Development and Validation of a Physical Activity Monitor for Use on a Wheelchair
By Coulter, E.H.; Dall, P.M.; Rochester, L.; Hasler, J.P.; Granat, M.H.; Spinal Cord, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp. 445-450Publication Date: March 2011
Study undertaken for the purpose of developing and validating a technique for continuously monitoring wheelchair movement in manual and powered wheelchair users. The system developed consists of a triaxial activPAL accelerometer placed on the wheel of a wheelchair and an analysis algorithm to interpret the acceleration signals. The two accelerometer outputs in the plane of the wheel were used to calculate an angle of the wheel. From this, outcome measures of wheel revolutions, absolute angle, and duration of movement were derived and the direction of movement could be distinguished. Concurrent validity was assessed in comparison with video analysis in 14 study participants with spinal cord injury, 9 men and 5 women with a mean age of 37 years, who used their wheelchairs on an indoor track and an outdoor wheelchair skills course. Validity was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland-Altman plots, a statistical method for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. The monitoring system demonstrated excellent validity for wheel revolutions, absolute angle, and duration of movement in both manual and powered wheelchairs, when the wheelchair was propelled forwards and backwards, and for movements of various durations.
Published by: Nature Publishing Group (Website:http://www.nature.com)
International Spinal Cord Injury Society (Web Site: http://www.iscos.org.uk )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J60825
