Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36890553›Full record

SynthesisThe international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity2023

The impact of selected methodological factors on data collection outcomes in observational studies of device-measured physical behaviour in adults: A systematic review.

Richard M Pulsford, Laura Brocklebank, Sally A M Fenton, Esmée Bakker, Gregore I Mielke, Li-Tang Tsai, Andrew J Atkin, Danielle L Harvey, Joanna M Blodgett, Matthew Ahmadi and 9 more

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
8.4field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Observational
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Review
  16. Reporting of Accelerometry in Health Research: A Scoping Review of Current Guidance.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Comparing Step-Counting Algorithms for High-Resolution Wrist Accelerometry Data in Older Adults in the ARIC Study.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2025
    Article
  19. Observational
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors at 15 institutions in 6 countries.

Richard M PulsfordFaculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, St Lukes Campus. EX12LU, Exeter, UK.
Laura BrocklebankDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, WC1E 7HB, UK.
Sally A M FentonSchool of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Esmée BakkerRadboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Gregore I MielkeSchool of Public Health, The University of Queensland, ST Lucia qld, Australia.
Li-Tang TsaiCenter On Aging and Mobility, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich City Hospital - Waid and University of Zurich, Zurich , Switzerland.
Andrew J AtkinNorwich Epidemiology Centre, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Danielle L HarveySchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR47TJ, UK.
Joanna M BlodgettInstitute of Sport Exercise and Health, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, W1T 7HA, UK.
Matthew AhmadiCharles Perkins Centre, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Le WeiCharles Perkins Centre, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Alex RowlandsDiabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester, LE5 4PW, UK.
Aiden DohertyBig Data Institute, Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LF, UK.
Vegar RangulDepartment of Public Health and Nursing, HUNT Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger, Norway.
Annemarie KosterDepartment of Social Medicine, CAPHRI, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Lauren B SherarSchool of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE113TU, UK.
Andreas HoltermannNational Research Centre for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mark Hamer *Institute of Sport Exercise and Health, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, W1T 7HA, UK. m.hamer@ucl.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-8726-7992
Emmanuel Stamatakis *Charles Perkins Centre, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
The University of Sydney · AUEnglish Institute of Sport · GBUniversity of East Anglia · GBLoughborough University · GBMaastricht University · NLNational Research Centre for the Working Environment · DKNorwegian University of Science and Technology · NORadboud University Nijmegen · NLThe University of Queensland · AUUniversity College London · GBUniversity of Birmingham · GBUniversity of Exeter · GBUniversity of Leicester · GBUniversity of Oxford · GBUniversity of Zurich · CH

Funding

British Heart Foundation SP/F/20/150002Department of HealthWellcome Trust 223100/Z/21/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccelerometer measures of physical behaviours (physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep) in observational studies offer detailed insight into associations with health and disease. Maximising recruitment and accelerometer wear, and minimising data loss remain key challenges. How varying methods used to collect accelerometer data influence data collection outcomes is poorly understood. We examined the influence of accelerometer placement and other methodological factors on participant recruitment, adherence and data loss in observational studies of adult physical behaviours.

methodsThe review was in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA). Observational studies of adults including accelerometer measurement of physical behaviours were identified using database (MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, PsychINFO, Health Management Information Consortium, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature) and supplementary searches to May 2022. Information regarding study design, accelerometer data collection methods and outcomes were extracted for each accelerometer measurement (study wave). Random effects meta-analyses and narrative syntheses were used to examine associations of methodological factors with participant recruitment, adherence and data loss.

results123 accelerometer data collection waves were identified from 95 studies (92.5% from high-income countries). In-person distribution of accelerometers was associated with a greater proportion of invited participants consenting to wear an accelerometer (+ 30% [95% CI 18%, 42%] compared to postal distribution), and adhering to minimum wear criteria (+ 15% [4%, 25%]). The proportion of participants meeting minimum wear criteria was higher when accelerometers were worn at the wrist (+ 14% [ 5%, 23%]) compared to waist. Daily wear-time tended to be higher in studies using wrist-worn accelerometers compared to other wear locations. Reporting of information regarding data collection was inconsistent.

conclusionMethodological decisions including accelerometer wear-location and method of distribution may influence important data collection outcomes including recruitment and accelerometer wear-time. Consistent and comprehensive reporting of accelerometer data collection methods and outcomes is needed to support development of future studies and international consortia. Review supported by the British Heart Foundation (SP/F/20/150002) and registered (Prospero CRD42020213465).

Indexed as

AccelerometryExerciseAdultData CollectionHumansResearch DesignSedentary BehaviorAccelerometersAdherenceEpidemiologyHealthMeasurementMethodsObservational StudiesPhysical ActivityPhysical BehaviourRecruitmentSedentary Behaviour

Identifiers

PMID36890553
PMCPMC9993720
OpenAlexW4323544910

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.