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Toward Harmonized Treadmill-Based Validation of Step-Counting Wearable Technologies: A Scoping Review
Journal of Physical Activity & Health
|July 12, 2020
Summary
This review catalogs studies validating wearable step counters on treadmills. Thigh-worn devices showed the highest accuracy, with mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) less than 1%.
Area of Science:
- Wearable technology validation
- Biomedical engineering
- Sports science research
Background:
- Establishing harmonized, empirically based best practices for validating step-counting wearable technologies is crucial.
- A scoping review was conducted to address this need, focusing on existing validation studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To catalog studies that validate step-counting wearable technologies during treadmill ambulation.
- Identify common methodologies and accuracy metrics used in these validation studies.
Main Methods:
- Searched PubMed and SPORTDiscus for treadmill-based validation studies using directly observed steps.
- Cataloged study characteristics, protocols, and analytical procedures.
- Tabulated and calculated weighted median mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values by wear location and speed.
Main Results:
- Identified 77 eligible studies with diverse methodologies.
- Analyzed samples averaging 54% female and 27 years of age, with treadmill protocols at 0.8–1.6 m/s.
- Eleven studies reported MAPE values: wrist-worn (7–11%), waist-worn (1–4%), and thigh-worn (≤1%) devices.
Conclusions:
- Common practices in step-counting wearable technology validation were identified despite methodological differences.
- Summarized MAPE values indicate device accuracy during treadmill walking.
- Further refinement of findings is needed to establish harmonized best practices for wearable technology validation.
