A SOLID-STATE AMBULATORY PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY MONITOR AND ITS APPLICATION TO MEASURING DAILY ACTIVITY OF THE ELDERLY

An ambulatory acceleration monitor was developed and used to evaluate physical activity in the elderly. The ECG and accelerations at the wri st, waist, and ankle were recorded, and the heart rate and frequency a nd amplitude of accelerations per unit time were evaluated in both wor king and retired elderly women performing normal daily activities. The heart rate closely paralleled wrist acceleration. The behaviour patte rns of the subjects could be differentiated by time interval signals a nd histogram distributions. This system appears to be an effective met hod of understanding and describing the characteristic activities of t he elderly in a quantitative and objective fashion.