Measurement of daily physical activity using the SenseWear Armband: Compliance, comfort, adverse side effects and usability

Abstract

Little is known about the acceptability of wearing physical activity-monitoring devices. This study aimed to examine the compliance, comfort, incidence of adverse side effects, and usability when wearing the SenseWear Armband (SWA) for daily physical activity assessment. In a prospective study, 314 participants (252 people with COPD, 36 people with a dust-related respiratory disease and 26 healthy age-matched people) completed a purpose-designed questionnaire following a 7-day period of wearing the SWA. Compliance, comfort levels during the day and night, adverse side effects and ease of using the device were recorded. Non-compliance with wearing the SWA over 7 days was 8%. The main reasons for removing the device were adverse side effects and discomfort. The SWA comfort level during the day was rated by 11% of participants as uncomfortable/very uncomfortable, with higher levels of discomfort reported during the night (16%). Nearly half of the participants (46%) experienced at least one adverse skin irritation side effect from wearing the SWA including itchiness, skin irritation and rashes, and/or bruising. Compliance with wearing the SWA for measurement of daily physical activity was found to be good, despite reports of discomfort and a high incidence of adverse side effects.

Keywords: COPD; activity monitoring; obesity; patient acceptance of health care; physical activity; questionnaire.

Figure 1.

Comfort level of SenseWear Armband during the day and night for all participants. *p = 0.04 between day and night comfort; ^# p = 0.05 between day and night comfort for combined ‘very easy’ and ‘easy’ responses and ⁁p = 0.01 between day and night comfort for combined ‘very uncomfortable’ and ‘uncomfortable’ responses.

Figure 2.

Incidence of adverse side effects from wearing the SenseWear Armband in all participants.