ArticlePloS one2017
Comparison of wrist-worn Fitbit Flex and waist-worn ActiGraph for measuring steps in free-living adults.
Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 69 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
69 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 132 citations in OpenAlex.
- Quality Evaluation of Free-living Validation Studies for the Assessment of 24-Hour Physical Behavior in Adults via Wearables: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2022Pooled it
- Reliability and Validity of Commercially Available Wearable Devices for Measuring Steps, Energy Expenditure, and Heart Rate: Systematic Review.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2020Pooled it
- trips4health: a single-blinded randomised controlled trial incentivising adult public transport use for physical activity gain.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2023Trial
- Self-efficacy and Physical Activity in Overweight and Obese Adults Participating in a Worksite Weight Loss Intervention: Multistate Modeling of Wearable Device Data.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2020Trial
- Accuracy of consumer-level and research-grade activity trackers in ambulatory settings in older adults.PloS one · 2019Trial
- A pilot study of a digital weight loss program for people with obesity in four diverse cohorts.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- The active ingredients: physical activity features linked to healthy brain aging.Alzheimer's research & therapy · 2026Article
- Steps to Health: Backward Walking Predicts Physical Activity Levels in Multiple Sclerosis.Neurorehabilitation and neural repair · 2026Article
- Article
- Agreement Between TDK Silmee W22 and ActiGraph wGT3X-BT for Estimating Daily Step Counts and Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity in Free-Living Adults: Comparative Study.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- Feasibility of a Mind-Body Activity Program for English- and Spanish-Speaking Older Adults With Chronic Pain Delivered Within Shared Medical Visits in a Community Clinic.The Gerontologist · 2025Article
- Development of Digital Strategies for Reducing Sedentary Behavior in a Hybrid Office Environment: Modified Delphi Study.JMIR human factors · 2025Article
- Predicting Real-World Physical Activity in Multiple Sclerosis: An Integrated Approach Using Clinical, Sensor-Based, and Self-Reported Measures.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Comparison of Students' Physical Activity at Different Times and Establishment of a Regression Model for Smart Fitness Trackers.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Association of Smartphone-Based Activity Tracking and Nocturnal Hypoglycemia in People With Type 1 Diabetes.Journal of diabetes science and technology · 2025Article
- Accuracy and reliability of accelerometer-based pedometers in step counts during walking, running, and stair climbing in different locations of attachment.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Comparison of daily step count between the Fitbit Inspire 3 and the activPAL 3 in adults with transtibial amputation.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences · 2024Article
- An Algorithm to Classify Real-World Ambulatory Status From a Wearable Device Using Multimodal and Demographically Diverse Data: Validation Study.JMIR biomedical engineering · 2023Article
- The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Limited Range of Motion in the Older Bedridden Patients.Canadian geriatrics journal : CGJ · 2023Article
- Volumetric computed tomography with carbon nanotube X-ray source array for improved image quality and accuracy.Communications engineering · 2023Article
9 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionAccelerometers are commonly used to assess physical activity. Consumer activity trackers have become increasingly popular today, such as the Fitbit. This study aimed to compare the average number of steps per day using the wrist-worn Fitbit Flex and waist-worn ActiGraph (wGT3X-BT) in free-living conditions.
methods104 adult participants (n = 35 males; n = 69 females) were asked to wear a Fitbit Flex and an ActiGraph concurrently for 7 days. Daily step counts were used to classify inactive (<10,000 steps) and active (≥10,000 steps) days, which is one of the commonly used physical activity guidelines to maintain health. Proportion of agreement between physical activity categorizations from ActiGraph and Fitbit Flex was assessed. Statistical analyses included Spearman's rho, intraclass correlation (ICC), median absolute percentage error (MAPE), Kappa statistics, and Bland-Altman plots. Analyses were performed among all participants, by each step-defined daily physical activity category and gender.
resultsThe median average steps/day recorded by Fitbit Flex and ActiGraph were 10193 and 8812, respectively. Strong positive correlations and agreement were found for all participants, both genders, as well as daily physical activity categories (Spearman's rho: 0.76-0.91; ICC: 0.73-0.87). The MAPE was: 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.8-28.1%) for overall steps, 16.9% (6.8-30.3%) vs. 15.1% (4.5-27.3%) in males and females, and 20.4% (8.7-35.9%) vs. 9.6% (1.0-18.4%) during inactive days and active days. Bland-Altman plot indicated a median overestimation of 1300 steps/day by the Fitbit Flex in all participants. Fitbit Flex and ActiGraph respectively classified 51.5% and 37.5% of the days as active (Kappa: 0.66).
conclusionsThere were high correlations and agreement in steps between Fitbit Flex and ActiGraph. However, findings suggested discrepancies in steps between devices. This imposed a challenge that needs to be considered when using Fibit Flex in research and health promotion programs.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.