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Validation of an integrated pedal desk and electronic behavior tracking platform
John M Schuna1,2, Catrine Tudor-Locke3,4, Mahara Proença5,6
1Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70808, USA. John.Schuna@oregonstate.edu.
BMC Research Notes
|February 10, 2016
Summary
The Pennington Pedal Desk™ accurately measures revolutions per minute (RPM), validating its use for tracking physical activity during computer work. This provides a reliable metric for promoting desk exercise and usage.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Science
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Sedentary work is a growing health concern.
- Under-desk pedal devices offer a way to increase physical activity during work.
- The Pennington Pedal Desk™ is a device designed to facilitate this.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the revolutions per minute (RPM) measurements from the Pennington Pedal Desk™.
- To assess the accuracy and agreement of the pedal desk's RPM data against a criterion measure.
Main Methods:
- Forty-four participants completed a 20-minute computer task trial using the Pennington Pedal Desk™.
- Revolutions per minute (RPM) were measured concurrently by the pedal desk and a Garmin Vector power meter.
- Equivalence tests, mean absolute percent error (MAPE), and Bland-Altman plots were used to analyze data agreement.
Main Results:
- Pedal desk RPM measurements were found to be equivalent to the criterion measure (Garmin Vector).
- Mean absolute percent error (MAPE) was low, with minute-by-minute at 2.1% and trial level at 1.8%.
- Bland-Altman plots showed no systematic error variance, indicating good agreement.
Conclusions:
- The Pennington Pedal Desk™ provides a valid and accurate measure of revolutions per minute (RPM).
- The device's RPM metric can be reliably used to promote and track usage during sedentary work.
- This technology supports the integration of physical activity into the workday.
