Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
06:51
Physical Activity Measurement in Children Accepting Table Tennis Training
Published on: July 27, 2022
Compliance with wearing physical activity accelerometers in high school students
John R Sirard1, Megan E Slater
1Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Journal of Physical Activity & Health
|December 17, 2009
Summary
Financial incentives significantly improved compliance with wearing physical activity accelerometers in high school students. This strategy ensured more complete data for accurate physical activity research.
Area of Science:
- Kinesiology
- Public Health
- Biomedical Data Science
Background:
- Accelerometer use is vital for physical activity research.
- Missing data from accelerometers complicates analysis.
- Improving compliance is crucial for data integrity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate compliance strategies for accelerometer wear in high school students.
- To identify effective methods for increasing data collection in physical activity studies.
Main Methods:
- Four compliance strategies were tested across four high schools: phone calls, daily journaling, contingent compensation, and a control group.
- Participants wore ActiGraph accelerometers for seven days.
- Compliance was measured by the number of days with at least 10 hours of data.
Main Results:
- The contingent compensation group achieved 96% compliance, significantly higher than other groups.
- Compliance rates were: journal (85%), phone calls (72%), and control (70%).
- Contingent compensation remained effective after controlling for demographic factors.
Conclusions:
- Contingent compensation is an effective strategy to improve accelerometer wear time.
- This method enhances the quantity and quality of physical activity data collected from students.
