Director of the Applied Physiology Laboratory and co-director of the Obesity Research Center,
Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA.
Recent Applications of Physical Activity Monitoring
Objective measurement of physical activity is important, given the role of this human behavior in physical and mental health. This presentation will cover the applications of objective physical activity monitoring, within the framework of the public health approach. Wearable monitors are currently being used to conduct surveillance; and to determine the extent and distribution of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in populations around the world. In some cases, time trends in physical activity are studied by using a series of snapshots, as is being done in Japan and Canada. A second group of studies are those in which wearable monitors are being used to clarify the dose-response relation between physical activity and health, both through cross-sectional association studies and prospective, longitudinal studies. In a third group of studies, wearable monitors have been used in longitudinal interventions, to motivate research participants to meet program goals and to assess their compliance in doing so. Recently, technologies have been developed that could document the effectiveness of community interventions designed to enhance opportunities for physical activity through changing the built environment. A future challenge for researchers is to develop new monitors and post-processing software that will enhance our ability to accurately assess physical activity energy expenditure in free-living individuals.
Head, Exercise Sciences Research Group, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan.
With Roy J. Shephard, Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Habitual physical activity and health in the elderly: the Nakanojo Study
We will: 1) examine associations between daily physical activity and the physical, psychosocial, mental and metabolic components of health; 2) explore possible interactions between step count and amount of moderately vigorous physical activity; 3) consider psychological and meteorological factors modulating physical activity patterns and 4) offer a theoretical model to estimate the potential for a physical activity-related reduction in health care costs, based on data from the ongoing Nakanojo Study. Participants have included an entire community of approximately 5,000 free-living people aged ≥65 years, with one-tenth of the sample wearing a pedometer/accelerometer continuously, 24 hours per day, for >10 years.
Professor and Chair, Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
Using pattern recognition techniques to interpret wearable physical activity monitor output: Laboratory calibration studies
Objective monitoring of physical activity using wearable sensors has become widespread in the research community. Traditional methods for interpreting output from sensor signals use simple linear regression approaches. Specifically, sensor output signals are related to some measureable physiological response such as energy expenditure and simple linear regression models are built. Locomotion, lifestyle and sport activities are performed to build these models and energy expenditure metrics are predicted from the sensor signals. Recently our group has used pattern recognition methods such as Hidden Markov Models, artificial neural networks, and support vector machines to build models for predicting ventilation, energy expenditure and to identify activity type. This presentation will describe the evolution of these methods and the process used to develop and validate these models in a laboratory setting. Transformation of these lab tools for use in the field will be discussed.
Head, Behavioural Epidemiology Laboratory, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Professor of Health Behaviour, University of Queensland, Cancer Prevention Research Centre, School of Population Health, Brisbane, Australia.
Ambulatory monitoring and sedentary behaviour: Evidence, distinctions and issues
Primarily, ambulatory monitoring devices capture movement or posture. Research on physical activity and health aims to understand and influence behaviour: moderate-to-vigorous activity and sitting time. The three main settings for adults’ prolonged sitting time are: domestic environments (sitting for screen-based entertainment, computer and Internet use); workplaces (sitting at desks and/or in front of computer terminals); and, private transportation (sitting in automobiles). Sedentary behaviour research aims to characterize sitting time accurately, understand the relevant behavioural determinants, and develop effective interventions. Evidence to illustrate potentials and pitfalls of ambulatory monitoring in the context of a behavioural epidemiology research agenda will be considered.
Associate Professor, Director, Walking Behavior Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Cadence: An Overlooked Opportunity to Measure and Motivate Ambulatory Intensity?
Cadence (steps/minute) is a gait parameter that has been traditionally measured using short laboratory or clinic-based walking tests. Since intensity is known to increase with speed of ambulation, and since cadence is correlated with speed, cadence is a logical surrogate of intensity. Indeed, at least four laboratory-based studies have documented increasing intensity with increasing cadence such that 100 steps/minute appears to be a reasonable indicator of walking at minimally moderate intensity (i.e., 3 METs). Therefore, the purpose of this keynote presentation is to explore the potential utility of studying minute-by-minute cadence to represent patterns of free-living ambulatory activity intensity.