Wearable Technologies for Children with Chronic Illnesses: An Exploratory Approach
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Published on: February 3, 2023
Flora McErlane1,2, Elin Haf Davies3, Cecile Ollivier4
1Paediatric Rheumatology, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Insights
Wearable devices can assess physical activity in children with Niemann-Pick C (NP-C), Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Data capture was feasible, showing differences in ambulation metrics across these pediatric diseases.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Assessing physical activity in children with chronic diseases is crucial for monitoring disease progression and treatment efficacy.
- Existing methods may not fully capture the nuances of daily ambulation in pediatric populations.
- Wearable sensor technologies offer a promising avenue for objective and continuous physical activity assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of wearable technologies for assessing physical activity in children diagnosed with Niemann-Pick C (NP-C), Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA), and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Main Methods:
- An exploratory study involving 30 children across three UK hospitals, divided into NP-C, DMD, and JIA cohorts.
- Participants underwent the 6-min walk test (6MWT) and used smartphone apps paired with wearable devices for Bluetooth data transmission.
- Ambulation was recorded in 30-min epochs, measuring average daily maximum (ADM), average daily steps (ADS), and average daily steps per 30-min epoch (ASE).
Main Results:
- Median 6MWT distances varied across cohorts (NP-C: 450m, DMD: 325m, JIA: 434.5m).
- Wearable data capture was feasible across all disease groups, though sustained complete data capture was challenging.
- Statistically significant differences in ADM, ADS, and ASE were observed between the DMD/JIA, NP-C/DMD, and DMD/JIA cohorts, respectively.
Conclusions:
- Wearable sensor technologies demonstrate potential for enhancing the understanding of ambulation in pediatric chronic diseases.
- While devices were user-friendly and well-received, specific features require refinement to fully meet study objectives.
- Advancements in wearable technology present opportunities for developing child-friendly solutions for objective physical activity monitoring.
Objective:
To determine the utility of wearable technologies in physical activity assessment in three paediatric diseases, namely, Niemann-Pick C (NP-C), Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).
Design:
Exploratory study SETTING AND PATIENTS: Thirty children were recruited across three UK hospitals (Royal Manchester's Children Hospital, Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, and the Great North Children's Hospital). Ten were diagnosed with NP-C, eight with DMD and twelve with JIA.
Intervention:
All participants completed the 6-min walk test (6MWT) at enrolment. Patients were provided with disease-specific smartphone apps paired with a wearable device via Bluetooth. Ambulation was recorded in 30-min epochs measuring average daily maximum (ADM), average daily steps (ADS) and average daily steps per 30-min epoch (ASE).
Results:
Median 6MWT results were 450 m, 325 m and 434.5 m for the NP-C, DMD and JIA cohorts, respectively. Wearable data capture was feasible in all three disease cohorts, although complete data capture was not sustained. A statistically significant between-cohort difference was identified for ADM, ADS and ASE. Statistically significant differences were found between DMD/JIA for ADM; NP-C/DMD for ADS and DMD/JIA for ASE.
Discussion:
Wearable sensor technologies have the potential to provide additional information for our understanding of ambulation in chronic paediatric disease. The wearable devices were easy to use and popular with patients although key features need to be addressed to appropriately meet study objectives. As the technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, opportunities to implement child friendly solutions are already available.
