is to determine pedometer accuracy of steps and time
for children with disabilities. Eleven girls and
seven boys with multiple developmental disabilities
participated in six, 80 meter self-paced walking trials.
Pedometers were placed in five locations around the waist:
front right [FR], front left [FL], back right [BR], back left
[BL], and middle back [MB]. Each trial was video taped and
actual steps and time were verified using video recordings.
Accuracy was determined by percent difference between
registered steps and time on the pedometers to actual steps
and a time measured by video recordings. A high
level of accuracy was found for the FR and BL locations for
time, while only the FR location demonstrated adequate
accuracy for steps. When one outlier with excessive weight
status and slow walking speed was excluded, a high level of
accuracy was observed across all locations for steps and time.
Differences between pedometer locations were insignificant,
with the exception of FL steps which demonstrated greater
percent error scores and the pedometers measured time more
accurately than steps. Time showed higher
precision when compared to steps in both the full and outlier
excluded samples. Location had minimal influence on
accuracy, suggesting placements of the pedometer out of view
(BR, BL, MB) can be used to minimize wearer interference.
Concern needs to be exercised when using this pedometer
with youth that exhibit a combination of excessive weight
status and slow walking speed.
Description
Paper presented to the 3rd Annual Symposium on Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP) held at the Hughes Metropolitan Complex, Wichita State University, April 27, 2007.
Research completed at the Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions