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Exploring the relationship between step count, step length and walked distance in mobile-aided six-minute walk test
Malmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), Department of Computer Science and Media Technology (DVMT). Malmö University, Internet of Things and People (IOTAP).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8461-0089
Malmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), Department of Computer Science and Media Technology (DVMT). Malmö University, Internet of Things and People (IOTAP).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4261-281X
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Malmö University, Internet of Things and People (IOTAP). Malmö University, Faculty of Technology and Society (TS), Department of Computer Science and Media Technology (DVMT).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9203-1124
2024 (English)In: 2024 46th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2024, p. 1-4Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Walking speed and distance are usually collected when performing clinical tests such as the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT). Wearable devices and smartphones can help bring these tests to the home environment. However, there are difficulties in obtaining measures of distance indoors, where GPS cannot be relied on. Step counting is another even simpler form of data collection that can be obtained through digital technologies. In this work, we investigate the relationship between the step count variable and the standardised 6-Minute Walk Distance (6MWD) variable. By considering 176 6MWTs from 55 participants, we found a high correlation between ground truth distance and the number of steps taken during a test (0.83). Additionally, when considering low-quality outdoor tests, using the step count becomes significantly more reliable (MAE of 22.5m) compared to a state-of-the-art algorithm (MAE of 93.8m). We conclude that step count can be considered as a valid proxy to estimate 6MWD and a candidate approach for monitoring patients’ physical health in free-living conditions.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2024. p. 1-4
Series
Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, ISSN 2375-7477, E-ISSN 2694-0604
Keywords [en]
six-minute walk test, step count, step length, smartphone
National Category
Health Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-72837DOI: 10.1109/EMBC53108.2024.10781775PubMedID: 40039045Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85214988397ISBN: 979-8-3503-7149-9 (electronic)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-72837DiVA, id: diva2:1922932
Conference
46th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), Orlando, FL, USA , 15-19 July 2024
Available from: 2024-12-19 Created: 2024-12-19 Last updated: 2025-09-02Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Digital health technologies for unsupervised physical activity testing and monitoring
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Digital health technologies for unsupervised physical activity testing and monitoring
2025 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Monitoring physical activity, function and capacity through Digital Health Technology (DHT) has a high potential to benefit healthcare providers and patients. Current practices of observing physical function and capacity use standard tests such as the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) or the Timed Up and Go, which collect momentary information on the patient’s health status. The use of DHT is demonstrated to enhance these types of assessments, from the instrumentation of physical tests with technology to the analysis of digital biomarkers collected during one’s daily life. Research at national and international levels investigates these topics on a large scale; however, it often lacks transparency and details in regards to used algorithms and data quality. These aspects are crucial when implementing technology for health-related purposes, where data quality and methods accuracy are fundamental for impacting clinical practices. This thesis investigates how DHT can support physical testing in ecological or community environments, answering three main research questions related to data collection and quality, algorithms, and the association between daily life physical activity and physical tests. Throughout six articles, this work investigates methods for inferring walked distance during the 6MWT in indoor and outdoor conditions, highlighting the importance of data quality collected through DHT. It shares a publicly available dataset providing inertial and localization information of patients and healthy volunteers. Lastly, it reports on insights and common procedures regarding DHT used during everyday life and its relation with physical tests. Foundations are laid for future work in this domain.   

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Malmö: Malmö University Press, 2025. p. 40
Series
Studies in Computer Science ; 36
Keywords
Digital Health Technology, Physical Activity, 6-Minute Walk Test, Data quality, Real-world Assessment
National Category
Medical Engineering
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-75110 (URN)10.24834/isbn.9789178775958 (DOI)978-91-7877-594-1 (ISBN)978-91-7877-595-8 (ISBN)
Presentation
2025-04-07, Auditorium B1, Niagara, Malmö, 10:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

Paper 5 and 6 i dissertation as manuscript. Not included in the full text online. 

Available from: 2025-04-03 Created: 2025-04-03 Last updated: 2025-10-10Bibliographically approved

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Caramaschi, SaraOlsson, Carl MagnusSalvi, Dario

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