BMC Research Notes (Jan 2023)

Acceptability and use of waist-worn physical activity monitors in Jamaican adolescents: lessons from the field

  • Joanne A. Smith,
  • Sara-Lou Christie,
  • Bonny Rockette-Wagner,
  • Lorraine Wilson,
  • Ishtar O. Govia,
  • Keri-Ann Facey,
  • Marshall K. Tulloch-Reid

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-022-06266-y
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 1
pp. 1 – 5

Abstract

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Abstract Objective We report our experience with a validated waist-worn activity monitor in Jamaican adolescents attending urban high schools. Seventy-nine adolescents from the Global Diet and Activity Research (GDAR) study, recruited from 5 urban Jamaican high schools (two coeducational (n = 37), two all-female schools (n = 32) and one all-boys school (n = 10)) were asked to wear Actigraph wGT3X-BT accelerometers for 7 days (24-h), removing the device only when bathing or swimming. They also logged wake up and bed times in an activity diary. Accelerometry was considered valid if at least 4 days with ≥ 10-h monitor wear were recorded. Validity was compared by adolescent demographic and school characteristics. We also reviewed the students’ written feedback on objective physical activity measurement. Results Participants, 80.5% female, had a mean age of 15.5 ± 0.8 years with 60% attending schools in low-income communities. Accelerometer return rates were > 98% with 84% providing valid data. Validity did not vary by age group, sex and school setting. While participants were excited about participating in the accelerometer sub-study, commonly reported challenges included monitor discomfort during sleep and maintaining the study diary. Objective measurement of physical activity using 24-h waist-worn accelerometers is feasible and acceptable in Jamaican adolescents.

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