Abstract
Advanced ambulatory systems that measure aspects of overt human behavior during normal daily life have become feasible, owing to developments in data recording and sensor technology. One such instrument is the Activity Monitor (AM). This paper provides a technical description of the AM and information about its validity and current applications. The AM is based on ambulatory accelerometry, the aim of which is to assess postures and motions for long-term (>24-h) measurement periods during normal daily life. Accelerometers are attached to the thighs, trunk, and lower arms, and signals are continuously stored in a digital portable recorder. In the postmeasurement analysis, postures and motions are detected by means of custom-made software programs. Validity studies performed on different populations showed high agreement scores between the computerized and automatic AM output and the visually analyzed video recordings. The AM has so far been applied in rehabilitation, psychophysiology, and cardiology but has many possibilities in behavioral research.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anastasiades, P., &Johnston, D. W. (1990). A simple activity measure for use with ambulatory subjects.Psychophysiology,27, 87–93.
Busser, H. J., Ott, J., Uiterwaal, M., van Lummel, R. C., &Blank, R. (1997). Ambulatory monitoring of children’s activity.Medical Engineering & Physics,19, 440–445.
Bussmann, H. B. J., Reuvekamp, P. J., Veltink, P. H., Martens, W. L. J., &Stam, H. J. (1998). Validity and reliability of measurements obtained with an “Activity Monitor” in people with and without a transtibial amputation.Physical Therapy,78, 989–998.
Bussmann, J. B. J. (1998).Ambulatory monitoring of mobility-related activities in rehabilitationmedicine. Delft, The Netherlands: Eburon.
Bussmann, J. B. J., Damen, L., &Stam, H. J. (2000). Analysis and decomposition of signals obtained by thigh-fixed accelerometry during walking.Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing,38, 632–638.
Bussmann, J. B. J., Hartgerink, I., van der Woude, L. H. V., &Stam, H. J. (2000). Measuring physical strain during ambulation with accelerometry.Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,32, 1462–1471.
Bussmann, J. B. J.,&Stam, H. J. (1998). Techniques for measurement and assessment of mobility in rehabilitation: A theoretical approach.Clinical Rehabilitation,12, 455–464.
Bussmann, J. B. J., Tulen, J. H. M., van Herel, E. C. G., &Stam, H. J. (1998). Quantification of physical activities by means of accelerometry: A validation study.Psychophysiology,35, 488–496.
Bussmann, J. B. J., van de Laar, Y. M., Neeleman, M. P., &Stam, H. J. (1998). Ambulatory accelerometry to quantify motor behavior in patients after failed back surgery.Pain,74, 153–161.
Davies, S. W., Jordan, S. L., &Lipkin, D. P. (1992). Use of limb movement sensors as indicators of the level of everyday physical activity in chronic congestive heart failure.American Journal of Cardiology,69, 1581–1586.
Fahrenberg, J. (1996). Ambulatory assessment: Issues and perspectives. In J. Fahrenberg & M. Myrtek (Eds.),Ambulatory assessment: Computer-assisted psychological and psychophysiological methods in monitoring and field studies (pp. 3–20). Seattle: Hogrefe & Huber.
Fahrenberg, J., Foerster, F., Mueller, W., &Smeja, M. (1997). Assessment of posture and motion by multi-channel piezoresistive accelerometer recordings.Psychophysiology,34, 607–612.
Foerster, F., &Fahrenberg, J. (2000). Motion pattern and posture: Correctly assessed by calibrated accelerometers.Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers,32, 450–457.
Groeneveld, W. H., Waterlander, K. J., De Moel, A. V. L., Konijnendijk, H. J., & Snijders, C. J. (1992). Instrumentation for ambulatory monitoring of patient movement. InProceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Biotelemetry (pp. 558–564).
Jain, A., Martens, W. L. J., Mutz, G., Weiss, R. K., &Stephan, E. (1996). Towards a comprehensive technology for recording and analysis of multiple physiological parameters within their behavioral and environmental context. In J. Fahrenberg & M. Myrtek (Eds.),Ambulatory assessment: Computer-assisted psychological and psychophysiological methods in monitoring and field studies (pp. 215–236). Seattle: Hogrefe & Huber.
Kiani, K., Snijders, C. J., &Gelsema, E. S. (1997). Computerized analysis of daily life motor activity for ambulatory monitoring.Technology & Health Care,5, 307–318.
Kiani, K., Snijders, C. J., &Gelsema, E. S. (1998). Recognition of daily motor activity classes using an artificial neural network.Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation,79, 147–154.
Martens, W. L. J. (1992). The Fast Time Frequency Transform (F.T.F.T): A novel approach to the Instantaneous Spectrum. InProceedings of the 14th International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society. Piscataway, NJ: IEEE Press.
Miyazaki, S. (1997). Long-term unrestrained measurement of stride length and walking velocity utilizing a piezoelectric gyroscope.IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering,44, 753–759.
Morris, J. R. W. (1973). Accelerometry: A technique for the measurement of human body movements.Journal of Biomechanics,6, 729–736.
Padgoankar, A. J., Krieger, K. W., &King, A. I. (1975). Measurement of angular acceleration of a rigid body using linear accelerometers.Journal of Applied Mechanics,42, 552–556.
Saris, W. H. M., &Binkhorst, R. A. (1977). The use of pedometer and actometer in studying daily physical activity in man: Pt. 1. Reliability of pedometer and actometer.European Journal of Applied Physiology,31, 219–228.
Stock, S. E., Clague, M. B., &Johnston, I. D. A. (1991). Postoperative fatigue: A real phenomenon attributable to the metabolic effects of surgery on body nutritional stores.Clinical Nutrition,10, 151–157.
Tulen, J. H. M., Bussmann, J. B. J., van Steenis, H. G., Pepplinkhuizen, L., &Man in ’t Veld, A. J. (1997). A novel tool to quantify physical activities: Ambulatory accelerometry in psychopharmacology.Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology,17, 202–207.
Tulen, J. H. M., Stronks, D., Bussmann, J. B. J., Pepplinkhuizen, L., &Passchier, J. (2000). Towards an objective quantitative assessment of daily functioningin migraine: A feasibility study.Pain,86, 139–149.
Tuomisto, M. T., Johnston, D. W., &Schmidt, T. F. H. (1996). The ambulatory measurement of posture, thigh acceleration and muscle tension and their relationship to heart rate.Psychophysiology,33, 409–415.
Uiterwaal, M., Glerum, E. B., Busser, H. J., &van Lummel, R. C. (1998). Ambulatory monitoring of physical activity in working situations, a validation study.Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology,22, 168–172.
van den Berg-Emons, R. J. G., Bussmann, J. B. J., Balk, A. H. M. M., &Stam, H. (2000). Validity of ambulatory accelerometry to quantify physical activity in heart failure.Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine,32, 187–192.
Veltink, P. H., Bussmann, H. B. J., de Vries, W., Martens, W. L. J., &van Lummel, R. C. (1996). Detection of static and dynamic activities using uniaxial accelerometers.IEEE Rehabilitation Engineering,4, 375–385.
Walker, D. J., Heslop, P. S., Plummer, C. J., Essex, T., &Chandler, S. (1997). A continuous patient activity monitor: Validation and relation to disability.Physiological Measurement,18, 49–59.
Willemsen, A. T. M., van Alste, J. A., &Boom, H. B. K. (1990). Real-time gait analysis utilizing a new way of accelerometry.Journal of Biomechanics,23, 859–863.
Winter, D. A. (1990).Biomechanics and motor control of human movement. New York: Wiley.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bussmann, J.B.J., Martens, W.L.J., Tulen, J.H.M. et al. Measuring daily behavior using ambulatory accelerometry: The Activity Monitor. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers 33, 349–356 (2001). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195388
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03195388