[Physical activity measured with accelerometers]

Abstract

The development of accelerometers has revolutionized measurement of physical activity, and they are used to a large extent in research and have started to be implemented into clinical settings. However, achievement of reliable outcomes requires good methodological knowledge and skills by the user. Otherwise, significant measurement errors may occur, interfering with assessment of the physical activity level in the population, group differences, associations with health parameters or effect of treatments. This paper by the Swedish Network for Objective Measurement of Movement (NORM) provides an overview of physical activity measurement including sections of data collection, processing of raw data into useful metrics and statistical analysis. It targets users of accelerometer in research, health care and national surveys.