ArticlePLOS digital health2023
Non-equivalent, but still valid: Establishing the construct validity of a consumer fitness tracker in persons with multiple sclerosis.
Article in PLOS digital health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Measurement Reactivity to Hip-Worn Accelerometry Among Adolescent Females: A Concurrent Wear Approach.Measurement in physical education and exercise science · 2026Article
- Navigating the Choice Between Wrist-Worn Research- and Consumer-Grade Wearables to Monitor Movement Behaviours: A Perspective.International journal of public health · 2026Article
- Increasing daily step count in mild cognitive impairment: a 12-month randomised controlled trial.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Article
- Agreement Between Consumer and Research-Grade Physical Activity Monitors in a Public Health Intervention for Adolescent Latinas.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Predicting Real-World Physical Activity in Multiple Sclerosis: An Integrated Approach Using Clinical, Sensor-Based, and Self-Reported Measures.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Trajectories of mHealth-Tracked Mental Health and Their Predictors in Female Chronic Pelvic Pain Disorders.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- MS Pattern Explorer: interactive visual exploration of temporal activity patterns for multiple sclerosis.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2024Article
- From wearable sensor data to digital biomarker development: ten lessons learned and a framework proposal.NPJ digital medicine · 2024Review
- Exploring the Major Barriers to Physical Activity in Persons With Multiple Sclerosis: Observational Longitudinal Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologies · 2024Article
- Cladribine effects on patient-reported outcomes and their clinical and biometric correlates in highly active relapsing multiple sclerosis at first switch: the observational, multicenter, prospective, phase IV CLADFIT-MS study.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Measurement properties of device-based physical activity instruments in ambulatory adults with physical disabilities and/or chronic diseases: a scoping review.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2023Article
- Feasibility and scalability of a fitness tracker study: Results from a longitudinal analysis of persons with multiple sclerosis.Frontiers in digital health · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Tools for monitoring daily physical activity (PA) are desired by persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, current research-grade options are not suitable for longitudinal, independent use due to their cost and user experience. Our objective was to assess the validity of step counts and PA intensity metrics derived from the Fitbit Inspire HR, a consumer-grade PA tracker, in 45 persons with MS (Median age: 46, IQR: 40-51) undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. The population had moderate mobility impairment (Median EDSS 4.0, Range 2.0-6.5). We assessed the validity of Fitbit-derived PA metrics (Step count, total time in PA, time in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA)) during scripted tasks and free-living activity at three levels of data aggregation (minute, daily, and average PA). Criterion validity was assessed though agreement with manual counts and multiple methods for deriving PA metrics via the Actigraph GT3X. Convergent and known-groups validity were assessed via relationships with reference standards and related clinical measures. Fitbit-derived step count and time in PA, but not time in MVPA, exhibited excellent agreement with reference measures during scripted tasks. During free-living activity, step count and time in PA correlated moderately to strongly with reference measures, but agreement varied across metrics, data aggregation levels, and disease severity strata. Time in MVPA weakly agreed with reference measures. However, Fitbit-derived metrics were often as different from reference measures as reference measures were from each other. Fitbit-derived metrics consistently exhibited similar or stronger evidence of construct validity than reference standards. Fitbit-derived PA metrics are not equivalent to existing reference standards. However, they exhibit evidence of construct validity. Consumer-grade fitness trackers such as the Fitbit Inspire HR may therefore be suitable as a PA tracking tool for persons with mild or moderate MS.
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Registered trials
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.