Development of an Integrated Measurement System to Assess Physical Activity

描述(由申请人提供)： 我们建议通过开发一个综合的测量系统来评估自由生活的身体活动(PA)，从而推进客观的评估方法。这项提议的总体目标是开发和测试新的和创新的传感器技术，以便在较长时间内以最小的主体负担和相对较低的成本评估PA。除了在PA评估研究中常用的加速计来测量身体运动外，我们还建议使用能够捕捉呼吸特征和环境背景的传感器。这些额外传感器的加入确保了测量系统将客观地量化与GEI相关的特征(例如，暴露在环境污染物中、室内活动与室外活动)，并提高PA模式和相关能源消耗估计的精确度和有效性。将采用严格的设计优化过程，以使最终的综合测量系统(IMS)适合在大规模流行病学研究中使用，成本合理，受试者负担最小。具体目标是：1)设计和开发一个微型的自给自足的IMS来评估身体活动。该设备将包括加速计传感器、通风传感器和环境背景传感器，它们将确定活动是在室内还是室外进行；2)在不同类型和强度的室内和室外身体活动期间校准IMS；3)开发统计数据处理方法，将来自三个数据流(加速度、通风和设置)的信息结合在一起，以估计身体活动模式和能量消耗；4)验证目标3中开发的体力活动模式和能量消耗的建模估计。我们组建了一个代表运动生理学、电气工程、信号处理、机电电子学和统计学领域的多学科团队，为我们提供成功实施该项目所需的广泛专业知识。这些领域包括传感器设计和制造(电气工程、机电电子学、信号处理)、轻、中度和剧烈活动(运动生理学)中传感器的验证和校准，以及开发适当的统计模型以评估各种传感器的性能以及开发和测试活动模式识别系统的专业知识。可在外地部署的系统将于第4年年底完成。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We are proposing to advance objective assessment methodology through development of an integrated measurement system to evaluate free-living physical activity (PA). The overall goal of this proposal is to develop and test new and innovative sensor technology to assess PA in the field over long periods of time with minimal subject burden and at relatively low cost. In addition to an accelerometer, which is commonly used in PA assessment research to measure body motion, we are proposing to use sensors that capture characteristics of breathing and the environmental context. Inclusion of these additional sensors ensures that the measurement system will objectively quantify GEI-relevant features (e.g. exposure to environmental contaminants, indoor vs. outdoor activity) and increase the precision and validity of estimates of PA mode and the associated energy expenditure. A rigorous process of design optimization will be employed so that the final integrated measurement system (IMS) will be appropriate for use in large-scale epidemiological studies at a reasonable cost and with minimal subject burden. The specific aims are: 1) To design and develop a miniature self-contained IMS to assess physical activity. The device will include an accelerometer sensor, a ventilation sensor, and an environmental context sensor, which will determine if the activity takes place indoors or outdoors; 2) To calibrate the IMS during different types and intensities of indoor and outdoor physical activity; 3) To develop statistical data processing methods that will combine the information from the three streams of data (acceleration, ventilation and setting) to estimate physical activity mode and energy expenditure; 4) To validate the modeled estimates of physical activity mode and energy expenditure developed in Aim 3. We have assembled a multi-disciplinary team representing the fields of exercise physiology, electrical engineering, signal processing, mechanotronics, and statistics which provides us with the broad expertise needed to successfully carry out this project. These areas include expertise in sensor design and fabrication (electrical engineering, mechanotronics, signal processing), validation and calibration of the sensors during light, moderate and vigorous activity (exercise physiology) and development of appropriate statistical models to evaluate the performance of the various sensors and to develop and test activity pattern recognition systems. A field-deployable system will be complete at the end of Year 4.