Comparison of commonly used placement sites for activity monitoring.
BACKGROUND
No accepted standard exists to evaluate nonsleep-related activity in nursing facility residents where monitors are variously placed at the ankle, waist, wrist, thigh, or embedded in sheeting and set to record activity frequency.


OBJECTIVE
To determine optimal placement of activity monitors by site-at the ankle, waist, or wrist for nursing facility residents.


METHODS
Nursing facility residents (N = 16) wore accelerometers at three sites: the nondominant ankle, waist, and wrist, while recording activity in three modes: frequency, duration, and intensity.


RESULTS
The natural log activity mean for each mode by site and time revealed no significant differences between the three sites for activity intensity, F(2, 62.78) = .15, p = .86; activity duration, F(2, 69.84) = .50, p = .61; and activity frequency, F(2, 70.04) = 1.25, p = .29. There were no significant site-time interactions. The natural log activity by site and mode indicated no significant differences by site for the 24-hr mean, F(2, 107.64) = .20, p = .82; activity median, F(2, 100.42) = .47, p = .63; and activity standard deviation, F(2, 108.69) = 1.5, p = .23. A significant difference was seen by site for the acceleration index, F(2, 106.32) = 9.57, p < .001. No significant site-mode interactions were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Similarity between ankle, waist, or wrist sites when measuring activity by various modes, frequency, duration, or intensity, suggests the monitors measure nonsleep-related activity equally well at any of the sites.
Pat Rapp
Mary
M
6901 Bertner Blvd., University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Nursing, Office 6.613, Houston, TX 77002, USA. Mary.p.rapp@uth.tmc.edu
Nelson
Francine
F
Oliver
Melinda
M
Bergstrom
Nancy
N
Cron
Stanley G
SG
D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009068:Movement; D009735:Nursing Homes