title: Comparison of commonly used placement sites for activity monitoring.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pat Rapp
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: Melinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bergstrom
authors.forename: Stanley G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Cron
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D009068:Movement; D009735:Nursing Homes