How do I measure physical activity in my patients? Questionnaires and objective methods

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Preventive Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Assessing patient physical activity is crucial for promoting health and preventing chronic diseases and injuries.
• Understanding current physical activity levels informs clinical decision-making and personalized health interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline methods for healthcare providers to assess patient physical activity levels.
• To discuss techniques for estimating energy expenditure based on physical activity data.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing patient self-report questionnaires to gather information on past physical activity.
• Employing motion sensors (wearable devices) to objectively record body movement and activity.
• Applying statistical regression models to estimate kilocalories (energy expenditure) from activity data.

Main Results:

• Questionnaires provide subjective assessments of physical activity types and amounts.
• Motion sensors offer objective, real-time data on body movement.
• Regression models can estimate caloric energy expenditure from both data types.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare providers can use questionnaires and motion sensors to evaluate patient physical activity.
• Estimated energy expenditure can be derived from activity monitoring data.
• The doubly labeled water method offers precise energy expenditure measurement but is clinically impractical due to cost.