Test-Retest Reliability of activPAL in Measuring Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity in People With Type 2...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Kinesiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Understanding sedentary behavior's impact on health outcomes is crucial for individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D).
• Accurate measurement of habitual sedentary behavior using activity monitors is a prerequisite for reliable research in T2D populations.
• The activPAL™ device is a commonly used activity monitor for assessing physical activity and sedentary time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the test-retest reliability of the activPAL™ activity monitor.
• To determine if the activPAL™ can accurately measure sedentary behavior and physical activity in people with T2D.
• To establish the suitability of the activPAL™ for longitudinal studies on T2D health outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Thirty participants with T2D underwent two 7-day assessment periods using the activPAL™ monitor, separated by at least one week.
• Measures included sedentary time, standing time, stepping time, step count, and sit-to-stand transitions.
• Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated to assess test-retest reliability.

Main Results:

• High test-retest reliability was observed for sedentary time (ICC = .79) and standing time (ICC = .74).
• Very high test-retest reliability was found for stepping time (ICC = .90), step count (ICC = .91), and sit-to-stand transitions (ICC = .90).
• The activPAL™ demonstrated strong consistency in measurements across the two assessment periods.

Conclusions:

• The activPAL™ device exhibits high to very high test-retest reliability for measuring sedentary behavior and physical activity in individuals with T2D.
• These findings support the use of the activPAL™ in research investigating the relationship between activity patterns and health outcomes in T2D.
• The reliability of the activPAL™ provides a foundation for interpreting changes in activity metrics in this population.