Conference Agenda

Purpose: Sensor-based measurements are increasingly used to analyse 24/7 physical behaviour (PB) in cohort and monitoring studies, providing detailed information on physical activity (PA), sedentary time, and sleep. However, it remains unclear which sensor-derived characteristics best describe 24/7 PB and how these relate to health. This knowledge is valuable for designing new, sensor-based activity guidelines. This study is a first step towards a ‘Dutch Physical Activity Index’ (DPAI), a set of components designed to: I) capture relevant 24/7 PB characteristics from sensor data, II) be derived from common sensor protocols, and III) be simple and attractive to communicate, for instance in guidelines.

Methods: Potential components (e.g., distribution of moderate-to-vigorous PA or maximal sedentary time) were formulated based on literature and expert discussions. When necessary, additional exploratory analyses were performed on cross-sectional accelerometer data from the Doetinchem Cohort Study (2013-2017, n=1,991). We then evaluated the practical feasibility of extracting these from sensor data. The proposed components are currently being refined iteratively based on these analyses and expert feedback. Next, we will determine prevalence within various sensor protocols and explore associations with health-related factors.

Results: At the HEPA conference, we will present the selected components, prevalence estimates, and preliminary exploratory analyses of associations with health outcomes.

Conclusions: We expect to provide detailed insights into various 24/7 PB patterns, serving as input for a DPAI. This index may be an interesting step towards new, sensor-based PA guidelines.

Support/Funding Source: This research was funded by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.