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Updated: Apr 16, 2026
Assessment of Physical Activity Intensity with Accelerometers and Oxygen Consumption
Published on: June 20, 2025
Utilization and Harmonization of Adult Accelerometry Data: Review and Expert Consensus
Katrien Wijndaele1, Kate Westgate, Samantha K Stephens
11MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UNITED KINGDOM; 2School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Queensland, AUSTRALIA; 3Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; 4Schools of Earth and Environment and Sports Science Exercise and Health, University of Western Australia, Western Australia, AUSTRALIA; 5School of Health and Life Science, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, UNITED KINGDOM; 6Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA; 7Department of Sport Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, NORWAY; 8National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UNITED KINGDOM; 9School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, South Australia, AUSTRALIA; 10Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA; 11School of Health Sciences, University of Salford, Manchester, UNITED KINGDOM; 12Nutritional Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD; 13The NIHR Leicester-Loughborough Diet, Lifestyle and Physical Activity Biomedical Research Unit, Leicestershire, UNITED KINGDOM; 14Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute; Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, CANADA; and 15Risk Factor Assessment Branch, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD.
Purpose:
This study aimed to describe the scope of accelerometry data collected internationally in adults and to obtain a consensus from measurement experts regarding the optimal strategies to harmonize international accelerometry data.
Methods:
In March 2014, a comprehensive review was undertaken to identify studies that collected accelerometry data in adults (sample size, n ≥ 400). In addition, 20 physical activity experts were invited to participate in a two-phase Delphi process to obtain consensus on the following: unique research opportunities available with such data, additional data required to address these opportunities, strategies for enabling comparisons between studies/countries, requirements for implementing/progressing such strategies, and value of a global repository of accelerometry data.
Results:
The review identified accelerometry data from more than 275,000 adults from 76 studies across 36 countries. Consensus was achieved after two rounds of the Delphi process; 18 experts participated in one or both rounds. The key opportunities highlighted were the ability for cross-country/cross-population comparisons and the analytic options available with the larger heterogeneity and greater statistical power. Basic sociodemographic and anthropometric data were considered a prerequisite for this. Disclosure of monitor specifications and protocols for data collection and processing were deemed essential to enable comparison and data harmonization. There was strong consensus that standardization of data collection, processing, and analytical procedures was needed. To implement these strategies, communication and consensus among researchers, development of an online infrastructure, and methodological comparison work were required. There was consensus that a global accelerometry data repository would be beneficial and worthwhile.
Conclusions:
This foundational resource can lead to implementation of key priority areas and identification of future directions in physical activity epidemiology, population monitoring, and burden of disease estimates.
