Measuring gait parameters from a single chest-worn accelerometer in healthy individuals: a validation study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Digital Health Technologies
• Clinical Trial Methodology

Background:

• Digital health technologies (DHTs) offer objective health monitoring in real-world settings.
• Lumbar accelerometers provide reliable gait data, but multiple devices increase participant burden.
• Chest-worn devices, used for vital signs, could potentially capture gait information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate gait parameters measured by accelerometers integrated into chest-worn devices.
• To compare gait data from chest and lumbar accelerometers against reference measurements.
• To assess the feasibility of using a single chest device for multimodal data collection in clinical trials.

Main Methods:

• Twenty healthy adults participated in in-lab and outside-lab walking tasks.
• Gait parameters were collected using chest and lumbar accelerometers, with reference data from an instrumented mat and a 6-accelerometer set.
• Data analysis involved Bland-Altman plots, Pearson's correlation, intraclass correlation, and mixed effects regression models using the SKDH-gait algorithm.

Main Results:

• Gait parameters derived from chest and lumbar accelerometers demonstrated no significant differences and excellent agreement.
• Both device placements showed good-to-excellent agreement and strong correlation with reference values.
• Mixed effects models confirmed no significant effect of device or task on gait parameter validity.

Conclusions:

• Chest-worn accelerometers are valid for measuring gait parameters, comparable to lumbar placement.
• A single chest device can simultaneously capture vital signs and gait data, simplifying clinical trial protocols.
• This approach enhances participant experience and data richness in digital health clinical trials.