Validity and reliability of Omron pedometers for prescribed and self-paced walking.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and reliability evidence for the Omron Healthcare HJ-151 and HJ-720ITC pedometers for prescribed and self-paced walking.


METHODS
A total of 47 adults (24 males, 23 females; age = 24 +/- 4.4 yr.; body mass index = 25.7 +/- 4.2 kg x m(-2)) participated in this study. Under prescribed walking conditions, 34 participants completed three randomized 100-m walking trials through a range of scripted walking speeds (slow, moderate, and very brisk) for each pedometer model. Under self-paced walking conditions, 31 participants completed one 1-mile walk on a standardized course for each model. HJ-151 pedometers were chosen at random from a pool of 54 devices and were worn along the waistband at the right hip, the left hip, and the midback, whereas HJ-720ITC pedometers were chosen from a pool of 24 devices and incorporated right pocket, left pocket, and backpack positions in addition to the three waist-mounted sites. Absolute percent error (APE) scores were calculated to examine pedometer accuracy between actual steps (a criterion measure) and pedometer-determined steps. Coefficient of variation (CoV) was computed to describe interdevice reliability.


RESULTS
With the exception of the HJ-720ITC at the backpack position in the prescribed walking setting (mean APE = 3.4%), the HJ-151 and the HJ-720ITC accurately reported step counts under prescribed and self-paced conditions (all APE values <3.0%). Moreover, interdevice reliability evidence was established for the HJ-151 and the HJ-720ITC under prescribed and self-paced conditions (all CoV values <2.1%).


CONCLUSIONS
The Omron HJ-151 and HJ-720ITC pedometers demonstrated validity and reliability at various mounting positions under prescribed and self-paced walking conditions with both healthy and overweight adults.
Holbrook
Elizabeth A
EA
Department of Health and Human Performance, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA.
Barreira
Tiago V
TV
Kang
Minsoo
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*