Physical Activity Monitoring In the LIFE Study Using the Actigraph Accelerometer

在LIFE试点研究中，被分配到运动组的参与者的主要干预措施将是步行。 根据治疗方案，在头六个月，他们增加的步行量中有一半将在家里或在无人监督的环境中进行。在接下来的六个月里，大多数参与者至少有75%的指定步行将是无人监督的。 为了知道这种干预是否完成，LIFE研究人员需要证明运动参与者与健康老龄化参与者相比，步行量显着增加。目前，该方案包括使用计步器，日志和CHAMPS问卷，以告知研究人员每个研究参与者的活动概况。虽然所有这些测量工具都可能提供有用的数据，但没有一个被证明可以对老年人的日常身体活动情况提供准确和客观的评估，有些虚弱的人。 Actigraph是一种小型固态加速计/记录仪（6.6 x 4.3 x 2.5 cm，70克），可以连续存储它移动的次数x移动变化率（加速度）长达一个月（近似电池寿命）。它存储指定时间间隔的这些计数，通常设置为一分钟。 对于LIFE，该监护仪将佩戴在每名受试者的右髋关节上。 试验现已完成，活动记录仪数据正在清理和分析中。 正在编写一份关于结果的文件。

The major intervention in the LIFE pilot study for participants assigned to the exercise group will be walking. According to the treatment protocol, during the first six months as much as half of their increase in walking will be carried out at home or in a non-supervised setting. During the second six months, at least 75% of the assigned walking will be non-supervised for most participants. To know if this intervention was accomplished, LIFE investigators need documentation that a significant increase in walking took place in the exercise participants versus the healthy aging class participants. Currently the protocol includes the use of pedometers, logs and the CHAMPS questionnaire to inform the investigators about the activity profile of each study participant. While all of these measurement tools are likely to provide useful data, none have been proven to provide an accurate and objective assessment of the daily physical activity profile of older, somewhat frail persons. The Actigraph is a small solid-state accelerometer/recorder (6.6 x 4.3 x 2.5 cm., 70 grams) that can store the number of times it moves x the rate of movement change (acceleration) on a continuous basis for up to a month (approximate battery life). It stores these counts for specified times intervals, usually set at one-minute. For LIFE, this monitor will be worn on the right hip of each participant. The trial is now complete and actigraph data are being cleaned and analyzed. A paper on the results is in preparation.