ActivPal is one of the used tools to evaluate activity level

1. ActivPal Technologies
Huda Alfatafta
MSc by research,
Orthotics and Prosthetics Department
University of Jordan

2. What is ActivPal?
• ActivPal is an objective monitor used to collect data
about activity level directly
• It is a small and slim thigh-worn monitor (PAL
Technologies Ltd., Glasgow, UK)
• It is useully attached on skin with stackies
• Can collect the data for 7 days contentously
Huda Alfatafta

3. 1
Time spending sitting/lying,
standing, walking
Option 1
Step count
Option 2
Cadence
Option 3
4
Posture transition
Option 4
Collected Data
Huda Alfatafta

4. How ActivPal works
The algorithm used by the ActivPal software uses
information from static acceleration (due to gravity)
and angle of the thigh to classify posture (lying/sitting
vs. upright) and dynamic acceleration (due to body
movement) to determine stepping.
Huda Alfatafta

5. ActivPal Setup
How it works:
1 Connect t The ActivPal with PC via USB cable
2 Open the ActivPal software and activate it. The software allows
researchers to select an immediate start time for recording
3 Then, ActivPal will start collecting data when the light is turned
into green color
Huda Alfatafta

6. Data Visualisation (Raw Data)
1 Yellow color shows sitting or lying
down activities
2 Green color shows walking activity
3 Red color shows walking (stepping )
activity
Huda Alfatafta

7. Downloaded Data
1 2
A 15 s epoch summary file shows the
number of seconds spent in various
activities
Also, data can be classified hour per
hour or day by day or by week
Huda Alfatafta

8. Validity and Reliability
The ActivPal monitor has demonstrated
excellent reliability and validity for use in
physical activity
1 Internal reliability for the
ActivPal device ranged from
0.79 to 0.99 (Grant et al.26).
2 Correlations between the ActivPal
and video observation in total
numbers of sit-to-stand and stand-
to-sit transitions were high
(r = 0.99 ± 0.01) (Aminian, and
Hinckson, 2012.
3 ActivPal is a valid, objective
measurement tool (Dowd et
al., 2012)
Huda Alfatafta

9. Huda Alfatafta
Age group Participants
Healthy and non
healthy groups
such as diabetic ,
OA, RH, etc.
Country
UK, USA,
Australia
Different walking
speeds
> 500 articles
Bibliography
7 - 90 years
Slow, normal and
fast walking speed
(0.45- 1.8 m/s)

10. Thanks
For more information:
Dowd, K.P., Harrington, D.M. and Donnelly, A.E., 2012. Criterion and concurrent validity of the activPAL™ professional physical activity monitor in adolescent
females. PLoS One, 7(10), p.e47633
Edwardson, C. L., Winkler, E. A., Bodicoat, D. H., Yates, T., Davies, M. J., Dunstan, D. W., & Healy, G. N. (2017). Considerations when using the activPAL monitor in field-
based research with adult populations. Journal of sport and health science, 6(2), 162-178
Aminian, S. and Hinckson, E.A., 2012. Examining the validity of the ActivPAL monitor in measuring posture and ambulatory movement in children. International
Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9(1), p.119.
.
Huda Alfatafta