Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy Adults

Smartphone-based accelerometers offer a cost-effective and portable alternative to traditional gait analysis systems, with high reliability in measuring key parameters such as walking speed, cadence, and distance. This study assessed their validity compared to the GAITRite system, a widely recognize...

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Main Authors: Ji-Eun Baek, Jin-Hwa Jung, Hang-Keun Kim, Hwi-Young Cho
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Applied Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11321
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author Ji-Eun Baek
Jin-Hwa Jung
Hang-Keun Kim
Hwi-Young Cho
author_facet Ji-Eun Baek
Jin-Hwa Jung
Hang-Keun Kim
Hwi-Young Cho
author_sort Ji-Eun Baek
collection DOAJ
description Smartphone-based accelerometers offer a cost-effective and portable alternative to traditional gait analysis systems, with high reliability in measuring key parameters such as walking speed, cadence, and distance. This study assessed their validity compared to the GAITRite system, a widely recognized gold-standard tool, using data from 30 healthy adults walking at 3 self-selected speeds: preferred, slow, and fast. The results demonstrated a high degree of agreement between the two systems, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.778 to 0.999. Although the findings emphasize the potential of smartphone accelerometers for clinical and real-world applications, certain limitations were noted, including participant homogeneity and minor discrepancies at extreme walking speeds. To address these limitations, incorporating data from additional sensors, such as gyroscopes and magnetometers, may enhance the accuracy and reliability of spatial parameter estimation. Overall, the findings support the use of smartphone accelerometers as a promising tool for advancing gait monitoring technologies, particularly in the contexts of telerehabilitation and mobility assessments.
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spelling doaj-art-cc790d6584db4800a03b41b0cbae6ad32025-08-20T01:55:34ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172024-12-0114231132110.3390/app142311321Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy AdultsJi-Eun Baek0Jin-Hwa Jung1Hang-Keun Kim2Hwi-Young Cho3Department of Physical Therapy, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Occupational Therapy, Semyung University, Jecheon 27136, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, College of IT Convergence, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Physical Therapy, Gachon University, Incheon 21936, Republic of KoreaSmartphone-based accelerometers offer a cost-effective and portable alternative to traditional gait analysis systems, with high reliability in measuring key parameters such as walking speed, cadence, and distance. This study assessed their validity compared to the GAITRite system, a widely recognized gold-standard tool, using data from 30 healthy adults walking at 3 self-selected speeds: preferred, slow, and fast. The results demonstrated a high degree of agreement between the two systems, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranging from 0.778 to 0.999. Although the findings emphasize the potential of smartphone accelerometers for clinical and real-world applications, certain limitations were noted, including participant homogeneity and minor discrepancies at extreme walking speeds. To address these limitations, incorporating data from additional sensors, such as gyroscopes and magnetometers, may enhance the accuracy and reliability of spatial parameter estimation. Overall, the findings support the use of smartphone accelerometers as a promising tool for advancing gait monitoring technologies, particularly in the contexts of telerehabilitation and mobility assessments.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11321gait analysissmartphone accelerometerwearable technologyintraclass correlationapplied ergonomics
spellingShingle Ji-Eun Baek
Jin-Hwa Jung
Hang-Keun Kim
Hwi-Young Cho
Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy Adults
Applied Sciences
gait analysis
smartphone accelerometer
wearable technology
intraclass correlation
applied ergonomics
title Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy Adults
title_full Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy Adults
title_fullStr Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy Adults
title_full_unstemmed Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy Adults
title_short Smartphone Accelerometer for Gait Assessment: Validity and Reliability in Healthy Adults
title_sort smartphone accelerometer for gait assessment validity and reliability in healthy adults
topic gait analysis
smartphone accelerometer
wearable technology
intraclass correlation
applied ergonomics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11321
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