Table Of ContentSpringer Series on Epidemiology and Public Health
Roy J. Shephard
Catrine Tudor-Locke E ditors
The Objective Monitoring
of Physical Activity:
Contributions of
Accelerometry to
Epidemiology, Exercise
Science and Rehabilitation
Springer Series on Epidemiology and Public
Health
Serieseditors
WolfgangAhrens
IrisPigeot
Moreinformationaboutthisseriesathttp://www.springer.com/series/7251
Roy J. Shephard (cid:129) Catrine Tudor-Locke
Editors
The Objective Monitoring
of Physical Activity:
Contributions of
Accelerometry to
Epidemiology, Exercise
Science and Rehabilitation
Editors
RoyJ.Shephard CatrineTudor-Locke
FacultyofKinesiology&Physical DepartmentofKinesiology
Education UniversityofMassachusettsAmherst
UniversityofToronto Amherst,MA
Toronto,ON USA
Canada
ISSN1869-7933 ISSN1869-7941 (electronic)
SpringerSeriesonEpidemiologyandPublicHealth
ISBN978-3-319-29575-6 ISBN978-3-319-29577-0 (eBook)
DOI10.1007/978-3-319-29577-0
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2016945718
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Introduction: A New Perspective on the
Epidemiology of Physical Activity
There is now little dispute that regular physical activity has a beneficial effect in
reducing the risk of many chronic conditions [1, 2], but it remains difficult to
change population behaviour by encouraging the necessary weekly volume of
physical activity [3]. One important roadblock in this task has been uncertainty
aboutthemessage,andmuchofthegeneralpublichasbecomecynicalaboutpublic
healthrecommendationsduetofrequentchangesinstatementsabouttheminimum
amountofphysicalactivityneededforbenefit[4].
Issues to Be Discussed
Inthistext,wewillbeginbyreviewingthevariousapproachestothemeasurement
of habitual physical activity adopted by epidemiologists over the past 70 years,
looking critically at their reliability and validity. We will consider the urging of
Janzsomenineyearsagothatepidemiologiststurnfromquestionnairestoobjective
data [5], and we will trace the evolution of the pedometer from its humble
beginningsasasomewhatimprecisevariantofthepocketwatchtoaninexpensive
butreliableinstrumentwithacapacityforthestorageandanalysisofdatacollected
overmanyweeks.Areviewofitsremaininglimitationswillpromptustoexamine
thepossibilitiesofnewermulti-modalapproachestoactivitymeasurement.Wewill
then highlight issues of sampling, noting that short and seasonal periods of moni-
toring can give a misleading impression of activity patterns, particularly when
applied toindividual subjects.Acomparison ofsubjective andobjectivedatawill
reveal the extent of the misinformation gathered on the adequacy of physical
activityinthecurrentgenerationofcitydwellers.Giventhecontinuinglimitations
ofmanypersonalactivitymonitors,wewillposethequestionwhethermoreuseful
information could be obtained by focusing upon the duration of inactivity rather
thanactivity;aredataonsittingtimessimplytheinverseofactivitydurations,ordo
theyprovideadditionalinformation?Turningtovariousmajorcausesofchronicill
v
vi Introduction:ANewPerspectiveontheEpidemiologyofPhysicalActivity
health, we will then consider how far questionnaire-based conclusions need mod-
ifyingintermsofthenewinformationyieldedbyobjectiveactivitymonitoring.Do
new data answer the age-long puzzle of activity vs. appetite in the causation of
obesity?Doesthenewinstrumentationbringusclosertomakinganevidence-based
recommendationonminimumlevelsofphysicalactivityneededtomaintaingood
health?Giventhelikelytwo-tothreefoldexaggerationofhabitualphysicalactivity,
as reported in questionnaires [6], should the recommended minimum level of
physicalactivitybereviseddownward,orisitbettertoleaverecommendationsin
termsofthepotentialexerciser’sexaggeratedperceptions?Andarethepostulated
economic benefits of enhanced physical activity magnified or diminished when
viewedthroughthelensofanobjectivemonitor?Ifweexaminecurrentinstrumen-
tationcritically,whatareitslimitationsandweaknesses?Andwhatnewapproaches
mightovercometheseproblems?
Finally, are there other practical applications of simple objective physical
activitymonitors,suchasmotivatorsinrehabilitationprogrammesandasamethod
ofexaminingthepatternandqualityofsleep?
Thesearesomeofthequestionsthatarereviewedinthistext.Wehavelearned
much from their in-depth consideration. We trust that our readers will find equal
reward from studying these issues and that the outcome will be a much greater
understanding of the actions required to enhance population health and physical
activity.
Toronto,ON RoyJ.Shephard
Amherst,MA CatrineTudor-Locke
References
1. BouchardC,ShephardRJ,StephensT.Physicalactivity,fitnessandhealth.Champaign,IL:
HumanKinetics;1994.
2. KesaniemiYK,DanforthE,JensenPJetal.Dose-responseissuesconcerningphysicalactivity
andhealth:anevidence-basedsymposium.MedSciSportsExerc.2001;33:S351–8.
3. Dishman RK. Exercise adherence: its impact on public health. Champaign, IL: Human
Kinetics;1988.
4. ShephardRJ.Whistler2001:AHealthCanada/CDCconferenceon“Communicatingphysical
activityandhealthmessages;scienceintopractice.”AmJPrevMed.2002;23:221–5.
5. JanzKF.Physicalactivityinepidemiology:movingfromquestionnairetoobjectivemeasure-
ment.BrJSportsMed.2006;40(3):91–192.
6. TuckerJM,WelkGJ,BeylerNK.PhysicalactivityinU.S.:adultscompliancewiththephysical
activityguidelinesforAmericans.AmJPrevMed.2011;40:454–61.
Contents
1 PhysicalActivityandOptimalHealth:TheChallengeto
Epidemiology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
RoyJ.Shephard
2 AHistoryofPhysicalActivityMeasurementinEpidemiology. . . . 39
RoyJ.Shephard
3 OutputsAvailablefromObjectiveMonitors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
CatrineTudor-Locke
4 ProtocolsforDataCollection,ManagementandTreatment. . . . . . 113
CatrineTudor-Locke
5 ResourcesforDataInterpretationandReporting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
CatrineTudor-Locke
6 NewInformationonPopulationActivityPatternsRevealedby
ObjectiveMonitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
RichardLarouche,Jean-PhilippeChaput,andMarkS.Tremblay
7 CantheEpidemiologistLearnmorefromSedentaryBehaviour
thanfromtheMeasurementofPhysicalActivity?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
ValerieCarson,TravisSaunders,andMarkS.Tremblay
8 NewPerspectivesonActivity/DiseaseRelationshipsYieldedby
ObjectiveMonitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
RoyJ.Shephard
9 ExcessiveAppetitevs.InadequatePhysicalActivityinthePathology
ofObesity:EvidencefromObjectiveMonitoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
RoyJ.Shephard
vii
viii Contents
10 ObjectiveMonitoringandtheChallengeofDefiningDose/Response
RelationshipsforthePreventionofChronicDisease. . . . . . . . . . . . 299
RoyJ.Shephard
11 TheEconomicBenefitsofIncreasedPhysicalActivityasSeen
ThroughanObjectiveLens.. . . . .. . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . . . .. . . . .. 313
RoyJ.Shephard
12 LimitationsofCurrentObjectiveMonitorsandOpportunitiesto
OvercomeTheseProblems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
CatrineTudor-Locke
13 ObjectiveMeasurementinPhysicalActivitySurveillance:Present
RoleandFuturePotential. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 347
AdrianBauman,ZˇeljkoPedisˇic´,andKevinBragg
14 Self-ReportandDirectMeasuresofHealth:Bias
andImplications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
SarahConnorGorberandMarkS.Tremblay
15 ConclusionsandFutureDirections. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
RoyJ.Shephard
Meet the Authors
Adrian Bauman, PhD Prevention Research
Collaboration, School of Public Health, Sydney
University,Sydney,NSW,Australia
Kevin Bragg, BSc(hons) Prevention Research
Collaboration, School of Public Health, Sydney
University,Sydney,NSW,Australia
ix
