Accelerometer Use to Measure Physical Activity in Older Adults With Coronary Artery Disease: An Integrative Review

Physical activity is necessary for improved health outcomes among older adults with coronary artery disease (CAD), and device-based assessment of physical activity is preferred for accurate measurement. Many previous studies have applied accelerometry to examine physical activity in this population, but no reviews have systematically examined the application of various accelerometers to measure physical activity in older adults with CAD.

This integrative review aimed to examine accelerometry application to measure physical activity in older adults with CAD and provide guidance for accelerometer selection and settings.

Six databases-CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, EMBASE, and Google Scholar-were searched for information sources. Authors of selected studies applied accelerometers to measure physical activity and included adults 60 years or older with CAD.

Among 12 studies reviewed, 5 were randomized controlled trials, and most used an age cutoff of 65 years for older adults. The most frequently used accelerometer was the RT3, and the most common device placement was the waist/hip. Data collection duration was typically 3 consecutive days. However, many study authors did not report epoch length, sampling frequency, number of valid hours of data required per day, total number of valid days of data needed, or criteria for nonwear time.

On the basis of data synthesis and previous study results, triaxial research-grade accelerometers, waist/hip placement, and a 5- to 7-day monitoring period are recommended for measuring physical activity in older adults with CAD. However, the study purpose, device and participant characteristics, and physical activity outcomes of interest should be considered during device selection.