Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32579613›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2020

A novel scaling methodology to reduce the biases associated with missing data from commercial activity monitors.

R O'Driscoll, J Turicchi, C Duarte, J Michalowska, S C Larsen, A L Palmeira, B L Heitmann, G W Horgan, R J Stubbs

Erratum issuedOpen access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 6 institutions in 5 countries.

R O'DriscollAppetite Control and Energy Balance Group, School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-3995-0073
J TuricchiAppetite Control and Energy Balance Group, School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
C DuarteAppetite Control and Energy Balance Group, School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-6566-273X
J MichalowskaDepartment of Treatment of Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Clinical Dietetics, Medical Faculty, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
S C LarsenResearch Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Denmark.
A L PalmeiraFaculdade de Motricidade Humana, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
B L HeitmannResearch Unit for Dietary Studies, The Parker Institute, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital, The Capital Region, Denmark.
G W HorganBiomathematics & Statistics Scotland, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
R J StubbsAppetite Control and Energy Balance Group, School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
University of Leeds · GBBiomathematics and Statistics Scotland · GBFrederiksberg Hospital · DKPoznan University of Medical Sciences · PLUniversity of Copenhagen · DKUniversity of Lisbon · PT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCommercial physical activity monitors have wide utility in the assessment of physical activity in research and clinical settings, however, the removal of devices results in missing data and has the potential to bias study conclusions. This study aimed to evaluate methods to address missingness in data collected from commercial activity monitors.

methodsThis study utilised 1526 days of near complete data from 109 adults participating in a European weight loss maintenance study (NoHoW). We conducted simulation experiments to test a novel scaling methodology (NoHoW method) and alternative imputation strategies (overall/individual mean imputation, overall/individual multiple imputation, Kalman imputation and random forest imputation). Methods were compared for hourly, daily and 14-day physical activity estimates for steps, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and time in physical activity categories. In a second simulation study, individual multiple imputation, Kalman imputation and the NoHoW method were tested at different positions and quantities of missingness. Equivalence testing and root mean squared error (RMSE) were used to evaluate the ability of each of the strategies relative to the true data.

resultsThe NoHoW method, Kalman imputation and multiple imputation methods remained statistically equivalent (p<0.05) for all physical activity metrics at the 14-day level. In the second simulation study, RMSE tended to increase with increased missingness. Multiple imputation showed the smallest RMSE for Steps and TDEE at lower levels of missingness (<19%) and the Kalman and NoHoW methods were generally superior for imputing time in physical activity categories.

conclusionIndividual centred imputation approaches (NoHoW method, Kalman imputation and individual Multiple imputation) offer an effective means to reduce the biases associated with missing data from activity monitors and maximise data retention.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAlgorithmsBiasBody WeightComputer SimulationEnergy MetabolismExerciseFemaleFitness TrackersHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedMonitoring, PhysiologicResearch Design

Identifiers

PMID32579613
PMCPMC7313747
OpenAlexW3038010419

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.