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. 2018 Feb 8;15(1):15.
doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0636-2.

A systematic literature review of reviews on techniques for physical activity measurement in adults: a DEDIPAC study

Kieran P Dowd  1 , Robert Szeklicki  2 , Marco Alessandro Minetto  3 , Marie H Murphy  4 , Angela Polito  5 , Ezio Ghigo  3 , Hidde van der Ploeg  6   7 , Ulf Ekelund  8   9 , Janusz Maciaszek  2 , Rafal Stemplewski  2 , Maciej Tomczak  2 , Alan E Donnelly  10
Affiliations

A systematic literature review of reviews on techniques for physical activity measurement in adults: a DEDIPAC study

Kieran P Dowd et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. .

Abstract

The links between increased participation in Physical Activity (PA) and improvements in health are well established. As this body of evidence has grown, so too has the search for measures of PA with high levels of methodological effectiveness (i.e. validity, reliability and responsiveness to change). The aim of this "review of reviews" was to provide a comprehensive overview of the methodological effectiveness of currently employed measures of PA, to aid researchers in their selection of an appropriate tool. A total of 63 review articles were included in this review, and the original articles cited by these reviews were included in order to extract detailed information on methodological effectiveness.Self-report measures of PA have been most frequently examined for methodological effectiveness, with highly variable findings identified across a broad range of behaviours. The evidence-base for the methodological effectiveness of objective monitors, particularly accelerometers/activity monitors, is increasing, with lower levels of variability observed for validity and reliability when compared to subjective measures. Unfortunately, responsiveness to change across all measures and behaviours remains under-researched, with limited information available.Other criteria beyond methodological effectiveness often influence tool selection, including cost and feasibility. However, researchers must be aware of the methodological effectiveness of any measure selected for use when examining PA. Although no "perfect" tool for the examination of PA in adults exists, it is suggested that researchers aim to incorporate appropriate objective measures, specific to the behaviours of interests, when examining PA in free-living environments.

Keywords: Accelerometry; Adults; Assessment; Heart rate monitors; Measurement; Motion sensors; Pedometers; Physical activity; Questionnaires; Self-report.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The paper is a literature review on methods, and only employs published research data. There were no human participants, and our University ethics committee does not approve non-human based research.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow diagram for search and inclusion process for identification of review articles
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot of percentage mean difference between self-reported energy expenditure (TEE, PAEE, PAL) compared to criterion measure of energy expenditure (doubly labelled water)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
a Forest plot of percentage mean difference between accelerometer determined energy expenditure (TEE, PAEE, PAL) compared to criterion measure of energy expenditure (doubly labelled water). b Forest plot of percentage mean difference between accelerometer determined steps, distance walked and activity type compared to criterion measure of direct observation
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Forest plot of mean percentage difference between pedometer determined step count/energy expenditure compared to criterion measure (direct observation/doubly labelled water respectively). * denotes multiple devices compared in the same study
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Forest plot of percentage mean difference between heart rate monitor determined energy expenditure/physical activity level compared to criterion measure (doubly labelled water)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Forest plot of percentage mean difference between energy expenditure/body posture determined by combined sensors compared to criterion measure (doubly labelled water/direct observation)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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