Invitation

There is now overwhelming evidence of the link between physical activity, health and disease. Increased physical activity and the breaking up of sedentary periods are associated with reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure and stroke. There is also evidence that physical activity plays a role in general well being and mental health. Increasing physical activity and modifying sedentary behaviour of the general population have become key governmental policies as the realisation that prevention rather than cure is the most cost effective public health mechanism. The development and implementation of methods to assess physical activity levels has therefore become of widespread interest both in clinical and public health contexts.

Although physical activity and movement patterns can be measured in a laboratory based environment it is a person’s free-living home, work and leisure activity that will impact on their health and which demonstrates their ability to perform functional actions in their everyday lives. Investigations concerning ambulatory monitoring are therefore of critical importance in gaining insight into a person’s true physical activity performance.

Technical challenges in using body worn ambulatory assessment methods are now being overcome, opening up the possibility for the collection of objective, prolonged (multi-day), physical activity records.

Currently there is great effort being expended to develop ambulatory monitoring solutions that are acceptable for wear and that provide meaningful insight into peoples’ physical activity and movement. Technical development of instruments continues apace and accompanying data analysis and presentation methods are also being enhanced and modified to meet the needs of specific populations and to answer relevant questions on the relationship between physical activity and health.

The successful development and implementation of ambulatory monitoring solutions requires contributions from a range of professions including not only technical scientists to record, log and analyse data, but importantly professionals using the collected data to inform practice; medical scientists (rehabilitation, orthopaedics, neurology, cardiology, psychiatry), public health (in areas such as falls prevention and detection, hypoactivity and overweight), physical therapy, movement sciences and sport, ergonomics and occupational health, psychology, physiology and psychophysiology.

ICAMPAM2011 provides a unique forum for researchers, clinicians, developers, suppliers, practical workers and all other people interested in the ambulatory monitoring of physical activity and movement.

We are pleased to be able to invite you to meet and network, to present and discuss the latest results and developments in this exciting, rapidly advancing field. The organising and scientific committees will present a programme with renowned international speakers, oral and poster presentations and commercial exhibition providing you with a window onto the state of the art in ambulatory monitoring of physical activity and movement.

We have also decided to locate the 2nd ICAMPAM in the centre of the vibrant and cosmopolitan Glasgow, which we hope you can take time to explore.