Comparison of four ActiGraph accelerometers during walking and running

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Kinesiology
• Wearable Technology

Background:

• Objective physical activity measurement is crucial in research.
• ActiGraph devices (7164 and GT1M versions) are commonly used accelerometers.
• Understanding device comparability is essential for data integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare activity counts between the ActiGraph 7164 and three GT1M versions.
• To assess device differences at various walking and running speeds.
• To validate the interchangeability of ActiGraph accelerometers.

Main Methods:

• Ten male participants performed treadmill tests at 10 speeds (walking and running).
• Participants wore ActiGraph 7164 and GT1M (V1, V2, V3) accelerometers on the waist.
• Repeated-measures ANOVA analyzed differences in activity counts (counts per minute).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences in activity counts were observed between devices at any speed.
• Activity counts peaked at 14 km/h and declined at higher speeds for all devices.
• ActiGraph 7164 showed lowest and GT1M-V2 showed highest counts during running.

Conclusions:

• All tested ActiGraph accelerometers demonstrate comparable outputs.
• Researchers can confidently use any of the four ActiGraph models for physical activity research.
• The findings support the consistent use of these devices across studies.