Physical Activity Assessment Domain
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Network harmonisation of physical activity data using validation data

Case Study: Network harmonisation of physical activity data using validation data: Comparison against direct validation modeling

Harmonisation can be achieved using statistical models derived from validation studies which compare two or more methods of assessment. The following coefficients can be used to transform data from starting values to a target criterion. For more information, please see Pearce et al. (2019) [3].

Table 1 Coefficients for harmonisation of Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire (RPAQ) data.

Starting Point Value Target Criterion Value β(SE) α(SE) r2
RPAQ MVPA (minutes/day) Trunk acceleration (m/s2) 5.84⋅10−5 (7.9⋅10−6) .1199 (.0015) .02
RPAQ MVPA (minutes/day) Heart rate PAEE (kJ/day/kg) .0840 (.0061) 60.9 (1.2) .08
RPAQ MVPA (minutes/day) Combined sensing PAEE (kJ/day/kg) .0390 (.0030) 50.69 (.57) .07
RPAQ MVPA (minutes/day) DLW PAEE (kJ/day/kg) .036 (.011) 45.1 (2.1) .14
RPAQ PAEE (kJ/day/kg) Combined sensing PAEE (kJ/day/kg) .239 (.014) 45.63 (.69) .12
RPAQ PAEE (kJ/day/kg) DLW PAEE (kJ/day/kg) .176 (.054) 42.7 (2.7) .14
RPAQ Cambridge Index Combined sensing PAEE (kJ/day/kg) Inactive =0;
Moderately inactive = 5.6 (1.5);
Moderately active = 13.0 (1.6);
Active = 24.2 (1.7) 		44.2 (1.3) .12
RPAQ Cambridge Index DLW PAEE (kJ/day/kg) Inactive =0;
Moderately inactive = -7.9 (6.3);
Moderately active = -4.8 (6.4);
Active = 6.9 (6.5) 		52.3 (5.8) .12

DLW=doubly labelled water; MVPA=moderate to vigorous physical activity; PAEE=physical activity energy expenditure; SE=standard error.

Table 2 Coefficients for harmonisation of Actiheart data.

Starting Point Value Target Criterion Value β(SE) α(SE) r2
RPAQ MVPA (minutes/day) DLW PAEE (kJ/day/kg) .66 (.11) 20.0 (8.1) .45
Trunk acceleration (m/s2) DLW PAEE (kJ/day/kg) 165 (32) 26.7 (8.2) .37
Heart rate PAEE (kJ/day/kg) DLW PAEE (kJ/day/kg) .34 (.07) 42.7 (5.8) .34

DLW=doubly labelled water; PAEE=physical activity energy expenditure; SE=standard error.

Table 3 Coefficients for harmonisation of wrist acceleration data.

Starting Point Value Target Criterion Value β(SE) α(SE) r2
Wrist acceleration (milli-g) DLW PAEE (kJ/day/kg) 1.05 (.12) 4.2 (5.3) .48
Wrist acceleration (milli-g) Trunk acceleration (m/s2) 4.78⋅10−3 (9.0⋅10−5) -.097 (.0036) .53
Wrist acceleration (milli-g) Combined sensing PAEE (kJ/day/kg) 1.232 (.012) -6.90 (.45) .67

DLW=doubly labelled water; PAEE=physical activity energy expenditure; SE=standard error.

References
  1. Brage S, Ekelund U, Brage N, Hennings MA, Froberg K, Franks PW, Wareham NJ. Hierarchy of individual calibration levels for heart rate and accelerometry to measure physical activity. Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md.:1985). 2007;103:682-92
  2. Brage S, Westgate K, Franks PW, Stegle O, Wright A, Ekelund U, Wareham NJ. Estimation of Free-Living Energy Expenditure by Heart Rate and Movement Sensing: A Doubly-Labelled Water Study. PLOS ONE. 2015;10:e0137206
  3. Lindsay T, Westgate K, Wijndaele K, Hollidge S, Kerrison N, Forouhi N, Griffin S, Wareham N, Brage S. Descriptive epidemiology of physical activity energy expenditure in UK adults (The Fenland study). The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2019;16:126
  4. Pearce M, Tom R.P. Bishop, Stephen Sharp, Kate Westgate, Michelle Venables, Nicholas J. Wareham, Søren Brage. Network Harmonisation of Physical Activity Variables Through Indirect Validation. Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour. 2020;3:8-18
  5. InterAct Consortium InterAct Consortium, Peters T, Brage S, Westgate K, Franks PW, Gradmark A, Tormo Diaz MJ, Huerta JM, Bendinelli B, Vigl M, et al. Validity of a short questionnaire to assess physical activity in 10 European countries. European Journal of Epidemiology. 2011;27:15-25
  6. White T, Westgate K, Wareham NJ, Brage S. Estimation of Physical Activity Energy Expenditure during Free-Living from Wrist Accelerometry in UK Adults. PLOS ONE. 2016;11:e0167472