Practical considerations in using accelerometers to assess physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep

Mirja Quante; Emily R Kaplan; Michael Rueschman; Michael Cailler; Orfeu M Buxton; Susan Redline

doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2015.09.002

Practical considerations in using accelerometers to assess physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep

Sleep Health. 2015 Dec;1(4):275-284. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2015.09.002. Epub 2015 Oct 19.

Authors

Mirja Quante¹, Emily R Kaplan², Michael Rueschman², Michael Cailler², Orfeu M Buxton³, Susan Redline⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115.
² Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115.
³ Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115; Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, 221 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA 16802; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Kresge Building, Boston, MA 02115.
⁴ Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham & Women's Hospital, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115; Sleep Disorders Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. Electronic address: sredline1@rics.bwh.harvard.edu.

PMID: 29073403
DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2015.09.002

Abstract

Increasingly, behavioral and epidemiological research uses activity-based measurements (accelerometry) to provide objective estimates of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep in a variety of study designs. As interest in concurrently assessing these domains grows, there are key methodological considerations that influence the choice of monitoring instrument, analysis algorithm, and protocol for measuring these behaviors. The purpose of this review is to summarize evidence-guided information for 7 areas that are of importance in the design and interpretation of studies using actigraphy: (1) choice of cut-points; (2) impact of epoch length; (3) accelerometer placement; (4) duration of monitoring; (5) approaches for distinguishing sleep, nonwear times, and sedentary behavior; (6) role for a sleep and activity diary; and (7) epidemiological applications. Recommendations for future research are outlined and are intended to enhance the appropriate use of accelerometry for assessing physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep behaviors in research studies.

Keywords: Accelerometry; Actigraphy; Physical activity; Sedentary behavior; Sleep.

Publication types

Review