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Tummy Time Tracking: Concurrent-Validity of Wearable Sensors in Home Settings for Term and Preterm Infants
Ketaki Inamdar1,2, Stacey C Dusing1,2, Leroy R Thacker1,2
1Department of Human Performance, Physical Therapy, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA (Dr Inamdar); Department of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA (Dr Dusing); Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA (Dr Thacker); Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA (Drs Inamdar, Pidcoe, and Finucane); Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA (Dr Manning, and Dr Chu).
Purpose:
To assess the concurrent validity of 2 wearable sensors, GENEActiv (GA) and MonBaby (MB), for tracking tummy time in full-term and preterm infants at home.
Methods:
Nineteen full-term infants and 13 infants born preterm, aged 3 to 6 months, wore GA and MB sensors during caregivervideo-recorded active play at home over 3 days. Prone (tummy time) durations detected by each sensor were compared to video for validation.
Results:
Both GA and MB sensors demonstrated excellent (κ = 0.86) and substantial (κ = 0.78) second-by-second agreement with video, respectively, for tracking tummy time. For cumulative tummy time, the GA showed higher accuracy with video (GA =60 minutes, video =58 minutes, difference =2 minutes) compared to MB (MB =43 minutes, video =47 minutes, difference =4 minutes). No differences in accuracy were found between the 2 sensors.
Conclusion:
Wearable sensors can accurately track tummy time at home and can support adherence to movement guidelines in infants. Establishing caregiver feasibility is crucial for broader use.
