agcounts: An R Package to Calculate ActiGraph Activity Counts From Portable Accelerometers

Area of Science:

• Physical activity research
• Biomedical data science
• Open-source software development

Background:

• Portable accelerometers, like ActiGraph, are crucial for measuring physical activity in research.
• ActiGraph released its activity count algorithm and a Python package in February 2022, enhancing transparency.
• The Python package lacks integration with the R Statistical Programming Language, hindering its use in the R-based research community.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an R-based translation of ActiGraph's Python package for activity count generation.
• To create an R package, named 'agcounts', to streamline physical activity data processing.
• To discuss the impact of open-source tools on collaborative research in physical behavior.

Main Methods:

• Developed an R package ('agcounts') by translating ActiGraph's Python algorithm.
• Integrated additional extensions within the R package to improve data processing efficiency.
• Evaluated the functionalities and extensions of the 'agcounts' package.

Main Results:

• Successfully created the 'agcounts' R package, providing an R-based alternative for ActiGraph data processing.
• The package offers enhanced functionalities for easier and faster data analysis for end-users.
• Demonstrated the potential for collaborative open-source software development in physical behavior research.

Conclusions:

• The 'agcounts' R package facilitates the use of ActiGraph data within the R ecosystem.
• Open-source algorithms from device manufacturers are recommended to foster transparency and collaboration.
• Researchers are encouraged to contribute to the development of 'agcounts' and similar open-source tools.