A Smartphone Application to Evaluate Energy Expenditure and Duration of Moderate-intensity Activities

The aim of this study was to find functions for estimating energy expenditure in free-living conditions. This method was based on accelerometry data acquired from a smartphone worn in a trouser pocket. The developed functions have been compared to the estimations provided by two research devices named Armband and Actiheart.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Accelerometry
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Energy expenditure estimation in controlled conditions; Device: Energy expenditure estimation in free-living conditions

Detailed Description

There is a growing interest in evaluating physical activity and energy expenditure (EE) to provide feedback to the user. The use of mass-market sensors such as accelerometers offers a promising solution for the general public due to the growing smartphone market over the last decade.

Thus, the proposed EE estimation function has been created using accelerometry data collected from 10 volunteers equipped with a smartphone and two research sensors (Armband and Actiheart) used to estimate EE during several controlled activities. The research sensors' data serves as reference during the creation and evaluation of the proposed function.

It has been evaluated with data of 6 other volunteers in free-living conditions. This new EE function using the smartphone technology is dedicated to light- and moderate-intensity activities, and we believe it can be a new way to help people controlling their daily physical activity level.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • Clermont Ferrand, France, 63000
    • Centre de Recherche en Nutrition Humaine Auvergne

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• men and women
• age: 18-60 years
• BMI between 18.5 and 25 kg/m²
• subject considered as healthy after clinical examination and medical questionnaire
• women of childbearing age: negative beta-HCG
• subject with normal rest electrocardiogram (validated by a cardiologist)
• subject with normal blood pressure (<140/90 mm Hg) with or without medical treatment
• subject with no foot pad problem
• subject giving his/her written informed consent
• subject willing to comply with study procedures
• affiliated to National Health Insurance

Exclusion Criteria:

• respiratory failure or cardiovascular problem
• known cardiac decompensation or myocardial infarction
• surgery made less than 6 months before the study beginning
• pregnant women and nursing mother
• current infectious pathology
• abnormal electrocardiogram
• not affiliated to national health insurance people
• under legal guardianship
• refusal to sign informed consent
• refusal to be registered on the national volunteers data file
• currently participating or who having got 4500€ in this year before to have participated in another clinical trial

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Free-living conditions	Device: Energy expenditure estimation in free-living conditions; Volunteers were asked to wear sensors during about 12 hours, one day. They wore 2 research sensors that estimate energy expenditure: Armband and Actiheart. They also wore a smartphone (in a front pant pocket) that collected accelerometry data.
Experimental: Controlled conditions	Device: Energy expenditure estimation in controlled conditions; Volunteers were asked to perform several activities such as walking at different paces, running, sitting, standing still or taking public transportation for about 3h30 They wore 2 research sensors that estimate energy expenditure: Armband and Actiheart. They also wore a smartphone (in a front pant pocket) that collected accelerometry data.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Accelerometry	Measures acquired by a smartphone (it contains several sensors, including a tri-axial accelerometer)	about 17Hz (duration: 3h30 in controlled conditions; 12 hours in free-living conditions)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Energy expenditure	Sensor: Armband	one point recorded each minute for 3h30 in controlled conditions or 12 hours in free-living conditions
Energy expenditure	Sensor: Actiheart	one point recorded each minute for 3h30 in controlled conditions or 12 hours in free-living conditions

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
• Collaborators: Almerys

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 21, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 21, 2013
• First Posted (Estimated): November 26, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 3, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 1, 2024
• Last Verified: November 1, 2013

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: AU979; 2012-A00809-34 (Other Identifier: ANSM)