The validity of an accelerometer-based method for estimating fluidity in the sit-to-walk task in a community setting.
Tomoyuki Asakura, Yoshiyuki Miyazawa, Shigeru Usuda
PMID 28210059WHAT IT FOUND
In 17 older women, a waist accelerometer matched lab timing for sit-to-walk and estimated how smoothly they stood up and started walking.
The method may be usable outside a lab.
Key findings
01In 17 older women, accelerometer timings for sit-to-walk onset, maximum trunk lean, and first heel strike agreed with lab systems.
02The time from maximum trunk lean to first heel strike was the best predictor of the fluidity index, with R-squared values of 0.757 and 0.731.
03The method was tested in 17 women who could walk more than 20 m without a cane and stand without using arms, so accuracy in more disabled patients is not established.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 17 women were tested, and they were community-dwelling older adults with mild disability. All participants could walk more than 20 m without a cane and stand without upper-limb support, so the method was not tested in people who need a cane, walker, or assistance to stand. The study did not test whether the accelerometer method predicts falls or other clinical outcomes; it only compared timing and estimated fluidity index against lab systems. Only one trial per speed condition was used in the statistical analyses. Only anterior-posterior acceleration was analyzed, and the fluidity index itself was derived from a three-dimensional lab system.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this accelerometer method is ready for clinical fall-risk assessment in older adults with disability. The study tested 17 women who could walk more than 20 m without a cane and stand without using their arms, and it did not show that the method predicts falls.