Activity trackers may underestimate steps when walking is impaired


  • TECH
  • Monday, 13 Jun 2016

Mall walkers Ana Morales and Flora Yang walk together at Mazza Gallerie in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2016. They are members of a club organized by Sibley Memorial Hospital that uses the mall as a place for seniors to get exercise. (Heidi de Marco/Kaiser Health News/TNS)

Some wearable activity trackers can keep a fairly accurate count of steps for older people with ambulatory issues who use canes or walkers, but a few underestimate steps by a large margin, a recent study suggests. 

“We were particularly surprised to see that even some of the wrist-worn devices were accurate among those with no walking impairments or those with mild walking impairments,” said senior author Matthew P. Buman of the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University in Phoenix. 

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