Accelerometry and physical activity questionnaires - a systematic review.
The aim of this study is to review accelerometer wear methods and correlations between accelerometry and physical activity questionnaire data, depending on participant characteristics.



We included 57 articles about physical activity measurement by accelerometry and questionnaires. Criteria were to have at least 100 participants of at least 18 years of age with manuscripts available in English. Accelerometer wear methods were compared. Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients between questionnaires and accelerometers and differences between genders, age categories, and body mass index (BMI) categories were assessed.



In most investigations, requested wear time was seven days during waking hours and devices were mostly attached on hips with waist belts. A minimum of four valid days with wear time of at least ten hours per day was required in most studies. Correlations (r = Pearson, ρ = Spearman) of total questionnaire scores against accelerometer measures across individual studies ranged from r = 0.08 to ρ = 0.58 (P < 0.001) for men and from r = -0.02 to r = 0.49 (P < 0.01) for women. Correlations for total physical activity among participants with ages ≤65 ranged from r = 0.04 to ρ = 0.47 (P < 0.001) and from r = 0.16 (P = 0.02) to r = 0.53 (P < 0.01) among the elderly (≥65 years). Few studies investigated stratification by BMI, with varying cut points and inconsistent results.



Accelerometers appear to provide slightly more consistent results in relation to self-reported physical activity among men. Nevertheless, due to overall limited consistency, different aspects measured by each method, and differences in the dimensions studied, it is advised that studies use both questionnaires and accelerometers to gain the most complete physical activity information.
Division of Preventive Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.|Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Stephanie
S
Skender
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Williams Building, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA.
Jennifer
J
Ose
Division of Clinical Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 581, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Jenny
J
Chang-Claude
Division of Preventive Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.|Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Michael
M
Paskow
Division of Preventive Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.|Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Boris
B
Brühmann
Department of Cancer Epidemiology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA.
Erin M
EM
Siegel
Division of Preventive Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.|Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.|Unit of Environmental Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 581, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
Karen
K
Steindorf
Division of Preventive Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. neli@hci.utah.edu.|Division of Preventive Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany. neli@hci.utah.edu.|Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah, Williams Building, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA. neli@hci.utah.edu.|Population Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Circle of Hope Dr. 2000, Room 4165, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA. neli@hci.utah.edu.
Cornelia M
CM
Ulrich
D061725:Accelerometry; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Accelerometry; Adults; Physical activity measurement; Questionnaires