Accuracy of the "S Health" pedometer application during walking and stair climbing

Glavič, Mateja (author), Rugelj, Darja (author)

Background: ‪The S Health application provides an estimate of the amount of physical activity by measuring the number of steps during activities. The purpose was to assess the accuracy of step-counting with different smartphones using the S Health step counting application at long and short walking distances, and stair climbing. Material and methods: ‪26 participants (aged 28.85 ± 4.85 years) conducted three tests: 20-step test, 60-step stair test, and 6-minute walk test. Three smartphone models of the latest generation and two models of an earlier one were assessed. The StepWatch pedometer was used as a criterion. Results: Only one phone of the latest generation produced the most consistent and accurate results as compared to the pedometer in the 60-step stair test and 6-minute walk test (r=0.840), while the correlation of the other four smartphones was weak, from r=0.257 to r=0.482. Generally, the accuracy increased with the increasing amount of steps in all devices and the mean absolute percentage error decreased. Errors ranged between 5.8 and 56.9% for the 20-step test, 1.9-22.4% for the 60-step stair test, and 1.1-17.8% for the 6-minute walk test. Conclusions: The results suggest that accuracy of smart-phones increase with increased number of steps and correspond to newer model.

• Language: English
• Keywords: measurement, agreement, walking, wearable technology, step-counting, physiotherapy
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 93-104
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 4
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-124120
• UDC: 615.825
• ISSN on article: 2080-9999
• DOI: 10.29359/BJHPA.12.4.09
• COBISS.SI-ID: 45043715
• Publication date in RUL: 04.01.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity
• Shortened title: Balt. J. Health Phys. Act.
• Publisher: Akademia Wychowania Fizycznego i Sportu im Jędrzeja Śniadeckiego w Gdańsku
• ISSN: 2080-9999
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519392025

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.
• Licensing start date: 04.01.2021

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0388
• Name: Mehanizmi varovanja zdravja